Rescue teams race to find survivors as humanitarian response ramps up
While the Government of Venezuela continues to lead the response, the United Nations and our humanitarian partners are rapidly scaling up life-saving assistance to the survivors of the double earthquakes.
International search and rescue operations are fully mobilised, with more than 70 search and rescue teams and other specialised teams and more than 2,300 personnel working side by side with national authorities. Several people have been rescued alive from the rubble, even as the death toll continues to rise and many remain unaccounted for.
While the critical window for live rescues narrows, humanitarian partners are expanding emergency support across health, shelter, water and sanitation, and logistics, including in La Guaira and other affected municipalities.
The UN has issued an emergency appeal for Venezuela, seeking public donations. Managed by our office in Caracas, the donations go to the Venezuela Humanitarian Fund to provide life-saving aid, healthcare, food and emergency shelter through trusted local partners.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Venezuela with urgent support.
Safety risks remain high as civilians return to affected areas
OCHA reports that the situation in Lebanon remains fragile despite the recent ceasefire, though some positive trends in displacement and returns are being observed.
People who were staying in collective shelters have started to return home, with sites closing as families depart. However, around 50,000 people remain in 469 collective shelters.
Returns are ongoing with around 60 per cent of returnees coming from shelters and 40 per cent from other accommodation.
Safety risks remain high, particularly due to reported contamination by unexploded ordnance across several locations in southern Lebanon, including the municipalities of Borj Qalaouiye, Jouaiya, Chaqra and Mansouri. In Mansouri, incidents have resulted in one fatality and one injury.
The UN reiterates that returns must be safe, voluntary and dignified and stresses the need for sustained support to address ongoing humanitarian needs and to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and health workers.
“Yellow Line” makes over half of Gaza off limits to Palestinians
Daily strikes in populated areas and tightening of restrictions put civilians in Gaza increasingly at risk, cause displacement, and limit services to people in desperate need.
The UN and our partners are currently assessing the needs of dozens of families who have been displaced since the weekend in two areas along the so-called “Yellow Line.”
The “Yellow Line” has served to mark the part of the Gaza Strip – over half of the land – that is virtually off-limits for Palestinians.
Over 20 families have been displaced in eastern Deir al Balah governorate, and more than a dozen families have been displaced from parts of eastern Gaza city.
Newly displaced people told our humanitarian partners that they were ordered out through quadcopter announcements or had fled when Israeli forces – supported by armed Palestinians – advanced towards their residential areas while dropping explosive munitions from the air.
In Deir al Balah governorate, new yellow cement blocks were set up, signalling further expansion of the areas that are off limits for Palestinians.
The UN and its partners are supporting newly displaced families through a rapid joint distribution mechanism.
This morning, an airstrike hit a location about 100 metres away from three UN offices in Deir al Balah. There are reports of casualties, although none among humanitarian personnel.
Earlier this month, shelling and gunfire hit an area of Khan Younis – also near the “Yellow Line” – where food security partners operate a number of facilities. Staff were not harmed, but the attacks forced partners to suspend hot meal and bread distributions from seven facilities on 19 and 20 June until security risks could be reassessed. The distribution served about 3,000 people.
Meanwhile, areas where restrictions apply on the movement of humanitarian staff are also expanding and they are now covering 65 per cent of the land. The latest shift to the “Orange Line” – which delineates those areas – was introduced last Tuesday, effectively expanding by another 800 square metres the area where Israeli authorities urge the UN and humanitarian partners to coordinate their movements.
Humanitarian partners warn that having to coordinate every movement with Israeli authorities in most of Gaza undermines service provision. The impact ranges from higher operational costs and delays to a complete cutting off of essential facilities, such as Gaza’s two sanitary landfills.
Humanitarian colleagues say that efforts are also undermined by actions of forces affiliated with the de facto authorities, who stop convoys for inspection or enter humanitarian warehouses, including inviolable UN facilities.
UN welcomes extension of key border crossing amid ongoing clashes
OCHA welcome today’s announcement from the Sudanese Government to extend the opening of the Adre border crossing with Chad until 30 September. This will allow the UN to continue to deliver humanitarian aid to those in need.
Meanwhile, OCHA also warn that civilians are increasingly at risk and displaced as attacks and insecurity continue.
In North Darfur, according to humanitarian partners, a drone strike on 23 June hit a civilian vehicle in Sari village, reportedly causing at least 30 civilian casualties. Later the same day, another drone reportedly struck Al Sayah Market, approximately 170 kilometres north of El Fasher, also with casualties reported.
Near the Chadian border, armed clashes continue in the localities of Um Baru, Koroni and Al Tina. Some humanitarian partners report that their operations have been suspended due to the worsening security conditions and disruptions to communication.
Also on 23 June, field teams from the International Organization for Migration estimated that more than 1,400 people were displaced from five villages in Um Baru locality in North Darfur due to high insecurity. Affected families were reportedly displaced within Um Baru locality, while others crossed into Chad.
In North Kordofan, drone attacks on El Obeid city have continued for a third consecutive week. According to local sources, a drone strike on 27 June reportedly hit areas near Al Jeel Al Raid Private Girls’ School, injuring at least eight female students.
In West Kordofan, cholera cases continue to rise. To date, health authorities have reported nearly 800 suspected cases and 71 associated deaths. Since 16 June, the number of reported cases has increased by approximately 100, with more than ten additional deaths recorded.
Partners in health, water and sanitation are scaling up the response through the operation of cholera treatment facilities, deployment of rapid response teams, strengthened disease surveillance, water chlorination efforts, and the distribution of cholera supplies, supported by the World Health Organization. However, constrained access, limited operational presence and severe water shortages continue to hamper the response.
Despite the volatile operational environment, humanitarian partners continue to deliver assistance across Darfur. In West Darfur, partners completed cash distributions last week to 250 families across three locations in the Kreinik locality. In addition, general food assistance was delivered across four administrative units in Foro Baranga locality, reaching more than 42,600 people with monthly food rations.
In White Nile State, nutrition partners reached nearly 150,000 children and close to 10,000 pregnant women through a large-scale integrated campaign across Aldouim, Tandalti and Al Jabalain localities.
The UN once again calls on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need across Sudan.
Civilians caught in crossfire as hostilities flare up between Afghanistan and Pakistan
OCHA warns that civilians are being caught in the crossfire as hostilities continue between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Overnight, Pakistani airstrikes reportedly hit Afghanistan’s eastern and southeastern provinces of Paktika, Paktia and Kunar, with initial reports indicating dozens of civilians killed and more than 100 injured, including women and children. These figures have not yet been independently verified.
On 10 June, strikes in parts of the provinces of Kunar, Khost and Paktika also killed and injured several civilians, mostly women and children, and destroyed people’s homes.
The latest attacks have also reportedly triggered displacement. Humanitarian partners on the ground are assessing the needs and preparing to provide emergency assistance.
The UN continues to call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and stresses that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times.
Leave a Reply