Renewed fighting in Gaza: Civilians must be protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end by UNICEF, WFP, IPC, OHCA, agencies   23 Aug. 2025   Gaza Strip: Famine confirmed in Gaza Governorate, projected to expand (IPC)   As of 15 August 2025, Famine (IPC Phase 5)—with reasonable evidence—is confirmed in Gaza Governorate. After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death. Another 1.07 million people (54 percent) are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 396,000 people (20 percent) are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).   Between mid-August and the end of September 2025, conditions are expected to further worsen with Famine projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. Nearly a third of the population (641,000 people) are expected to face catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), while those in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) will likely rise to 1.14 million (58 percent). Acute malnutrition is projected to continue worsening rapidly.   Through June 2026, at least 132,000 children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition—double the IPC estimates from May 2025. This includes over 41,000 severe cases of children at heightened risk of death. Nearly 55,500 malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women will also require urgent nutrition response.   Despite limited data, conditions in North Gaza Governorate are estimated to be as severe—or worse—than in Gaza Governorate.   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-134/en/   Remarks on Gaza at the UN press briefing by Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. (Geneva, 22 August 2025):   "Please read the IPC report, cover to cover. Read it in sorrow and in anger. Not as words and numbers but as names and lives. Be in no doubt that this is irrefutable testimony. It is a famine. The Gaza Famine.   It is a famine that we could have prevented, if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land.   It is a famine that hits the most vulnerable first. Each with a name, each with a story. That strips people of dignity before it strips them of life. That forces a parent to choose which child to feed. That forces people to risk their lives to seek food.   It is a famine that we repeatedly warned of. But that the international media has not been allowed in to cover. To bear witness.   It is a famine in 2025. A 21st century famine watched over by drones and the most advanced military technology in history. It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.   It is a famine on all of our watch. Everyone owns this. The Gaza Famine is the world’s famine. It is a famine that asks ‘but what did you do?’ A famine that will and must haunt us all.   It is a predictable and a preventable famine. A famine caused by cruelty, justified by revenge, enabled by indifference and sustained by complicity.   It is a famine that must spur the world to more urgent action. That must shame the world to do better. It is a famine that therefore also asks ‘… and what now will you do?’   My ask, my plea, my demand to Prime Minister Netanyahu and anyone who can reach him: Enough. Ceasefire. Open the crossings, north and south, all of them. Let us get food and other supplies in, unimpeded and at the massive scale required. End the retribution. It is too late for far too many. But not for everyone in Gaza. Enough. For humanity’s sake, let us in".   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-says-gaza-famine-must-spur-world-urgent-action http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/famine-confirmed-first-time-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unthinkable-gaza-city-has-already-begun http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/gaza-un-child-rights-committee-condemns-using-starvation-children-weapon-war http://www.wfp.org/news/famine-confirmed-first-time-gaza http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165702 http://www.savethechildren.net/news/children-starved-plain-sight-famine-confirmed-gaza-save-children http://www.care.org/media-and-press/famine-confirmed-in-gaza-as-assault-on-gaza-city-looms/ http://www.rescue.org/press-release/all-famine-thresholds-now-surpassed-gaza-city-irc-urges-government-israel-enable-aid http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/un-human-rights-occupied-palestinian-territory-israeli-plan-take-full-control-gaza-city-will-lead-further-killings-and-displacement http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/icrc-president-mass-evacuation-gaza-city-unfeasible-and-incomprehensible http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/september/emptying-gaza-city-drives-civilians-into-starvation-and-forcible-transfer http://www.ochaopt.org/content/when-gaza-burned-children-starved-hospitals-collapsed-did-you-act http://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-situation-update-321-gaza-strip   29 July 2025   IPC ALERT: Worst-case scenario of Famine unfolding in the Gaza Strip   The worst-case scenario of Famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip. Conflict and displacement have intensified, and access to food and other essential items and services has plummeted to unprecedented levels.   Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths. Latest data indicates that Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City.   Malnutrition has been rising rapidly in the first half of July. Over 20,000 children have been admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, with more than 3,000 severely malnourished. Hospitals have reported a rapid increase in hunger-related deaths of children under five years of age.   Immediate action must be taken to end the hostilities and allow for unimpeded, large-scale, life-saving humanitarian response. This is the only path to stopping further deaths and catastrophic human suffering.   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-133/en/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/un-agencies-warn-key-food-and-nutrition-indicators-exceed-famine-thresholds-gaza http://www.wfp.org/news/un-agencies-warn-key-food-and-nutrition-indicators-exceed-famine-thresholds-gaza http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/ipc-alert-worst-case-scenario-famine-unfolding-gaza-strip-published-29-july-2025 http://www.unocha.org/news/ocha-urges-security-council-summon-courage-end-inhumanity-gaza http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/israel-threatens-ban-major-aid-organizations-starvation-deepens   23 July 2025   As mass starvation spreads across Gaza, our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away. (Over 100 humanitarian aid agencies)   As the Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families. With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes.   Exactly two months since the Israeli government-controlled scheme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, began operating, 109 organisations are sounding the alarm, urging governments to act: open all land crossings; restore the full flow of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items, and fuel through a principled, UN-led mechanism; end the siege, and agree to a ceasefire now.   “Each morning, the same question echoes across Gaza: will I eat today?” said one agency representative.   Massacres at food distribution sites in Gaza are occurring near-daily. As of July 13, the UN confirmed 875 Palestinians were killed while seeking food, 201 on aid routes and the rest at distribution points. Thousands more have been injured.   Meanwhile, Israeli forces have forcibly displaced nearly two million exhausted Palestinians with the most recent mass displacement order issued on July 20, confining Palestinians to less than 12 per cent of Gaza. WFP warns that current conditions make operations untenable. The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime.   Just outside Gaza, in warehouses – and even within Gaza itself – tons of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel sit untouched with humanitarian organisations blocked from accessing or delivering them.   The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death. An aid worker providing psychosocial support spoke of the devastating impact on children: “Children tell their parents they want to go to heaven, because at least heaven has food.”   Doctors report record rates of acute malnutrition, especially among children and older people. Illnesses like acute watery diarrhoea are spreading, markets are empty, waste is piling up, and adults are collapsing on the streets from hunger and dehydration.   Distributions in Gaza average just 28 trucks a day, far from enough for over two million people, many of whom have gone weeks without assistance.   