As fighting escalates in eastern DRC, more than 40,000 Congolese refugees – primarily women and children – have crossed into Burundi since February, with over 9,000 arrivals recorded in a single day this week. Many are using makeshift boats to traverse the Rusizi River, a perilous crossing at the border...
“Civilians [are] paying the highest price, shelling, airstrikes [are] continuing unabated, killing and injuring civilians, damaging and destroying critical infrastructure, including hospitals,” said Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. “An epidemic of sexual violence rages,” he warned, adding that children are being killed and injured, amid reports of intensifying fighting in South Kordofan in...
“The health system is ruined. Malnutrition is rising. The risk of famine persists,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “We are ready to scale up our response – but we urgently need systematic and sustained access to the population across...
Health authorities in Kampala confirmed that one patient has died – a nurse who had sought treatment at various other medical facilities after developing fever-like symptoms. In response to the outbreak of the often deadly and infectious haemorrhagic fever which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and tissue, WHO...
In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for $1.5 billion through its 2025 Health Emergency Appeal, to deliver life-saving health interventions worldwide. The appeal, unveiled on Thursday by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, outlines the urgent priorities for addressing 42 ongoing health emergencies, including 17 requiring immediate and coordinated action....
Muhannad Hadi, who is also the Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, made the appeal during a visit to Gaza City, where he met with representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The senior official also visited Holy Family Church, where he recorded a video message on the church...
Announced at the Grand Serail in Beirut by Deputy Prime Minister Saade el-Shami and UN Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza, the appeal extends emergency efforts through March 2025. It builds on the original Flash Appeal launched in October 2024, following the largest escalation of conflict since the 2006 Lebanon War. This extension...
In addition, the developments since late November, culminating with the overthrow of the Assad regime added new dimensions to the crisis, including population displacements as well as return of Syrian refugees from neighbouring countries. Since November 2024, over 882,000 Syrians have been displaced amid surging violence, further straining the country’s...
According to the Lebanese health ministry over 2,000 Lebanese have been killed and nearly 10,000 wounded since the start of Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza a year ago. Israel intensified its bombing campaign across the whole of Lebanon following the killing of Hezbollah’s leader last month, and Iran’s ballistic...
From the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, spokesperson Jens Laerke described chaotic scenes across Lebanon as people continued to flee airstrikes that have killed more than 1,000 people in the past two weeks alone, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR. “We should expect further displacement,” Mr. Laerke told...
“Children in Burundi are bearing the brunt of the mpox outbreak with alarming rates of infection and health impacts,” said Dr Paul Ngwakum, UNICEF Regional Health Advisor for Eastern and Southern Africa. “Of the nearly 600 reported cases, two-thirds are children under 19 years old and the situation is escalating...
The funding will support critical response and prevention efforts for 9.9 million refugees and host communities in 35 countries across the continent. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can be transmitted through physical contact with an infected person, animal or contaminated objects. Read our explainer here....