Weekly
highlights
Every week, we publish new highlights on recent humanitarian developments to enable crisis responders to prioritise based on the needs of affected populations.
25/06/2025
Palestine
Since hostilities escalated between Israel and Iran on 13 June 2025, Israeli forces have imposed a strict lockdown on the West Bank, with up to 800 iron gates, concrete barriers, and roadblocks limiting movement in areas of Hebron, the Jordan Valley, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah. Livelihoods, medical care access, and aid delivery are disrupted. The lockdown is also preventing farmers from transporting their harvest to markets, forcing them to destroy the harvest instead and leading to income loss and reduced food access. Shortages in medical supplies, such as anaesthesia, and the cancellation of critical surgeries are reported, especially in hospitals in the south, including Hebron. Checkpoints and roadblocks are also forcing patients, including the critically ill, to walk long distances, risking being shot or denied passage. Insecurity at checkpoints and from Iranian air strikes is also restricting aid workers’ movement and aid delivery. (Anera 20/06/2025, MSF 23/06/2025, OCHA 18/06/2025)
24/06/2025
Uganda
Between January and mid-June 2025, around 66,800 new refugees from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo arrived in Uganda. Most of them were women and children who crossed into Kisoro district. The sudden influx has placed significant pressure on Uganda’s already overstretched refugee response system. Key transit centres are operating far beyond their intended capacity. Nyakabande transit centre in Kisoro district is hosting nearly six times its 1,500-person limit, resulting in critical gaps in WASH, protection, health, and nutrition services. The rainy season (March–July) may aggravate the situation, leading to flooding, deteriorated living conditions, and the risk of waterborne diseases, such as cholera. A recent nutrition screening reported global acute malnutrition rates exceeding the 15% emergency threshold in several sites. Uganda, already hosting over 1.9 million refugees, faces increasing challenges in sustaining humanitarian services, while protection risks for children, including violence and lack of education access, remain high. ([UNICEF 23/06/2025](https://www.unicef.org/esa/reports/regional-impact-drc-crisis , The EastAfrican 23/06/2025, UNHCR 15/06/2025)
24/06/2025
Mozambique
In northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, there has been a significant increase in child abductions over the past few months, especially from May–June 2025. Al Shabaab, an armed group linked to the Islamic State, has taken at least 120 children. The abductions, which have occurred across various districts, are believed to be motivated by forced labour, child soldier recruitment, and forced marriages, all within the context of current hostilities. Children in northern Mozambique are experiencing severe trauma, displacement, interrupted education because of school closures, family separations, increased health risks in overcrowded shelters, and protection concerns. Specific incidents in January, March, and May included children being killed or going missing. Those who get released urgently require immediate medical care, vital psychological assistance, and reintegration mechanisms in their communities. (HRW 24/06/2025, UNICEF 03/06/2025, OCHA 12/06/2025)