UN, Government launch $331 million appeal to help 1.4 million people
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, together with the Government, earlier today launched a revised Flash Appeal calling for an additional $331.5 million to cover the period from June to August.
This brings the overall ask for the Flash Appeal, running from March through August, to nearly US$640 million to sustain life-saving efforts for 1.4 million people.
The Secretary-General announced the initial appeal three months ago in the immediate aftermath of the escalation. Donors have, up to now, provided $186 million to bolster the humanitarian response, facilitating the work of the UN and its partners to reach some 680,000 people.
However, humanitarian needs continue to rise.
More than 3,500 people have been killed and more than 10,000 injured, while some 1 million people remain displaced from their homes.
At the launch today, Riza underscored the alarming toll on civilians, the destruction of homes and basic services, and the deepening needs across the country.
He stressed that families continue to face repeated displacement, loss of livelihoods, and growing food insecurity, while essential services, including health care and water systems, have been severely impacted.
He called for sustained international support to enable the delivery of a broad range of life‑saving assistance, protect civilians, and help restore critical services in affected areas.
OCHA/UNFPA footage
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Lebanon with urgent support.
Environmental damage compounding an already dire situation – UN official
The Deputy Special Coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, today highlighted the impact of the conflict on the environment in Palestine and the importance of integrating environmental considerations into humanitarian, recovery, and development efforts.
In a statement issued on the occasion of World Environment Day, Dr. Alakbarov, who is also the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said that environmental damage has affected people’s health, livelihoods and wellbeing and placed additional pressure on vulnerable ecosystems and natural resources.
He warned that damage to essential infrastructure, including water and sanitation systems, as well as pollution and the accumulation of debris, has immediate consequences for communities and may have long-term implications.
Meanwhile, partners working on sanitation in Gaza report that solid waste management continues to rely on temporary dump sites that are near where displaced people live and therefore increase public health risks.
Over the past three months, partners have transferred about 100,000 cubic metres of waste from the Firas Market in Gaza City to a newly identified dump site in Abu Jarad. But the new site cannot be fully developed or effectively utilised without specific fabrics – also called ‘geotextiles’ – that have only now been approved and are in the procurement phase.
There is a need to secure access to Gaza’s landfills close to the eastern perimeter, but the UN and its partners also need approval to bring in equipment and other inputs to clear explosive ordnance and remove waste and rubble.
Partners working on mine action say that in the last two weeks of May, they have raised awareness of the risks linked to explosive ordnance among more than 16,000 children and adults. They have also conducted 45 assessments of explosive hazards in support of debris removal and other humanitarian activities – but they still lack approvals to take into Gaza the necessary equipment to dispose of explosive ordnance.
Violence cuts off communities, imperils Ebola response
OCHA warns that intensifying violence is claiming civilian lives and severely restricting humanitarian access in the provinces of North and South Kivu in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In North Kivu, an armed attack in Beni territory on the night of 2 June reportedly killed at least 24 civilians and triggered fresh displacement, according to local authorities.
In neighbouring Masisi territory, heavy clashes on 3 June caused further displacement, compounding a crisis that had already displaced some 270,000 people as of May.
The renewed violence has compelled humanitarian organizations to restrict movements in several areas, further limiting access to affected populations.
In South Kivu province, hostilities on 3 June in Fizi and Mwenga territories, reportedly involving the use of drones, sparked new displacement, according to local civil society. Over the past two years, persistent insecurity in these areas has cut off more than 165,000 people from regular assistance.
OCHA expresses grave concern that ongoing violence in the two eastern provinces could hinder the response to the Ebola epidemic as well as ongoing humanitarian assistance.
Despite these challenges, the provision of life-saving assistance continues wherever possible. Since April, humanitarian partners have provided cash assistance to more than 8,000 people in Beni territory.
The UN calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and provide unimpeded, safe and sustained humanitarian access.
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