The UN-led humanitarian system has not failed, it has been prevented from functioning.   Humanitarian agencies have the capacity and supplies to respond at scale. But, with access denied, we are blocked from reaching those in need, including our own exhausted and starved teams.   On July 10, the EU and Israel announced steps to scale up aid. But these promises of ‘progress’ ring hollow when there is no real change on the ground. Every day without a sustained flow means more people dying of preventable illnesses. Children starve while waiting for promises that never arrive.   Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions. It is not just physical torment, but psychological. Survival is dangled like a mirage. The humanitarian system cannot run on false promises. Humanitarians cannot operate on shifting timelines or wait for political commitments that fail to deliver access.   Governments must stop waiting for permission to act. We cannot continue to hope that current arrangements will work. It is time to take decisive action: demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire; lift all bureaucratic and administrative restrictions; open all land crossings; ensure access to everyone in all of Gaza; reject military-controlled distribution models; restore a principled, UN-led humanitarian response and continue to fund principled and impartial humanitarian organisations. States must pursue concrete measures to end the siege, such as halting the transfer of weapons and ammunition.   Piecemeal arrangements and symbolic gestures, like airdrops or flawed aid deals, serve as a smokescreen for inaction. They cannot replace states’ legal and moral obligations to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure meaningful access at scale. States can and must save lives before there are none left to save.   http://www.savethechildren.net/news/mass-starvation-spreads-across-gaza-more-100-ngos-make-urgent-plea-allow-life-saving-aid http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/as-mass-starvation-spreads-across-gaza-our-colleagues-and-those-we-serve-are-wasting-away http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165582 http://www.ochaopt.org/content/un-agencies-and-ngos-warn-without-immediate-action-most-international-ngo-partners-could-be-de-registered http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/08/turk-calls-end-starvation-civilians-and-humiliation-hostages-gaza   UN Relief Chief calls for Gaza ceasefire as starvation spreads   OCHA warns once again that conditions on the ground in Gaza are already catastrophic and deteriorating fast – with death, displacement and destruction continuing to be reported as a result of ongoing Israeli military operations.   The starvation crisis is deepening across the Strip. Hunger and malnutrition increase the risk of illnesses that weaken the immune system, especially among women, children, older people, and those with disabilities or chronic diseases. The consequences can turn deadly fast. Food scarcity is also having a severe impact on pregnant and breastfeeding women, as their babies are more likely to be born with health complications. It affects mothers’ ability to breastfeed, putting children at increased risk of infectious diseases.   Life is being drained out of Gaza, as systems and services are on the verge of collapse. Just yesterday, the local health authorities announced that more people died from starvation. In the meantime, the trickle of supplies that are making it into the Strip are nowhere near adequate to address the immense needs.   The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, warned that Gaza is starving and called for a ceasefire now. “We must save as many lives as we can – and we have a plan”. It outlines the steps necessary to stop the horror, as well as the constraints placed on humanitarian operations in Gaza and the UN’s proposed solutions to resolve them.   UN teams are in place to ramp up delivery as soon as they are allowed to do so. Their supplies are ready to move. During the last ceasefire, tens of thousands of truckloads entered Gaza, with food aid reaching nearly every single person in the Strip.   What is missing right now is safe, sustained access. Aid workers face constant danger, crossings are unreliable, and critical items are routinely blocked. If Israel opens the crossings, lets fuel and equipment in, and allows humanitarian staff to operate safely, the UN will accelerate the delivery of food aid, health services, clean water and waste management, nutrition supplies, and shelter materials. Ensuring these elements are in place will be critical to scaling up assistance in the event of a ceasefire.   However, right now, various constraints imposed by the Israeli authorities on aid delivery continue to hamper humanitarians’ ability to respond.   http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-ukraine-syria-democratic-republic-congo http://unocha.exposure.co/gaza-through-the-eyes-of-its-photographers http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north-africa-edouard-beigbeder-3 http://www.unocha.org/considerations-delivery-humanitarian-aid-during-ceasefire-gaza http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-president-calls-urgent-collective-action-states-end-suffering   July 2025 (UN News)   The UN Secretary-General is “appalled” by the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as civilians face yet another wave of mass displacement with few safe places to go.   Multiple attacks in recent days have killed and injured scores of Palestinians at sites hosting displaced people and others attempting to access essential supplies.   On just one day this week, nearly 30,000 people were forced to flee under new Israeli relocation orders, with no safe place to go and clearly inadequate supplies of shelter, food, medicine or water.   With no fuel having entered Gaza in over 17 weeks, the UN chief is also “gravely concerned that the last lifelines for survival are being cut off.”   “Without an urgent influx of fuel, incubators will shut down, ambulances will be unable to reach the injured and sick, and water cannot be purified,” Mr. Dujarric said.   “The delivery by the United Nations and partners of what little of our lifesaving humanitarian aid is left in Gaza will also grind to a halt.”   The Secretary-General reiterated his call for safe and sustained humanitarian access so aid can reach people in desperate need.   “The UN has a clear and proven plan, rooted in the humanitarian principles, to get vital assistance to civilians – safely and at scale, wherever they are,” Mr. Dujarric said.   The Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. He reminded all parties that international humanitarian law must be upheld.   A recent WFP assessment shows nearly one person in three is not eating for days, placing more people at risk of starvation.   WFP Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Carl Skau, visited Gaza City on 1-2 July, talking to families there.   “This is my fourth visit to Gaza since the start of the conflict. The situation is the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to find words to describe the level of desperation I have witnessed. People are dying just trying to get food. Our kitchens are empty; they are now serving hot water with a bit of pasta floating in it. A mother told me she had gone to a kitchen hoping to find a hot meal and fainted there. There was nothing to eat and she went home without anything for her children. A father I met had lost 25 kgs in the past two months. People are starving, while we have food just across the border.”   “Our WFP teams in Gaza are doing heroic work under conditions that are simply impossible. They are frequently caught in cross-fire escorting food convoys through combat zones. We don’t have enough fuel for our vehicles, or spare parts for our trucks or cars, or basic equipment to communicate. And our national staff are not just aid workers—they live here, they face the same dangers, the same hunger as the rest of the population. We can’t continue in these conditions.”   “A ceasefire is urgently needed. We stand ready to deliver - we have the food, the capacity and the systems to assist the entire population in Gaza. During the previous ceasefire, we showed what was possible: delivering over 8,000 trucks of food in only 42 days. We can do it again, but we need all routes and entry points to open, and we need safety and order to be able to reach most vulnerable. The ceasefire must be the first step toward lasting peace.”   