#Occupied Palestinian Territory
UN agencies launch catch-up immunization campaign for children in Gaza amid humanitarian scale-up
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the UN and its partners are reaching more people every day with more supplies and services in all areas of the Gaza Strip, despite access restrictions, bureaucratic hurdles, congestion along transit routes and other impediments.
Today, UN agencies announced the launch of an integrated catch-up campaign for routine immunization, nutrition and growth monitoring – targeting 44,000 children who have been cut off from life-saving services due to the war. UNICEF, UNRWA, and the World Health Organization will carry out the campaign with partners, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
Children will receive three doses of the pentavalent, polio, rotavirus and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, and two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine. The first of three planned rounds will start this Sunday and run for 10 days, with vaccinations taking place at nearly 150 health facilities and 10 mobile clinics across the Gaza Strip.
Teams have already brought into Gaza all vaccines, syringes, cold chain equipment and nutrition supplies necessary for this campaign. Over 450 health workers and support staff, as well as nearly 150 doctors, have been trained.
The agencies stressed that the campaign’s success depends on the full respect of the ceasefire so that families, health professionals and other humanitarian workers can reach vaccination sites freely and safely.
Across Gaza, the number of daily meals being served by 183 community kitchens topped 1.2 million on Monday, with the UN and its partners supporting that scale-up. Compared with late September, this represents an increase of more than 80 per cent. Families are also being reached with food parcels and other forms of food assistance.
Additionally, humanitarians are working to improve access to water supplies, with more than 40 partner organizations operating nearly 1,900 water points. On Monday, the UN and its partners distributed 4,400 hygiene kits, as well as 2,900 buckets and 3,700 jerrycans to people in need.
Yesterday, the UN and its partners distributed hundreds of tarpaulins and hundreds of tents across the Strip to displaced families in need of urgent shelter support. On Sunday and Monday, they provided hundreds of families with cash-voucher assistance for clothing ahead of the winter.
Meanwhile, the UN and its partners keep moving cargo into the Strip and collecting more supplies from Gaza’s crossings. On Monday, they were able to offload over 180 truckloads of critical supplies at the crossings, including more than 1,500 metric tons of food. Yesterday, teams collected about 120 truckloads inside Gaza, carrying more than 580 pallets of blankets, tents, winter clothes, hygiene items and more. They also collected over 150,000 litres of fuel and over 90 metric tons of animal fodder. These numbers are preliminary and exclude bilateral donations and the private sector.
OCHA stresses that while the humanitarian scale-up is well underway, much more is needed. Cargo collection is still limited because just two crossings are currently operational – and aid teams are only permitted to use narrow, congested roads to move supplies, with priority often given to the commercial sector.
Operations are also restricted by prohibitive registration requirements that effectively ban most NGOs from taking part in the scale-up. The UN and its partners are actively engaging with relevant authorities and all those with influence to secure the lifting of obstacles and restrictions so that humanitarians can truly leave no one behind.
#Sudan
Violence threatens civilians fleeing El Fasher
OCHA is deeply alarmed over mounting reports of grave violations against civilians as fighting continues in Sudan’s North Darfur State.
Local volunteers have publicly reported executions, sexual violence, humiliation, extortion and attacks, among other systematic abuses, including on people fleeing the fighting following the Rapid Support Forces’ capture of the state capital, El Fasher, last week.
A new analysis of satellite imagery reveals at least two mass graves near a mosque and the former children’s hospital, as well as multiple sites showing signs of body disposal operations.
The UN Population Fund reports that women and girls faced rape, abduction and other extreme violence while fleeing El Fasher. Other local sources report that about 1,300 people with gunshot wounds arrived in the locality of Tawila after being attacked as they escaped the city.
The International Organization for Migration notes that as of yesterday, nearly 82,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since 26 October, including towards Tawila, which is already hosting hundreds of thousands who have fled previous attacks, with humanitarian needs far exceeding available resources.
Once again, OCHA calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the safe, unhindered passage of humanitarian workers and relief supplies to reach those in need.
#Chad
UN steps up support for new arrivals from Darfur
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that Chad has become a critical refuge for those fleeing the Sudan conflict, now hosting 1.4 million refugees, mostly from Darfur.
With escalating violence in El Fasher, another major influx into Chad is anticipated, placing additional pressure on host communities.
UNHCR teams on the ground are reinforcing preparedness efforts, pre-positioning supplies, and working with local authorities and partners to expand reception capacity near border areas such as Adré and Tine.
Critical sectors such as health, water, sanitation and protection are under-resourced, leaving thousands without adequate support. UNHCR calls on the international community to urgently scale up support to Chad’s refugee response.
#Hurricane Melissa
Cuba: UN launches action plan to assist 1 million people affected by hurricane
The UN system in Cuba launched its Plan of Action today to support the national response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, alongside the Government.
The plan aims to assist 1 million people among the 2.2 million in need across the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Guantánamo. It outlines a coordinated response by UN agencies in support of the Government and the Civil Defense System.
The plan calls for US$74 million, of which $4 million was released ahead of the hurricane from the Central Emergency Response Fund as part of its Anticipatory Action programme. UN agencies have also put forth an additional $7 million. This leaves a funding gap of more than $60 million to meet urgent needs.*
The response focuses on health, water, sanitation, shelter, education and early recovery, with special attention to be paid to the needs of women, children and other vulnerable groups.
The UN stands with the people of Cuba and calls on the world to back efforts to restore vital services, rebuild livelihoods, and strengthen resilience after Hurricane Melissa.
Haiti: humanitarians expand hurricane relief efforts in Grand Sud
OCHA says that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to scale up response efforts in Haiti’s Grand Sud region, the area of the country most affected by Hurricane Melissa.
According to authorities, as of yesterday, 43 people have died, including 25 in Petit-Goâve alone. Dozens of others are injured, and at least 13 people remain missing.
At the height of the crisis, 16,000 people had sought safety in temporary shelters. As of 3 November, more than 1,700 people remain displaced across 10 shelters. Over 16,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.
Many roads have been affected, with some remaining impassable – leaving communities isolated, particularly in the department of Grand’Anse. Authorities are conducting urgent repairs to restore access.
Today, a team from OCHA, UNICEF and the World Food Programme visited the commune of Petit-Goâve in the Ouest department to discuss how to strengthen coordination with local authorities and partners. Petit-Goave has registered the highest number of casualties from the hurricane.
The UN and its partners continue to deliver food, shelter, hygiene kits and other life-saving supplies.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people affected by Hurricane Melissa with urgent support.
