Returnees attempt to make their way home amid security risks
OCHA reports that more families in Lebanon are returning to their communities or trying to determine whether returning is possible in southern Lebanon.
Humanitarian partners report that the number of people living in collective shelters dropped from 103,000 to around 72,000 nationwide as of last Friday.
However, security risks remain a major concern, particularly due to the widespread presence of unexploded ordnance and other explosive remnants of war. Local authorities in several villages in the Tyre district in South Governorate have issued warnings following reports of the presence of unexploded ordnance. Partners warn that these hazards continue to endanger civilians and pose a serious obstacle to safe and sustainable returns.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, at least 4,190 people have been killed and more than 12,100 injured across Lebanon since 2 March.
The UN continues to call for the protection of civilians and for conditions that allow displaced families to return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Lebanon with urgent support.
Overnight strikes force new displacement as aid agencies rush to respond
People were displaced overnight in Beit Lahia area of North Gaza governorate, according to humanitarian partners who received calls for help.
Around midnight, about 30 households reportedly fled when tanks advanced towards Al Atatra Junction. Reportedly, a quadcopter dropped incendiary munition that set three tents ablaze. While most families could return after the troops withdrew, six households remained displaced because a yellow cement block was installed near their places of residence.
Setting up such blocks signals the expansion into populated areas of the so-called “Yellow Line”, where, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, lethal force has often been used.
Humanitarian partners are supporting families that are newly displaced or have otherwise lost their belongings. Last week, partners responded to alerts that affected 135 households. After rapidly assessing individual needs, they provided people with tents, blankets, hygiene and dignity kits, jerrycans and tarpaulins through a Rapid Joint Distribution Mechanism.
Last week, most of the newly affected families were impacted by strikes. Dozens of other families were displaced from areas along the so-called “Yellow Line” following the advancement of Israeli forces and the placement of yellow cement blocks. A smaller number of people received help following domestic fires or flooding.
The vast majority of Gaza’s 2.1 million people remain displaced, and partners are also responding to that ongoing displacement. However, they warn that longer-lasting shelter requires approvals to bring in construction materials and equipment to remove rubble and clear explosive ordnance.
Students among civilians injured in El Obeid drone strike
OCHA warns that ongoing fighting continues to endanger civilians and damage civilian infrastructure in Sudan’s El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State.
Yesterday, partners reported that a drone strike hit an empty fuel tanker parked near Dar Al Fikir School in El Obeid, injuring five civilians, including two students. They were taken to hospital for treatment. The incident took place close to the offices of several humanitarian partners. A separate drone strike was also reported yesterday near El Obeid Main Stadium.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the response to the latest escalation. WHO’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said today that WHO has pre-positioned essential medical supplies in El Obeid, including for trauma and injury care, disease prevention and response, reproductive, maternal and child health, and nutrition. These supplies are enough to treat more than 25,000 people.
Needs across the locality of Sheikan, which includes El Obeid, remain immense, with nearly 800,000 people requiring some form of humanitarian assistance.
The UN once again calls for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Humanitarians must be able to reach people in need through rapid, safe, sustained and unhindered access.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Sudan with urgent support.
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