The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reiterated that in the face of massive and ever-increasing humanitarian needs, the Israeli authorities must open all available crossings, fully facilitate humanitarian access inside Gaza, and protect civilians – in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law.   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-warns-security-council-erosion-rules-war-gaza-demands-urgent-response http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-executive-director-catherine-russells-remarks-humanitarian-situation-children http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/23/we-faced-hunger-before-but-never-like-this-skeletal-children-fill-hospital-wards-as-starvation-grips-gaza http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/blog/clock-ticking-fast-starving-children-gaza-will-world-take-action-save-them http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/07/starving-civilians-gaza-lethal-inhumane-and-degrading-and-it-must-end http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-delivers-food-inside-gaza-amid-restrictions-and-growing-insecurity http://www.unocha.org/news/un-warns-fuel-shortage-gaza-reaches-critical-levels http://www.ochaopt.org/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-children-killed-during http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-starvation-or-gunfire-not-humanitarian-response-0 http://www.msf.org/two-msf-facilities-gaza-reach-all-time-high-acute-malnutrition-levels http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/gaza-starvation-or-gunfire http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165321 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1165016 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164846 http://www.ochaopt.org/publications http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza   May 2025   Gaza Strip: IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Special Snapshot | April - September 2025   Nineteen months into the conflict, the Gaza Strip is still confronted with a critical risk of Famine. Over 60 days have passed since all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies were blocked from entering the territory. Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks. The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half a million people (one in five) facing starvation.   From 11 May to the end of September 2025, the whole territory is classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), with the entire population expected to face Crisis or worse acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above).   This includes 470,000 people (22 percent of the population) in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), over a million people (54 percent) in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and the remaining half million (24 percent) in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).   This marks a significant deterioration compared to the previous IPC analysis (released in October 2024) and the already dire conditions detected between 1 April - 10 May 2025. During this time, 1.95 million people (93 percent) were classified in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above), including 244,000 people (12 percent) in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) and 925,000 (44 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).   Between 1 April and 10 May, acute malnutrition (AMN) was at Alert and Serious levels (IPC AMN Phase 2 and 3). However, experience has shown that acute malnutrition can worsen rapidly, and latest data indicate a deteriorating trend that is expected to persist. Consequently, acute malnutrition in North Gaza, Gaza and Rafah governorates will likely reach Critical levels (IPC AMN Phase 4) between 11 May and end of September.   Between mid-January and mid-March 2025, the ceasefire allowed a temporary alleviation of acute food insecurity and malnutrition conditions in parts of the Gaza Strip. However, the ongoing blockade imposed in early March reversed the situation. Since 18 March, the escalating conflict has displaced over 430,000 people, further disrupted access to humanitarian assistance, markets, health, water and sanitation services, and caused additional damage to remaining essential infrastructure.   All 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) closed at the beginning of April due to lack of supplies, and food stocks for most of the 177 hot meal kitchens are reportedly exhausted.   All preventive nutrition supplies have run out in UNICEF and WFP warehouses. Food prices are soaring daily, with wheat flour ranging from USD $235 per 25 kg in Deir al-Balah to USD $520 in Gaza and Khan Younis - a 3,000 percent increase since February 2025. Latest data show many households resorting to extreme coping strategies. A third reported collecting garbage to sell for food, while a quarter indicated that no valuable garbage remains. Observations reveal that social order is breaking down.   The plan announced on 5 May by Israeli authorities for delivering food and non-food items across the governorates is estimated to be highly insufficient to meet the population’s essential needs for food, water, shelter and medicine.   Moreover, the proposed distribution mechanisms are likely to create significant access barriers for large segments of the population. In light of the announced large-scale military operation across the Gaza Strip and the persistent inability of humanitarian agencies to deliver essential goods and services, there is a high risk that Famine (IPC Phase 5) will occur in the projection period (11 May – 30 September). The latest announcements suggest that this worst-case scenario is becoming more likely.   Immediate action is essential to prevent further deaths, starvation and acute malnutrition, and a descent into Famine. This entails ending hostilities, ensuring unrestricted humanitarian access, restoring essential services and commercial flows, and providing sufficient lifesaving assistance to all in need.   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-124/en/ http://www.wfp.org/news/risk-famine-across-all-gaza-new-report-says http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-security-council-act-decisively-prevent-genocide-gaza http://www.who.int/news/item/12-05-2025-people-in-gaza-starving--sick-and-dying-as-aid-blockade-continues http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unimaginable-horrors-more-50000-children-reportedly-killed-or-injured-gaza-strip http://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2025/05/un-women-estimates-over-28000-women-and-girls-killed-in-gaza-since-october-2023 http://www.msf.org/two-msf-facilities-gaza-reach-all-time-high-acute-malnutrition-levels   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1163926 http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/israel-and-occupied-territories-red-cross-field-hospital-unprecedented-influx-war-wounded-gaza http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-urges-protection-of-civilians-unhindered-humanitarian-assistance http://www.savethechildren.net/news/news-quote-let-us-do-our-jobs-and-deliver-aid-safely-gazas-starving-population http://www.savethechildren.net/news/news-quote-gaza-aid-must-not-be-turned-tool-control-rather-relief http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/turk-deplores-gaza-escalation-pleads-global-action-stop-more-killings   http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/joint-donor-statement-humanitarian-aid-gaza http://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/26/Tv/video/amanpour-buttu http://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/23/Tv/video/amanpour-tom-fletcher-un-gaza-aid http://www.unocha.org/news/briefing-note-un-coordinated-plan-resume-humanitarian-aid-deliveries-gaza   http://theelders.org/news/elders-call-collective-action-governments-end-palestinian-suffering-gaza http://www.huffpost.com/entry/israel-former-prime-minister-ehud-olmert-war-crimes-gaza_n_68333494e4b0b20a268ade65 http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/bond-responds-uk-france-canada-statement-and-joint-donor-statement-gaza http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-reaction-announcement-israel-will-allow-limited-amount-aid-gaza http://cafod.org.uk/news/media/press-releases/gaza-food-supplies http://actionagainsthunger.ca/story/avert-humanitarian-catastrophe-gaza/ http://plan-international.org/news/2025/06/02/israeli-aid-blockade-hits-three-month-mark/   2 May 2025   UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the situation for children in the Gaza Strip after two months of aid blockade:   “For two months, children in the Gaza Strip have faced relentless bombardments while being deprived of essential goods, services and lifesaving care. With each passing day of the aid blockade, they face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death – nothing can justify this.   “Families are struggling to survive. They are trapped, unable to flee in search of safety. The land they used to farm has been destroyed. The sea they used for fishing has been restricted. Bakeries are closing, water production is declining, and market shelves are almost bare. Humanitarian aid has provided the only lifeline for children, and now it is close to running out.   “In the past month, over 75 per cent of households have reported deteriorating access to water – they don’t have enough water to drink, are unable to wash their hands when needed, and often forced to choose between showering, cleaning, and cooking.   “Vaccines are quickly running out and diseases are spreading – especially acute watery diarrhoea, which now accounts for 1 in every 4 cases of disease recorded in Gaza. Most of these cases are among children under five, for whom it is life-threatening.   “Malnutrition is also on the rise. More than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year. Hundreds more children in desperate need of treatment are not able to access it due to the insecurity and displacement.   “International humanitarian law requires authorities to ensure that the population under their control is treated humanely. This not only includes ensuring that civilians have the food, medicine, and essential supplies they need, but also ensuring sufficient hygiene and public health standards. All parties to the conflict must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance. And they must allow and facilitate all relevant UN entities to carry out those activities for the benefit of the local population.   “UNICEF remains in the Gaza Strip, doing what we can to support and protect children. But the aid blockade and more than 18 months of war are pushing Gaza’s children to the brink. We reiterate our call for the aid blockade to be lifted, for the entry of commercial goods into Gaza, for the release of the hostages, and for the protection of all children.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-situation-children-gaza-strip http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-124/en/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/gaza-un-child-rights-committee-condemns-mass-starvation-children-amid-aid http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/humanitarian-situation-update-286-gaza-strip http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/gaza-un-anti-racism-committee-decries-halt-food-aid-urges-immediate http://www.ohchr.org/en/media-centre/news-situation-occupied-palestinian-territory-israel-and-lebanon http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/half-of-gazas-children-now-malnourished-as-humanitarian-aid-remains-blocked/ http://www.mercycorps.org/blog/gaza-is-starving http://www.careinternational.org.uk/news-stories/blockade-in-gaza-we-hope-this-hell-were-living-in-will-end-soon/ http://plan-international.org/blog/2025/03/24/the-true-cost-of-war-gaza-ceasefire-fail/   25 Apr. 2025   WFP runs out of food stocks in Gaza as border crossings remain closed.   The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has depleted all its food stocks for families in Gaza.   Today, WFP delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meals kitchens in the Gaza Strip. These kitchens are expected to fully run out of food in the coming days. For weeks, hot meal kitchens have been the only consistent source of food assistance for people in Gaza. Despite reaching just half the population with only 25 percent of daily food needs, they have provided a critical lifeline.   WFP has also supported bakeries to distribute affordable bread in Gaza. On March 31, all 25 WFP-supported bakeries closed as wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out. The same week, WFP food parcels distributed to families – with two weeks of food rations – were exhausted. WFP is also deeply concerned about the severe lack of safe water and fuel for cooking – forcing people to scavenge for items to burn to cook a meal.   No humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza for more than seven weeks as all main border crossing points remain closed. This is the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced, exacerbating already fragile markets and food systems. Food prices have skyrocketed up to 1,400 percent compared to during the ceasefire, and essential food commodities are in short supply raising serious nutrition concerns for vulnerable populations, including children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly.   More than 116,000 metric tons of food assistance – enough to feed one million people for up to four months – is positioned at aid corridors and is ready to be brought into Gaza by WFP and food security partners as soon as borders reopen.   The situation inside the Gaza Strip has once again reached a breaking point: people are running out of ways to cope, and the fragile gains made during the short ceasefire have unravelled. Without urgent action to open borders for aid and trade to enter, WFP’s critical assistance may be forced to end.   WFP urges all parties to prioritize the needs of civilians and allow aid to enter Gaza immediately and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-runs-out-food-stocks-gaza-border-crossings-remain-closed http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162651 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162656 http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/turk-calls-world-prevent-total-humanitarian-catastrophe-gaza-enar http://uk.ambafrance.org/France-condemns-Israeli-strikes-on-Gaza-Strip-and-calls-for-resumption-of http://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2025/05/105900/gaza-worst-case-scenario-unfolds-brutal-aid-blockade-threatens-mass http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/israel-and-occupied-territories-after-two-months-aid-blockage-humanitarian-response-verge-collapse http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/israels-new-ingo-registration-measures-are-grave-threat-humanitarian-operations http://www.ochaopt.org/content/statement-humanitarian-country-team-occupied-palestinian-territory-principled-aid-delivery-gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-end-gaza-blockade-says-aid-must-never-be-bargaining-chip http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza http://reliefweb.int/country/pse   7 Apr. 2025   World must act with urgency to save Palestinians in Gaza   (Statement by heads of OCHA, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNRWA, WFP, WHO and IOM)   "For over a month, no commercial or humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza. More than 2.1 million people are trapped, bombed and starved again, while, at crossing points, food, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies are piling up, and vital equipment is stuck.   Over 1,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured in just the first week after the breakdown of the ceasefire, the highest one-week death toll among children in Gaza in the past year.   Just a few days ago, the 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme during the ceasefire had to close due to flour and cooking gas shortages.   The partially functional health system is overwhelmed. Essential medical and trauma supplies are rapidly running out, threatening to reverse hard-won progress in keeping the health system operational.   The latest ceasefire allowed us to achieve in 60 days what bombs, obstruction and lootings prevented us from doing in 470 days of war: life-saving supplies reaching nearly every part of Gaza.   While this offered a short respite, assertions that there is now enough food to feed all Palestinians in Gaza are far from the reality on the ground, and commodities are running extremely low.   We are witnessing acts of war in Gaza that show an utter disregard for human life. New Israeli displacement orders have forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee yet again, with no safe place to go.   No one is safe. At least 408 humanitarian workers, including over 280 from UNRWA, have been killed since October 2023. With the tightened Israeli blockade on Gaza now in its second month, we appeal to world leaders to act – firmly, urgently and decisively – to ensure the basic principles of international humanitarian law are upheld.   