U.N. briefing flags urgent humanitarian shortfalls in Lebanon, Gaza, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine

Steph, who led a U.N. press briefing on May 4, outlined a string of humanitarian crises across Lebanon, Gaza, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine and warned that funding shortfalls are limiting relief operations.

The briefing opened with a logistics update for Lebanon: U.N. peacekeepers facilitated an aid convoy of about 30 trucks to the village of Remek along the Blue Line, where roughly 7,000 residents remain in difficult conditions. Steph said Unifil observed intensified operations, including air strikes and naval activity, and reported restrictions on U.N. patrol freedom of movement. "We reiterate once again that our peacekeepers must never be targeted and their safety and security must be guaranteed at all times by all parties," she said. Local authorities estimate more than 124,000 people are sheltering in 625 schools and public buildings. The Lebanon flash appeal, she said, is only 38% funded—about $117,000,000 of the $308,000,000 requested—limiting the U.N.'s reach to the most vulnerable.

The briefing then turned to Gaza, where Steph said U.N. partners delivered…