Aid agencies say fear, displacement and destruction continue to intensify as fighting spreads across Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Amid the crisis, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed a rare positive development. Aid shipments from Dubai, one of WHO\u2019s main logistics hubs for the region, are slowly recovering after severe disruption caused by Iranian strikes across the Gulf.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first two weeks of the crisis really set us back,\u201d said Robert Blanchard, WHO Emergency Operations Team Lead at the Dubai Logistics Hub. \u201cWe are now receiving bookings for commercially scheduled cargo and can begin moving supplies again.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While air freight remains below normal levels, Blanchard said most airlines in the Gulf are now operating at about 50% to 60% capacity. Additional charter flights and an Egypt\u2011bound medical convoy destined for Gaza are expected to accelerate deliveries of lifesaving supplies.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In Iran, UN partner, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, described a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. Maria Martinez, IFRC Head of Delegation in Iran, said Tehran, home to about nine million people, now feels deserted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cSome southern cities are facing water and electricity cuts, and there has been a nationwide internet blackout since February 28,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The strikes have taken a devastating toll on frontline responders. One Red Crescent rescuer reportedly uncovered the bodies of his own family beneath the rubble, while another retrieved relatives killed alongside a child.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WHO has verified 21 attacks on healthcare workers and facilities since the war began. Seventeen Red Crescent centres have been struck, and nearly 100 ambulances damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In Lebanon, intensified Israeli strikes on targets linked to Hezbollah have forced over one million people to flee their homes. UNHCR warned that evacuation alerts, when issued, often come with little notice.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been no sites designated as safe where civilians have been advised to go,\u201d said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
UN Children’s Fund echoed the concern. \u201cThere is no safe space,\u201d said country representative Marcoluigi Corsi, noting that strikes have occurred well beyond designated evacuation zones.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
UN Women officials reported women and girls fleeing at night without destinations, losing livelihoods and facing profound trauma as the conflict continues to widen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":29895,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-30212","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Almost one month after Israeli and United States (US) airstrikes on Iran sparked a broader regional war, United Nation (UN) agencies are warning that civilians across the Middle East are fleeing bombardment with nowhere safe to go.","published_date":"","news_description":"Almost one month after Israeli and United States (US) airstrikes on Iran sparked a broader regional war, United Nation (UN) agencies are warning that civilians across the Middle East are fleeing bombardment with nowhere safe to go.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30213,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30212\/revisions\/30213"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=30212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}