Palestine, Sudan & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (12 August 2025) | United Nations

Highlights:

Occupied Palestinian Territory
Sudan
Yemen
Myanmar
Colombia
Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change
UN General Assembly High-Level Week 2025

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that starvation and malnutrition are at the highest levels in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that five people died over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition and starvation, bringing the total number of malnutrition-related deaths to 227 people, including 103 children. And again, those numbers are since October 2023.
Against this backdrop, humanitarian supplies entering Gaza remain far below the minimum required to meet people’s immense needs.
The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to do everything possible to bring assistance into Gaza. However, humanitarian movements still face significant delays and other impediments that prevent the UN from delivering aid at the scale that is needed.
Yesterday, the UN has requested to coordinate with the Israeli authorities 16 missions, including the collection of food, medical supplies and fuel – from the two operational crossings, Kerem Shalom and Zikim. Other missions involved moving goods and personnel within Gaza, from south to north and within the southern part of Gaza.
Out of the 16 missions, four were facilitated and three were denied; another four were impeded but eventually were fully accomplished.
Of the remaining five missions, two were cancelled by the respective organizations; another two missions that involved collection of food and health supplies from Kerem Shalom were impeded and unable to be completed, while another one was impeded but is still ongoing.
Efforts to coordinate humanitarian movements often drag on for hours due to unpredictable clearances by the Israeli authorities, wasting precious time.
In the West Bank, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that yesterday, another Palestinian Bedouin community was displaced due to violence by Israeli forces and settlers.
Israeli forces raided the community of Ein Ayoub in Ramallah governorate and ordered the immediate eviction of its approximately 100 Palestinian residents. OCHA reports that a lot of the evacuated residents have no alternative shelter.

SUDAN

The UN is deeply alarmed by reports of a large-scale attack yesterday on the El Fasher area, the besieged capital of North Darfur State. That also affected the adjoining Abu Shouk displacement camp.
The attack has been attributed by local sources to fighters from the Rapid Support Forces. According to them at least 40 civilians have been killed within Abu Shouk, and another 19 injured.
under siege and cutting them off from safety and aid. The situation remains tense and highly fluid, with insecurity displacing at least 500 people from Abu Shouk to other locations in North Darfur. That’s according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The Acting Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan said that the immediate provision of safe and unhindered passage for people seeking to flee El Fasher and other areas of active hostilities is critical. He also reiterated the Secretary-General’s repeated calls for a humanitarian pause in and around the city to allow for the delivery of food, delivery of water, delivery of medicine and other life-saving supplies that are so desperately needed. Those that are trapped in those areas are facing acute hunger and starvation.
Meanwhile, the UN also remains concerned about the situation and the violence in the Kordofan region. In South Kordofan State, the International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 3,000 people fled Kadugli town between August 6th and August 10th due to intensified insecurity. Humanitarian access to the town remains extremely limited, with virtually no road access. The primary supply route from Al Obeid in North Kordofan State is inaccessible due to active hostilities. This has worsened the already dire economic conditions and is leading to even more shortages of vital goods.
OCHA reminds all those engaged in the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law.
They must not direct attacks against civilians or civilian objects and must take constant care to spare them in all circumstances. They must also facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access to everyone in need of assistance.