Today’s top news: Colombia, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Democratic Republic of Congo, West Africa
Rescuers search through the rubble of a collapsed building in Pereira, Colombia, after a powerful earthquake struck the country on 10 August 2026, damaging buildings in several cities. Photo:
UN relief chief pledges support as earthquake toll rises
Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke today with Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Omar Bula Escobar, on practical support to respond to yesterday’s devastating earthquake.
Together, they also held talks with the Humanitarian Country Team in Colombia, which is led by the Resident Coordinator, María José Torres Macho. Fletcher said humanitarians are fully mobilized to help people in need.
Torres Macho spoke virtually to the media today, saying that humanitarian organizations are already responding, with additional staff deployed to areas affected by the earthquake.
Assessments continue, and authorities report thousands of injuries and the death toll continues to rise. Initial reports indicate that 12 departments have been affected by the earthquake, with thousands of homes damaged and hundreds destroyed. Health and education facilities, as well as roads and airports have also been impacted.
The Government is leading and coordinating the response, and shelter, food, safe drinking water and healthcare are among the most urgent needs.
*Donations made toUN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in the Colombia with urgent support.
#Occupied Palestinian Territory
Gaza: Critical water shortages threaten public health
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that most of the population across the Occupied Palestinian Territory lacks sufficient access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
Over 1.3 million people – or more than half of the population – have access to less than 6 litres of water per person per day for drinking and cooking.
According to humanitarian standards, the minimum amount of water needed in an emergency is 15 litres per day, which includes water for drinking, washing and cooking.
Another 700,000 people – or over one third of the population – have access to less than 9 litres of domestic water per person per day, which compromises their ability to maintain hygiene, clean their homes, and meet their children’s needs.
Three in every four people rely on collecting water from trucks. Humanitarian partners are taking water to more than 2,500 water collection points every day and over 100 displacement sites across Gaza last month.
People face overcrowding at water collection points and lack enough containers to transport water back to their homes – a task that is often left to children.
Only half of all households have access to basic sanitation, or private facilities that prevent contact with human waste. The other half rely on shared, inadequate or unsafe options, which increase health risks.
Humanitarian partners collect about 80 per cent of all primary solid waste generated across the Strip. Yet more than 900,000 people report being exposed to garbage that accumulates in residential areas.
Consistent funding, more permits to bring in spare parts, and renewed access to landfills in access-restricted areas remain essential.
West Bank: Attacks on healthcare surge amid settler violence
OCHA reports that settler-related violence continues to affect Palestinian communities across the West Bank.
On Sunday, in Nablus governorate, several Palestinian families, including children, were isolated from their surrounding community after Israeli settlers installed a gate on a nearby road.
These families have been unable to access essential services, including emergency healthcare.
This comes amid a spike in attacks on healthcare across the West Bank. According to data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 37 attacks on health in July, up from a monthly average of 10 attacks earlier this year.
This year, as of the end of July, WHO has recorded nearly 100 attacks affecting healthcare, mostly against health transport.
In 25 cases, health personnel or patients were arrested; force or searches of personnel, facilities or transport were used in other cases.
The UN reiterates its call for the protection of civilians, including health workers and patients, and for the protection of civilian facilities, including health facilities. The UN also calls for unimpeded access to healthcare. Perpetrators of unlawful attacks must be held to account.
#Democratic Republic of Congo
UN expands Ebola response as death toll tops 2,000
OCHA reports that efforts to expand treatment and surveillance continue in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the Ebola outbreak just passed a grim milestone, having reportedly claimed more than 2,000 lives.
According to national health authorities, as of 9 August, there were more than 4,380 confirmed Ebola cases across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo. The number of reported deaths has doubled over the past 20 days, with an average of about 50 deaths recorded each day.
WHO reports that between 60 and 70 per cent of Ebola-related deaths occur in communities, with many patients reaching health facilities too late or unable to access care in time.
The UN and its partners continue to support the response, but the work is hindered by insecurity.
According to locald and homes burned during an attack on 7 August in the village of Banana École in Ituri. More than 28,000 people fled their homes towards Mambasa-centre
These new displacements add to more than 36,000 people already seeking shelter in the area since April, increasing humanitarian needs in a province at the center of the Ebola outbreak.
OCHA and its partners continue to support the authorities and assess needs in affected areas. The UN reiterates its call on all parties to protect civilians and facilitate safe and sustained humanitarian access to communities affected by both violence and the outbreak.
*Donations made toUN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with urgent support.
#West Africa
Rising needs, funding gaps in focus at UN-backed Sahel forum
Yesterday was the first day of the ministerial humanitarian forum of the Alliance of Sahel States, which comprises Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The forum, the second to be held, takes place in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou, with UN agencies, NGOs, donors, civil society organizations, academics and Government officials taking part.
The event seeks to take stock of the complex humanitarian situations affecting these three countries, as well as adopt concrete actions to address humanitarian needs, while investing in long-term solutions.
This year’s forum also includes a high-level segment on gender. With women among the most impacted in humanitarian crises, they are critical to finding solutions to emergencies.
Violence and insecurity restrict humanitarian access, while food insecurity, disease outbreaks and climate shocks continue to drive the protracted humanitarian crises in the three countries.
This year, more than 12 million people need humanitarian assistance in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, but the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plans for each country received limited funding. The $658 million plan for Burkina Faso is 28 percent funded, while the$578 million plan for Mali is 20 percent funded and the $675 million plan for Niger is just 16 percent funded.
