UN updates on Ukraine, Gaza and West Bank humanitarian crises and flags funding shortfalls

The UN briefing covered multiple humanitarian fronts. On Ukraine, OCHA reported continued hostilities in frontline areas, citing a deadly attack on a street market in Druzhkivka (Donetsk) that killed "several civilians" and led to evacuations; staff accompanying the resident coordinator visited a transit site in Lozova to oversee assistance for evacuees.

On Gaza, the briefing said the Ministry of Health reported "dozens" of fatalities and injuries in the preceding 24 hours, and that some people remain inaccessible to emergency teams. The UN noted recent movements of people through Rafa and described WHO-supported medical evacuations: at least eight patients and 17 companions evacuated to Egypt through Rafa, with an earlier evacuation of seven patients and 14 companions. The spokesperson reiterated calls for the immediate reopening of the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, noting more than 18,500 Gaza patients require specialized treatment not available locally.

The briefing also cited OCHA reporting from the West Bank: since the start of 2026 more than 900 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced, and OCHA documented more than 50 settler attacks in a two-week span that resulted in casualties or property damage. The UN said preliminary assessments of damage and needs are underway.

Across these operations, the spokesperson warned that financial shortfalls are already constraining aid: he cited past cuts by the United States and some European donors leading to reduced rations and health-care services. Asked what would happen if the UN’s ongoing financial crisis is not resolved by July, the spokesperson said Secretariat meetings, political work, and peacekeeping operations could be affected, and noted a U.S. budget bill includes UN funding and that transfers are being monitored.