Protect civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/world-must-act-urgency-save-palestinians-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-million-children-gaza-strip-deprived-lifesaving-aid-over-one-month http://www.ochaopt.org/content/secretary-general-remarks-press-gaza http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1161951 http://www.wfp.org/news/hunger-looms-again-gaza-wfp-food-stocks-begin-run-out   24 Mar. 2025   OCHA reports that as hostilities continue across the Gaza Strip, the Israeli closure of all crossings for incoming cargo has entered its 20th day – the longest such shutdown since 7 October 2023.   This latest closure is having a devastating impact on people already facing catastrophic conditions. Each passing day further erodes the progress made by the UN and its humanitarian partners in the six weeks after the ceasefire.   Beyond the depletion of stocks, OCHA warns that humanitarian operations are now being severely hampered by hostilities. Civilians, including aid workers, and civilian assets have come under attack.   The UN is seeking concrete assurances for the safety of its staff and operations in Gaza, following the killing of six UN personnel and injury of several others this week, including in the attack on a clearly designated UN compound.   UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “All parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect the absolute inviolability of UN premises, without this, our colleagues face intolerable risks as they work to save the lives of civilians ”.   Mr. Dujarric said the UN Secretary-General is demanding a full, thorough and independent investigation into Wednesday’s deadly strike. "The Secretary-General strongly condemns these strikes and demands a full, thorough and independent investigation on this incident. All parties must comply fully with international law at all times. Civilians must be respected and protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally”.   As attacks continue across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, OCHA warns that the steady flow of trauma injuries is putting even more pressure on an already shattered healthcare system. UN humanitarians have described deadly attacks hitting health workers, ambulances and hospitals.   Relief chief Tom Fletcher reported that he was continuing to receive horrific reports from Gaza of more health workers, ambulances and hospitals attacked as they try to save survivors. Mr. Fletcher said under international humanitarian law hospitals and medics must never be targeted.   Senior UN humanitarian in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jonathan Whittall, said that hundreds of children and adults have been killed since the ceasefire broke down between Hamas and Israel.   "183 children among the hundreds and hundreds of people killed — that number should shock the world, it should prompt action," UNICEF's Rosalia Bollen told the reporters. She said the toll on Palestinian children who have so far survived the strikes was serious.   "It's even more nerve wracking for children who've been through 15 long months of relentless bombings and very toxic stress, and now all of that trauma is rapidly being reactivated," Ms Bollen said.   "The kids that I've been speaking to these past six months, they frequently talk about death — they say that they're afraid of dying, they're very afraid that their parents die and that they'll be on their own."   Humanitarian partners estimate that more than 120,000 Palestinians – about 6 per cent of the surviving population in Gaza – have been displaced once again this week, driven by intensified attacks and new Israeli evacuation orders across the Strip.   “Families carry what little they have with no shelter, no safety, and nowhere left to go; the Israeli authorities have cut off all aid,” UNRWA said in a statement – warning that food is scarce as the Israeli blockade continues.   Gaza health officilas reported that over 50,000 people have been killed and over 110,000 injured during the conflict, with the majority being women and children.   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-urges-international-action-protect-civilians-gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-haiti-ukraine http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-322-children-reportedly-killed-gaza-strip-following-breakdown-ceasefire http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/statement-commissioner-lahbib-attacks-health-personnel-hospitals-and-aid-workers-gaza-0 http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/ifrc-condemns-killing-eight-palestine-red-crescent-medics-gaza http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/press-briefing-un-women-collapse-gaza-ceasefire-and-its-devastating-impact-women-and-girls http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/palestine-end-of-ceasefire-and-blockade-in-gaza   18 Mar. 2025   Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the attacks in Gaza:   “Reports and images emerging from the Gaza Strip following today’s attacks are beyond horrifying. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed, including more than 130 children, representing one of the largest single-day child death toll in the last year.   “Some of the strikes reportedly hit makeshift shelters with sleeping children and families, another deadly reminder that nowhere is safe in Gaza.   “The latest attacks come as lifesaving aid remains blocked from entering Gaza, compounding the risks to children.. Today, Gaza’s one million children – who have endured more than 15 months of war – have been plunged back into a world of fear and death. The attacks and the violence must stop – now.   “We urge all parties to immediately reinstate the ceasefire, and we call on countries with influence to use their leverage to ensure the situation does not further deteriorate. International humanitarian law must be respected by all parties, allowing the immediate provision of humanitarian aid, the protection of civilians, and the release of all hostages.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-attacks-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/palestinian-children-remain-deprived-most-essential-supplies-and-services http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161246 http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/renewed-airstrikes-gaza-un-relief-chief-urges-restoration-ceasefire http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/gaza-renewed-bombardment-humanitarian-freefall http://reliefweb.int/country/pse http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/comment-un-human-rights-chief-volker-turk-israeli-airstrikes-gaza http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-warns-worsening-humanitarian-crisis-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/stoppage-humanitarian-aid-deliveries-gaza-strip-unicef-warns-severe-consequences http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/statement-without-access-aid-gaza-strip-peoples-lives-are-knife-edge-once-again http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/march/suspension-of-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-will-lead-to-more-suffering Visit the related web page
	Children are starving to death from dehydration and malnutrition in Sudan every day by OCHA, UNHCR, OHCHR, agencies   26 Aug. 2025   After 500 days under siege, children in Sudan’s Al Fasher face starvation, mass displacement, and deadly violence. (UNICEF)   After 500 days under siege, the city of Al Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur has become an epicentre of child suffering, with malnutrition, disease, and violence claiming young lives daily, UNICEF warned today.   At least 600,000 people - half of them children - have been displaced from Al Fasher and surrounding camps in recent months. Inside the city, an estimated 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, remain trapped in desperate conditions, cut off from aid for more than 16 months.   “We are witnessing a devastating tragedy – children in Al Fasher are starving while UNICEF’s lifesaving nutrition services are being blocked,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Blocking humanitarian access is a grave violation of children's rights, and the lives of children are hanging in the balance.   UNICEF continues to call for immediate and full access, including through expanded pauses in the fighting to allow us to reach all children in need. Children must be protected at all times, and they must have access to life-saving aid.”   The toll on children is catastrophic. Since the start of the siege in April 2024, more than 1,100 grave violations have been verified in Al Fasher alone, including the killing and maiming of over 1,000 children. Many were struck down in their homes, inside displacement camps, or in marketplaces. At least 23 children have been subjected to rape, gang rape, or sexual abuse, while others have been abducted, recruited, or used by armed groups. Due to limited access and verification challenges, the number of affected children is almost certainly significantly higher.   