The latest attacks in the central and southern regions occurred on the eve of a solemn commemoration ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the war and a day after a deadly attack in the eastern Donetsk region.
The unchanging “harsh reality”
Dennis Brown, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, voiced his condemnation on social media.
“Today's attack on Ukraine is another blatant example of the Russian Federation's disregard for its obligations under international humanitarian law, a harsh reality that has not changed since the escalation of the war two years ago.” she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). .
Ukrainian authorities reported that civilian infrastructure, including grain stocks and power plants, was damaged during the strike.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Office, OCHA, said aid organizations remained committed to helping those affected by continued attacks.
On Friday, they mobilized to provide first aid and critical assistance to people in Odessa and Dnipropetrovsk, distributing hot drinks, meals and repair materials to residents whose homes were damaged.
UNRWA health centers are not functioning in Gaza
UNRWA, the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees, said only seven of 23 health centers in the Gaza Strip were operational, with only one in the north still functioning.
The information comes from the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Office, OCHA, which reported that approximately 600 UNRWA staff continue to work in these facilities and provided more than 11,000 medical consultations as of Monday this week. .
In addition, more than 8,000 additional medical consultations were conducted by staff at evacuation centers and newly established medical hubs in the Mawasi region, where people evacuated from Khan Younis are gathering.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) continues to provide support to pregnant and breastfeeding women in the Gaza Strip. Some 5,500 women in Gaza are expected to give birth next month with little or no medical assistance.
UNFPA has been distributing critical medicines and equipment to health facilities to which it has been granted access, including Al Helal Al Emirati Hospital in Rafah. Items include maternity, postpartum, and reproductive health supplies and dignity kits.
Concerns for families caught up in violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
United Nations agencies continue to sound the alarm over escalating violence and worsening humanitarian needs in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where government forces continue to battle the M23 rebel group.
Some 144,000 people have been forced to flee the outskirts of Goma, the provincial capital, since fighting flared up earlier this month around the town of Sakeh in North Kivu province.
Other non-state armed groups also launched a series of targeted attacks against civilians this week in Beni city and neighboring Irum territory in Ituri province.
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday that its protection monitoring team had received reports of killings, kidnappings and house burnings.
Separately, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP) called for immediate action to protect children and families.
They will launch a comprehensive response that includes food, clean water, good sanitation, safe shelter, basic health care, and protective services for women and children due to the increase in violence and displacement. said that its resources are under pressure.
The DRC has one of Africa's most severe internal displacement crises, with nearly 7 million people displaced by conflict, mainly in the east. The United Nations migration agency IOM estimates that 1.6 million people have been displaced in the past year alone.
This week, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and humanitarian partners launched a $2.6 billion appeal to provide life-saving aid and protection to 8.7 million people in need.