#Occupied Palestinian Territory
OCHA warns that critical aid stocks are dwindling, after more than two weeks with no supplies coming into the Gaza Strip.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that the closure of the crossings has led to a surge in prices. This month, the cost of cooking gas soared by up to 200 per cent compared to February and is now only available on the black market.
Partners also report a lack of cash. Shop owners are unable to restock or pay their suppliers. This is particularly acute in North Gaza and Khan Younis.
Despite the suspension of cargo entering Gaza, the UN and its partners continue to provide life-saving services for as many vulnerable people as possible.
Over the past two weeks, our partners have screened more than 3,000 children for malnutrition across Gaza. Only a small number of cases of acute malnutrition have been identified, but partners warn that the situation could worsen if the halt on aid into Gaza continues.
UNICEF says large quantities of critical supplies are stalled just a few dozen kilometers outside the Strip, including 20 ventilators for neonatal intensive care units and more than 180,000 doses of essential childhood routine vaccines, enough to fully vaccinate and protect 60,000 children under the age of 2.
In a statement yesterday, UNICEF stressed that these life-saving health supplies must be allowed to enter, warning that any further delay risks reversing the gains made for children during the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the UN and partners working in education continue to sustain learning activities across the Strip. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East says more than 270,000 children have enrolled in the agency’s education program in Gaza – learning math, science, Arabic and English. Thanks to hundreds of school counsellors and assistant counsellors, children are also receiving psychological first aid and benefiting from recreational activities.
In the West Bank, OCHA reports that the operation by Israeli forces in northern areas continues to drive displacement.
Over the past few days, Israeli forces raided Tulkarm. Hundreds of families, including women, children and older people, were displaced from Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps. Partners report that most residents of the Nur Shams refugee camp have left.
Meanwhile, humanitarian partners in the northern West Bank are providing psychological assistance to children to address the impact of the operation and are training adults on how to support them.
#Sudan
OCHA warns that the ongoing siege on Zamzam camp, outside the city of El Fasher, Sudan, is deepening the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians who are struggling to survive after months of famine.
The crisis at the camp has worsened during Ramadan, with food shortages growing even more severe.
Prices of basic goods have skyrocketed, making essential items unaffordable for most families. Partners on the ground report signs of growing hunger. Zamzam is a site in which famine conditions were identified last July and reconfirmed in December.
Armed attacks continue along the route between Zamzam and El Fasher, with multiple casualties and injuries reported. A partner at Zamzam warns that the presence of improvised explosive devices inside the camp is also an increasing concern. A recent blast involving children playing with an explosive device reportedly resulted in one death and four serious injuries.
Despite severe access challenges, humanitarian teams are providing food, water and urgent medical care, but needs are far outpacing available resources. The situation has become even more critical due to funding cuts and the withdrawal of most aid organizations assisting in the area due to insecurity. This comes after WFP and Médecins Sans Frontières were forced to suspend operations in Zamzam last month.
OCHA is also concerned that conditions are also deteriorating in parts of Khartoum State. Local volunteer aid workers report severe malnutrition and critical shortages of medicines in the district of Sharg An Nil. They say malnutrition is widespread among children and pregnant women, particularly in the neighbourhood of East Al Haj Yousif, where conditions are especially dire. Lack of food is a major problem due to the closure of most community kitchens.
Two weeks ago, front-line aid workers recorded more than 800 cases of severe child malnutrition, with numbers continuing to rise. Meanwhile, cases of anemia, hepatitis, night blindness and malaria are increasing due to the critical shortage of medicines in the few remaining functional health facilities.
There are also very serious concerns over reports of grave human rights violations in Khartoum as fighting rages and lines of control shift rapidly.
OCHA stresses that the scale of suffering in Sudan is staggering, and without swift intervention, the consequences will be devastating for millions. We call once again for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan and unhindered humanitarian access to deliver life-saving aid.
#Ukraine
OCHA reports that attacks across Ukraine continue to impact civilians and civilian infrastructure.
According to authorities, between 14 March and today, attacks have caused dozens of civilian casualties, including among children. Homes, schools and energy facilities have also sustained damaged, affecting electricity supplies.
The strikes primarily affected Dnipro, Donetsk, and Kharkiv regions in the east and Odesa and Kherson regions in the south.
Aid workers responded swiftly and provided shelter materials, emergency repair kits and hygiene supplies, as well as providing psychosocial support.
According to partners and authorities, continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector over the past three years – including missile strikes, cyberattacks and the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant – have severely impacted the generation, transmission and distribution of power in Ukraine. In 2024 alone, there were 13 large-scale strikes that significantly impacted Ukraine’s power generation capacity.