This week saw reports of another mass casualty event, as seven children were reportedly killed in an attack on Abu Shouk Internal Displacement camp, located on the outskirts of Al Fasher.   In Al Fasher, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) siege has completely cut off supply lines. Health facilities and mobile nutrition teams have been forced to suspend services as supplies have been depleted without new supplies able to enter, leaving an estimated 6,000 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) without treatment. Without therapeutic food and medical care, these children face an exponentially higher risk of death.   Health and education facilities have come under continued attack, with 35 hospitals and 6 schools struck, including Al Fasher Saudi Maternal Teaching Hospital, which was hit more than ten times, killing and injuring many, including children. In January, shelling destroyed the therapeutic health centre at Abu Shouk camp, depriving thousands of malnourished children of treatment.   Meanwhile, acute malnutrition is spreading fast. More than 10,000 children in Al Fasher have been treated for SAM since January – nearly double last year’s figure. But depletion of supplies has now forced the suspension of services. Recent reports indicate at least 63 people – mostly women and children – died of malnutrition in a single week.   The situation in the wider region is also concerning; In July, Mellit locality – hosting many displaced from Al Fasher – recorded an Acute Malnutrition rate of 34.2 per cent, a record high since the onset of the war in April 2023 in Sudan.   The siege is colliding with Sudan’s worst cholera outbreak in decades. Since July 2024, more than 96,000 suspected cases and 2,400 deaths have been reported nationally, with nearly 5,000 cases and 98 deaths in Darfur alone. In overcrowded camps around Tawila, Zamzam, and Al Fasher, children weakened by hunger are now highly vulnerable to deadly waterborne disease.   UNICEF continues to call on the Government of Sudan, and all other concerned parties, to help ensure sustained, unimpeded, and safe access to reach children wherever they are in Sudan, including:   An immediate and sustained humanitarian pause in Al Fasher and across other conflict-affected areas. Unimpeded humanitarian access for the delivery of therapeutic food, medicines, clean water, and other essentials. The re-establishment and continuity of UN and partner operations in the areas most critically affected. Protection of civilians, including children, and civilian infrastructure in line with international humanitarian law.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/after-500-days-under-siege-children-sudans-al-fasher-face-starvation-mass http://sudan.un.org/en/300675-statement-attributable-spokesman-secretary-general-sudan http://www.msf.org/attacks-across-darfur-sudan-leave-nearly-100-wounded-msf-facilities http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/war-atrocities-sudan-civilians-deliberately-targeted-un-fact-finding-mission?sub-site=HRC http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/sudan-msf-report-documents-ongoing-mass-atrocities-against-civilians-el-fasher-north-darfur   13 Aug. 2025   One year after famine first confirmed in Sudan, WFP warns that people trapped in El Fasher face starvation - World Food Programme   One year since famine was first confirmed in Sudan’s Zamzam camp in North Darfur, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warns that the families trapped inside the besieged state capital, El Fasher, face starvation. The city is cut off from humanitarian access leaving the remaining population with little choice but to fend for survival with whatever limited supplies are left.   WFP has not been able to deliver food assistance to El Fasher by road for over a year as all roads leading there are blocked despite the massive needs in the besieged city.   Hundreds of thousands of people trapped in El Fasher face starvation, as the city remains cut off from World Food Programme (WFP) and other humanitarian assistance.   “Everyone in El Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive,” said Eric Perdison, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. “People’s coping mechanisms have been completely exhausted by over two years of war. Without immediate and sustained access, lives will be lost.”   With trade routes cut off and supply lines blocked, basic food items like sorghum or wheat, which are used to make traditional flatbreads and porridges, cost up to 460 percent more in El Fasher than in the rest of Sudan. Community kitchens were set up by local groups during the war to provide hot meals to hungry people, but only very few are still functioning.   Civilian infrastructure – including markets and clinics – have been attacked. Reports indicate families are resorting to consuming animal fodder and food waste for survival. Many who have managed to flee have cited an escalation of rampant violence, looting, and sexual assault.   “In El Fasher there was a lot of shelling and hunger. Only hunger and bombs. That’s why we left El Fasher,” eight-year-old Sondos told WFP. Sondos fled El Fasher with her five family members who had been surviving on only millet. She is among some 400,000 people recently displaced to Tawila who are receiving WFP support.   Corinne Fleischer, WFP’s Director of Supply Chain and Delivery: “Access is blocked to key locations like El Fasher. We must be given the space to reach all civilians in need.”   “WFP is ready with trucks full of food assistance to send into El Fasher,” said Fleischer. “We urgently need guarantees of safe passage.”   WFP assistance has helped reduce the risk of famine in six areas of Central Darfur and two in West Darfur. But WFP requires $645 million over the next six months to continue emergency food, cash, and nutrition assistance. Some families in displacement camps in eastern Sudan who have relied on WFP support over two years are now receiving nothing.   http://www.wfp.org/news/one-year-after-famine-first-confirmed-sudan-wfp-warns-people-trapped-el-fasher-face-starvation http://www.wfp.org/stories/wfp-calls-humanitarian-access-sudanese-city-grapples-starvation http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165642   12 Aug. 2025   Sudan INGO Forum condemns the Persistent Violations of International Humanitarian Law in El Fasher, where Civilians are Starving and Besieged   International non-governmental organizations working in Sudan condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the renewed and devastating attacks on El Fasher that began on August 11 and persisted throughout the day and night. Indiscriminate shelling has caused widespread destruction of homes, markets, hospitals, and displacement sites. Local responders report at least 40 civilians killed as two displacement camps were attacked. Once again, the city’s residents are bearing the brunt of flagrant violations of International Humanitarian Law.   The people of El Fasher have remained trapped in a siege for over fourteen months. The city is being strangled, not only by the relentless aerial and artillery bombardments but also the calculated use of starvation as a weapon of war. Aid has been systematically blocked from entering for months, while traders face attacks and farmers are prevented from planting.   Anecdotal reports of recent food hoarding for military use add to the suffering of civilians. With markets depleted, high taxes on the movement of goods, and prices spiralling, civilians have been forced to eat animal fodder to survive, supplies of which are running out.   Local responders operating communal kitchens are being targeted and, with no funds remaining, can only serve women and children. Lacking safe shelter, some civilians have resorted to digging holes in the ground to protect themselves from shelling.   Sustained attacks, obstruction of aid and targeting of critical infrastructure demonstrate a deliberate strategy to break the civilian population through hunger, fear, and exhaustion. There is no safe passage out of the city, with roads blocked and those attempting to flee facing attacks, taxation at checkpoints, community-based discrimination and death.   Survivors recount being looted of even their water, and having to dig hurried graves along the route for those who died or were killed along the way. Aid workers and their families continue to be targeted and detained, and multiple reports point to widespread sexual violence and exploitation targeting those fleeing.   