uring the last dekad of May 2026, rainfall is expected to decline gradually to very low levels, with only occasional residual showers over the central highlands, particularly in Dhamar and Ibb governorates.
In April 2026, WFP assisted a total of 738,000 people across all programmed activities, including 460,000 conflict-affected individuals reached through emergency food and cash assistance.
In 2025, South Sudan continued to face multiple, overlapping shocks and trends that worsened the humanitarian situation and increased the needs of vulnerable communities.
Six months on from the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is being forgotten as the world’s attention shifts elsewhere in the Middle East, despite conditions within Gaza deteriorating at an alarming pace.
Critical funding shortfalls are forcing the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to significantly scale back its operations in Syria. WFP has reduced its emergency food assistance by 50 percent, from 1.3 million people to 650,000 in May, and halted a nationwide bread subsidy programme that has supported millions daily.
Authorities have reported some 3,000 human casualties, and some 6,000 people injured as well as almost 60,000 houses destroyed or damaged in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. Schools, health facilities and other public amenities have also suffered severe damage.
Since 2 March 2026, the conflict in Lebanon displaced over 1.1 million people, including more than 390,000 children,1 placing additional strain on already fragile systems in a context already affected by an economic crisis and protracted displacement.
Between 1 February and 31 March 2026, the Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 494 Palestinians killed and at least 489 injured in the Gaza Strip, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire in place since 10 October 2025.
Despite generous support from our donors, 50 per cent of UNICEF’s response remained unfunded in 2025. Urgent additional support is needed in 2026 to sustain and scale lifesaving services for the most vulnerable children.
In 2025, the MENA region faced overlapping crises including conflict, displacement, economic collapse, disease outbreaks, and climate shocks, placing children at risk and disrupting access to services.
Demonstrating strong operational agility and within less than 24 hours of mass displacement, WFP activated cash transfers and food assistance in shelters, reaching 440,000 conflict-affected individuals in March, while maintaining its regular programmes to reach in total 893,000 individuals.
Lebanon continues to confront a massive humanitarian crisis, despite the entry into effect of a 10-day ceasefire on 17 April, with hundreds of thousands of people remaining internally displaced and in urgent need of assistance.
At least 2,196 people have been killed, including 172 children, and 7,185 wounded, including 661 children, following weeks of deadly airstrikes and military operations in Lebanon.
Across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, people continue to be exposed to high levels of violence and restrictive policies, resulting in casualties and property damage, prolonging existing displacement, triggering new displacement and deepening humanitarian needs.
8 April marked the deadliest day of the conflict, with at least 303 people killed, including 33 children, and over 1,150 injured, including 153 children. The escalation has sharply increased protection risks for children, highlighting the acute threat to their safety, wellbeing, and access to essential services.
During his recent visit to Lebanon on 31 March, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, engaged Government officials, first responders and affected families impacted by the escalation.
Yemen experienced seasonal improvement in food security in February 2026, primarily driven by increased religious charity during Ramadan, higher remittance inflows, appreciation of the YER in IRG areas, and the partial payment of public-sector salaries.
Following the full-scale invasion of Lebanon launched on 2 March 2026, Israeli airstrikes have continued at high intensity in Beirut’s southern suburbs and across villages in southern and eastern Lebanon.
