UNOCHA – United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Middle East
UN continues to deliver humanitarian assistance despite insecurity, restrictions
OCHA says that falling missile and drone debris, restricted airspace, and active hostilities continue to cause civilian casualties, damage infrastructure, and disrupt essential services across the region.
In Iran, sustained strikes since Saturday have reportedly affected more than 1,000 locations, resulting in about 790 deaths and nearly 750 injuries, according to local authorities and the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Some strikes have reportedly hit dense residential areas, and early reports indicate damage to civilian infrastructure.
In Israel, continued strikes have reportedly resulted in 10 deaths and dozens of injuries.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, airstrikes yesterday reportedly caused more than 50 deaths and over 150 injuries, according to the Ministry of Health.
Israeli authorities have issued forced displacement orders to people living in more than 100 towns and locations in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs, ahead of anticipated attacks.
Displacement has increased significantly, with nearly 60,000 people now reported to be in newly opened emergency shelters, and many more people reportedly on the move. This is primarily affecting southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Partners are working with authorities to ensure a coordinated response to the unfolding crisis in close coordination with the Government of Lebanon, including by providing food, health, water and sanitation support.
Humanitarian operations across the region are being severely affected by insecurity, supply chain interruption and airspace closures. The movement of humanitarian personnel remains restricted.
International humanitarian law is clear and non-negotiable: civilians, including aid workers, must be protected at all times.
Humanitarian partners continue to respond to needs across the region, but unimpeded access, security guarantees and adequate funding will determine how effective the response is.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Karem Shalom crossing re-opens for aid, fuel amid stepped up regional tensions
OCHA and its humanitarian partners continue to respond to people’s needs in Gaza despite the escalating situation in the region.
Following the closure of all crossings into Gaza as well as the suspension of all coordinated movements on Saturday, the Israeli authorities today reopened Kerem Shalom crossing for the entry of 500,000 litres of fuel and humanitarian assistance arriving through Israel and Egypt.
Approximately 300,000 litres of fuel per day are required to maintain the critical humanitarian operations in Gaza, so it is essential that fuel continues to enter consistently until longer lasting solutions to supply Gaza with power are secured.
The Rafah and Zikim crossings remain closed and international humanitarian staff rotations are still suspended. Meanwhile, coordinated movements within Gaza have also resumed.
The UN and its partners reiterate that more crossings must be open to enable the scale up of the response to meet the immense needs of people in the Strip. Supplies must also enter in a predictable and sustained manner.
Shelter remains a critical need for most people, who remain displaced after more than two years of war. Over the past week, our partners distributed shelter assistance, including tarpaulins, bed sheets, mattresses, blankets, winter clothes and kitchen essentials to more than 1,600 families.
Partners also reached nearly 6,700 people with services last week, including psychosocial support, legal assistance and explosive risk education. Partners supporting child protection interventions delivered psychosocial support and recreational activities related to Ramadan to some 8,000 children.
Turning to the West Bank, Israeli forces continued the closure of most checkpoints. These measures severely curtail the freedom of movement of Palestinians and impact their ability to access services and livelihoods. They also impact the ability of humanitarian partners to deliver assistance and conduct their operations.
OCHA reported that yesterday, Israeli settlers killed two Palestinians and injured three other Palestinians, including two children, while raiding the village of Qaryut in Nablus. The injured were transported to the hospital for treatment.
OCHA stresses once again that Palestinians in the West Bank must be protected and that perpetrators of violence must be held accountable.
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Gaza and the West Bank with urgent support.
Afghanistan
Border violence kills, injures civilians
OCHA reports fighting along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has killed and injured civilians, forced families to flee, and damaged homes and public buildings in several provinces.
Residential areas have been hit, and children are among those reported killed and injured. Details are still being verified due to limited access.
In Afghanistan, nearly 66,000 people have reportedly been displaced across five eastern and southeastern provinces.
Airstrikes have damaged multiple key humanitarian facilities including a 20-bed emergency hospital in Torkham, a transit centre run by the International Organization for Migration, and a returnee reception centre also in Torkham.
The hostilities have also forced the suspension of World Food Programme activities interrupting food assistance for some 160,000 people.
This comes as Afghanistan faces one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with nearly 22 million people in need due to years of conflict, poverty and repeated natural disasters. Funding is critically low. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is just 11 per cent funded, with $181 million received out of the $1.7 billion needed to reach 17.5 million people.
Sudan
Top UN official concludes first visit to Dilling, South Kordofan
The Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown, has wrapped up a three-day visit to Dilling in South Kordofan.
The towns of Dilling and Kadugli, both in South Kordofan State, have experienced spiraling humanitarian needs due to prolonged sieges. This was the first mission by a senior UN official to Dilling since the conflict began. It follows the opening of a route into the area in recent weeks.
The security situation there remains highly volatile, with ongoing fighting continuing to drive more people from their homes, while also making the movement of humanitarian and commercial supplies very difficult.
While in Dilling, Ms. Brown, together with UN agencies and humanitarian partners, visited displacement sites and a hospital. They also met with local communities and humanitarian workers to assess conditions.
Save the Children announced on Monday the first delivery of vaccines to the town of Kadugli in nearly three years. Two truckloads carrying 18 metric tons tuberculosis, polio, measles and yellow fever and other vaccines are expected to reach nearly 25,000 children and 6,000 women across five localities.
OCHA once again calls for stepped up funding to address the most urgent needs across Sudan. It reiterates the obligation of the parties to the conflict under international humanitarian law to facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access.
To date, the 2026 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan calling for $2.9 billion is only 14 per cent funded at just over $400 million, severely constraining the delivery of life-saving assistance
*Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in need in Sudan with urgent support.
Ukraine
Continued drone attacks kill more people including children
OCHA reports that over the past five days, attacks have continued across Ukraine, causing multiple civilian casualties and further damaging homes, energy and transport infrastructure.
Local authorities report that, between 28 February and the early hours of 3 March, more than 30 civilians were killed, and 140 were injured, including several children.
The regions of Dnipro and Donetsk were particularly impacted. In Donetsk, over the last five days, dozens of civilians were killed or injured in the front-line towns of Druzhkivka and Kramatorsk, where the security situation due to intense hostilities continues to deteriorate,restricting humanitarian access.
In Dnipro, a drone strike on a train reportedly killed and injured several passengers, including children.
Following the attacks, partners quickly mobilized to support people in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, as well as in the cities of Kharkiv, Odesa and Mykolaiv, providing shelter materials, hot meals, psychosocial support and cash assistance.
In the past five days, nearly 1,000 people were evacuated from the Donetsk Region. In the region of Kharkiv, more than 500 people, including dozens of children, arrived at two transit sites after fleeing the fighting, according to our partners.
Posted on 3 March 2026
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