We call on all parties to the conflict to:   Immediately cease all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Guarantee safe, voluntary, and dignified passage for all those wishing to leave the city.   Halt the use of explosive weapons in civilian areas, including displacement camps. End the siege and allow unhindered humanitarian aid and traders into and out of El Fasher.   Uphold their obligations under IHL and commitments under the Jeddah Declaration and ensure accountability for those responsible for war crimes.   We urge the international community, including the UN Security Council, regional bodies, donor states, and those with influence over parties to the conflict and their sponsors to take decisive action to protect civilians in El Fasher and across Sudan, including by upholding UNSC Resolution 2736 on El Fasher and UNSC 2417 on the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Silence and inaction serve to embolden further mass atrocities.   The people of El Fasher cannot wait: their survival depends on an immediate end to the violence, unrestricted humanitarian access, and steadfast protection of their fundamental rights.   http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/ingos-condemn-persistent-violations-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-el-fasher-where-civilians-are-starving-and-besieged   July 2025   Children are starving to death from dehydration and malnutrition in Sudan every day. (IPC, Plan International)   In response to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on the situation of famine in Sudan, Plan International Sudan’s Country Director, Mohamed Kamal, says: “We are already seeing signs of mass starvation in camps where mothers arrive unable to feed their children and today’s IPC forecast is a grave warning the situation is only going to get worse. Our fears are becoming a reality.   “This is the worst hunger crisis is the world right now – the conflict is entering its third year and the IPC have warned the situation is expected to deteriorate dramatically between July and September, with children most at risk. 24.6 million people in Sudan face high levels of acute food insecurity with 8.1 million facing emergency levels.   “Famine was detected in 5 areas in El Fasher and the Western Nuba Mountains and these areas are particularly difficult to reach to provide humanitarian aid as the security situation is so severe here. With the impending rainy season due, travel will be further hindered which will also drive-up food insecurity levels in the months ahead.   “Children are starving to death from dehydration and malnutrition in Sudan every day. Hundreds of thousands are malnourished. A 10-year-old girl recently told us that for months her only meal has been lentil soup every day and that she dreams of fruit.   “For girls and young women, the impact is especially severe – girls often eat last and least and are at greater risk of early marriage, as families struggle to feed their children.   “The inaccessibility of safe water has led to a widespread outbreak of cholera in many parts of the country with over 32,000 suspected cases recorded this year. Cholera can be deadly for malnourished and dehydrated children.   “Last month we saw an attack on a joint UN humanitarian convoy in North Darfur in which aid workers were killed and life-saving food and nutrition supplies destroyed rather than reach starving families. It is getting increasingly hard to operate in the most at need regions.   “As the conflict continues, farming is disrupted and Sudan faces serious economic instability and high inflation which limits people’s access to food. This has been compounded with overseas aid cuts as community kitchens who relied on this money can no longer operate.   “This is the world’s largest humanitarian emergency the international community must urgently support a peaceful resolution to this conflict, which has been devastating the people of Sudan for over 2 years.”   Dr. Unni Krishnan, Global Humanitarian Director at Plan International said:   “Hundreds of thousands of people are on the brink of famine, while tens of millions more have dangerously little to eat. Without a permanent ceasefire that allows aid to reach all parts of the country and a rapid, large-scale increase in humanitarian funding, countless more children will die from hunger and preventable disease. Now is the time to act to save lives.”   http://plan-international.org/news/2025/07/11/children-starve-famine-risk-persists-sudan/ http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-132/en/ http://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Alert_Sudan_July2025.pdf http://www.wfp.org/news/one-year-after-famine-first-confirmed-sudan-wfp-warns-people-trapped-el-fasher-face-starvation http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-attacks-kordofan-states-hundreds-deaths-displacement-collapse-services http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/famine-tightens-grip-on-sudan-ingos-call-for-immediate-access-for-aid http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/children-sudan-reduced-skin-and-bones-unicef-calls-urgent-action http://www.unicef.org/sudan/press-releases/over-640000-children-under-five-risk-cholera-spreads-sudans-north-darfur-state http://www.msf.org/war-fuels-cholera-outbreak-across-sudan http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165605 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165580 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/08/sudan-un-expert-concludes-official-visit-port-sudan-expressing-alarm http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-women-food-insecurity-and-famine-risk-sudan-gender-snapshot-21-july-2025 http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/08/women-in-sudan-are-starving-faster-than-men-female-headed-households-suffer/   7 July 2025   UN warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan as displacement, hunger and disease escalate. (UN News)   UN humanitarians on Monday sounded the alarm over the worsening conditions in Sudan, as violence continues, and food and water remain at critically low levels.   The situation is particularly dire in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, which has witnessed some of the worst episodes of the ongoing conflict between rival militaries.   Those remaining in El Fasher are facing “extreme shortages” of food and clean water, with markets repeatedly disrupted, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists.   Across the city, nearly 40 per cent of children under five are suffering from acute malnutrition, including 11 per cent with severe acute malnutrition.   Most of the surrounding water infrastructure has also been destroyed or rendered non-functional due to minimal maintenance and fuel shortages, Mr. Dujarric added.   Since April 2023, an estimated 780,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher town and the nearby Zamzam displacement camps, including nearly 500,000 in April and May of this year. Famine conditions have been confirmed in the area since last August.   About three-quarters of Zamzam camp’s residents fled to various locations across Tawila, where the UN and its partners have scaled up critical humanitarian assistance.   Mr. Dujarric further warned that the breakdown of water and sanitation services, combined with low vaccination coverage, has sharply increased the risk of disease outbreaks, including cholera. So far this year, Sudan has reported more than 32,000 suspected cholera cases.   According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cholera cases continue to rise across Darfur, with over 300 suspected cases and more than two dozen deaths reported in South Darfur state last week alone.   “Conflict and collapsing infrastructure continue to drive the spread of the disease and impede response efforts,” Mr. Dujarric stressed.   Since war erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 12 million forced to flee their homes – including approximately four million as refugees in neighbouring countries.