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UN spokesperson says Gaza is "teetering on the brink of famine" as aid access remains constrained; updates on Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar and West Bank displacement
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Summary
A United Nations spokesperson warned that Gaza is close to famine as humanitarian supplies and movements remain far below needs, and provided updated figures and urgent funding needs for crises in Sudan, Yemen and Myanmar while reporting displacement in the West Bank.
The United Nations spokesperson said on Aug. 12 that Gaza is "teetering on the brink of famine," reporting rising malnutrition deaths and persistent impediments to humanitarian access while also briefing on separate emergency situations in Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar's Rakhine State and the West Bank.
The spokesperson said the World Food Programme and UN partners report that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest levels since the current conflict began in October 2023. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that five people died of malnutrition over the previous 24 hours, bringing the ministry's tally to 227 malnutrition-related deaths since October 2023, including 103 children. The spokesperson said humanitarian supplies entering Gaza “remain far below the minimum required to meet people's immense needs.”
She described daily operational obstacles at crossings. The UN requested coordination with Israeli security services on 16 missions on a recent Monday — including collections of food, medical supplies and fuel at the two operational crossings, Kerem Shalom and Zikim, and movements within Gaza — and reported that four of those missions were facilitated, three were denied, four were impeded but eventually completed, and several others were impeded and could not be completed. The spokesperson said unpredictable clearance procedures by Israeli authorities sometimes forced humanitarian staff to wait hours, slowing deliveries.
In the West Bank, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that Israeli forces raided the Palestinian Bedouin community of Ainahub in Ramallah governorate and ordered the immediate eviction of about 100 residents. OCHA said many of the evacuated people have no alternative shelter.
Turning to Sudan, the acting UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, Sheldon Yette, condemned attacks attributed by local sources to Rapid Support Forces fighters in and around Al Fasha, including the adjoining Abu Shuk displacement camp. Yette’s office reported at least 40 civilians killed in Abu Shuk and 19 injured. The spokesperson said insecurity had displaced at least 500 people from Abu Shuk to other locations in North Darfur and that exit routes from Al Fasha had been reported blocked.
The UN also reported acute displacement in South Kordofan, where the International Organization for Migration estimates more than 3,000 people fled Kadugli town between Aug. 6 and Aug. 10 amid intensified hostilities. Humanitarian access to the town remains extremely limited, the spokesperson said.
On Yemen, Ramesh Rajasinghe, director of OCHA's Coordination Division, told the Security Council that 17,000,000 people — nearly half the country — are estimated to be acutely hungry, and that more than 2,000,000 children under age 5 are suffering from malnutrition. The Yemen Humanitarian Fund will release $20,000,000 to address immediate impacts of continuing food insecurity, the UN said.
The World Food Programme has also warned of a sharp rise in hunger in Rakhine State, Myanmar, where the spokesperson said WFP estimates 57 percent of families in central Rakhine are unable to afford basic needs, up from 33 percent in December. WFP says it requires $30,000,000 to assist 270,000 people in Rakhine over the next six months and is working to resume limited life-saving support in the worst-affected areas.
The spokesperson also noted a UN statement issued the previous day expressing the secretary-general's condolences on the passing of Senator Uribe of Colombia.
The briefing reiterated repeated UN calls that all parties to conflicts must respect international humanitarian law, avoid deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access. The spokesperson said UN teams and partners have plans ready to deliver assistance and that humanitarian action is guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence and humanity.
The spokesperson did not provide an exhaustive attendee list for a recent U.S.-hosted dialogue on Gaza humanitarian issues that some media had reported; she declined to comment on leaked internal emails but confirmed that some UN entities and partners attended at the U.S. mission's invitation.
The spokesperson said the UN and partner agencies will continue to appeal for funding and operational access to reach people in need across these crises.