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/number-severely-malnourished-children-doubles-north-darfur-nutrition-crisis-deepens http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/ipc-alert-famine-affected-areas-sudan http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/sudan-tawila-operational-response-plan-orp-august-october-2025 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165367 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165340 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165367 http://news.un.org/en/tags/sudan http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-syria-sudan-myanmar-haiti-ukraine http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/unicef-humanitarian-snapshot-children-under-siege-north-darfur-humanitarian-crisis-al-fasher-zamzam-camp-and-tawila http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/july/sudan-darfur-displacement http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-surge-darfur-displacement-pushes-tawila-full-scale-crisis-cholera-spreading http://reliefweb.int/country/sdn http://www.msf.org/mass-atrocities-continue-el-fasher-sudan http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/sudan-protection-risk-analysis-2025 http://www.wfp.org/news/refugees-escaping-sudan-face-escalating-hunger-and-malnutrition-food-aid-risks-major http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/sudan-life-saving-aid-must-reach-the-people-caught-between-the-rains-and-conflict/   20 June 2025   UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk warned today of the disastrous consequences stemming from ongoing and escalating hostilities across the North Darfur and Kordofan regions in Sudan, where civilian casualties, sexual violence, abductions and looting have been reported in multiple areas.   “The recent fighting and grave risk of further aggravation in an already brutal and deadly conflict raise severe protection concerns, amid a pervasive culture of impunity for human rights violations,” the High Commissioner said.   On 15 June, after a year-long siege, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a further attack on El Fasher, following months of increased mobilisation of fighters, including the recruitment of children, across Darfur. The operation, with its ground offensive to capture the city, mirrors the RSF’s offensive on the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) in April, which led to hundreds of civilian deaths, widespread sexual violence and a humanitarian catastrophe.   In South Kordofan state, civilians also remain trapped by the fighting between the parties vying for control of the strategic town of Al Debibat. Meanwhile, in North Kordofan state, the RSF have reportedly surrounded the city of El Obeid, currently held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied groups, and may attack it in the coming days, as announced by the RSF commander.   “We know where further escalation will lead,” Turk said. “For too long already, the world has witnessed the unbound horrors unfolding in Sudan and the untold suffering of its people. Civilians must be protected at all costs. Violations and crimes must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible be held to account,” he added.   “I urge the parties to ensure civilians can safely leave El Fasher, Al Debibat, and El Obeid, as well as other places where civilians may be trapped by the conflict. All parties must refrain from attacking civilian objects, ultimately lay down their weapons and put an end to hostilities,” Turk said.   “I call on all States to exert their influence to press for a durable political solution, and to ensure respect by the parties to the conflict for international humanitarian law. I also urge them to press for an end to the flow of arms into the country, and to restrain the business interests sustaining this conflict.”   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/06/sudan-turk-warns-catastrophic-surge-violence http://www.care.org/news-and-stories/sudan-crisis-fear-we-wont-survive/   Apr 2025   Statement by Jan Egeland, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General on the two-year mark of the Sudan crisis:   “This week, we mark two years of war in Sudan which have caused one of the most harrowing crises of our generation, with the forced displacement of nearly 15 million people. Armed men have for more than 700 days and nights attacked defenceless civilians with impunity. Civilians have not been protected, and peace efforts have failed.   “We are witnessing a confluence of catastrophic factors—the widespread violence that has caused the deepest humanitarian collapse in Sudan’s history is exacerbated by the most severe US funding cuts ever, on top of aid cuts by several European donors. Programmes that once provided vital support have been forced to shut down, leaving millions without the basic means to survive.   Around 25 million people are facing devastating hunger, and yet we have been forced to stop our support to farmers, whose produce is essential to help us avert famine wherever it hasn’t struck yet.   We have been forced to close down aid access centres for displaced and vulnerable people where they could seek our services. And we have had to scale down on education for thousands of children who desperately need it. This is the darkest hour for Sudan.   “Neighbouring countries hosting more than three million refugees and returnees, including Chad and South Sudan, now bear the weight of overflowing refugee populations while facing crises of their own. This is not merely a policy failure; it is a moral failure. We must not allow self-interest to overshadow our fundamental responsibility to save lives.   “I call on the global community to reverse these misguided funding shifts and recommit to protecting humanity. Our actions in this critical moment will determine whether we choose compassion or conflict over the future of our shared humanity.”   http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/april/sudans-darkest-hour http://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/sudan-crisis-two-years-on http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-two-years-war-starvation-global-failure-world-must-act-now http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-faces-worsening-humanitarian-catastrophe-famine-and-conflict-escalate http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/port-sudan-drone-attacks-call-protect-civilian-infrastructure-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/sudan-un-expert-calls-end-attacks-critical-civilian-infrastructure-amidst http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/un-experts-demand-international-action-human-rights-violations-escalate http://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr01/9355/2025/en/ http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162771 http://news.un.org/en/focus/sudan-conflict http://news.un.org/en/tags/sudan http://www.unocha.org/latest/news-and-stories?responses=30 http://unocha.exposure.co/sudan-1   http://www.msf.org/people-fleeing-zamzam-camp-arrive-overwhelmed-humanitarian-response-tawila http://www.msf.org/conflict-sudan http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-3-2-may-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/massive-scale-needed-more-ever-rainy-season-msf-warns-european-parliament-sudan-crisis http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/forced-displacement-north-darfur-overwhelms-aid-operations-and-increases-civilian-vulnerability http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-01-15-april-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-23-children-and-9-aid-workers-reportedly-killed-al-fasher-abu-shouk-and-zamzam http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/attacks-zamzam-and-abu-shouk-camps-and-al-fasher-must-end-now-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-turk-gravely-concerned-rising-civilian-deaths-and-widespread-sexual http://tinyurl.com/mpbyba67 http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sexual-violence-sudan-they-beat-us-and-they-raped-us-right-there-road-public-enar http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164621 http://www.unfpa.org/news/widespread-guns-and-bullets-sexual-violence-used-terrorize-sudans-women-and-girls http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-deplores-darfur-killings-conflict-enters-third http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162116 http://news.un.org/en/interview/2025/04/1162131   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-calls-urgent-access-preposition-food-sudan-rainy-season-risks-cutting-roads-starving http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1159433/ http://dataviz.unhcr.org/product-gallery/2025/04/sudan-crisis-deepens-but-attention-wanes-after-two-years-of-war http://www.unhcr.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency http://www.iom.int/sudan-conflict-two-years http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-new-report-sheds-light-two-years-devastation-sudan http://www.msf.org/two-years-war-sudan-leave-millions-more-need-ever http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-crisis-two-years-unraveling-worlds-largest-humanitarian-disaster-sahel-red-sea-0 http://en.emergency.it/blog/from-the-field/update-from-sudan-as-fighting-erupts-across-the-country/ http://www.concern.net/news/sudan-documentary-women-warzone Visit the related web page
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