World News in Brief: Mounting waste in Gaza, drone attacks in Sudan, aid truck struck in Ukraine

Ramiz Alakbarov, UN’s top aid official in Occupied Palestinian Territory visited a dumping site in Gaza on Tuesday that continues receiving waste despite already exceeding capacity.

This comes after Israeli authorities denied access to the Strip’s two landfills near areas where Israeli troops remain deployed.

Disease risks grow

Waste accumulating near shelters and residential areas is increasing the risk of disease, especially for displaced families living in overcrowded conditions.

In Khan Younis, Mr. Alakbarov observed teams spraying pesticides and clearing rubble at an school-turned shelter to reduce the spread of insects and rodents.

Aid workers stressed that severe shortages of equipment and supplies are limiting efforts to contain growing public health threats.

During his visit, Mr. Alakbarov also met local farmers, women-led organizations and children participating in UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-led initiatives to strengthen access to food, and recovery and resilience amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Drone attacks in Sudan increase humanitarian needs

Drone attacks and escalating fighting across Sudan are worsening humanitarian needs, as aid agencies race to support displaced families.

According to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA, aid agencies and partners continue delivering lifesaving assistance across the country, including water and sanitation support for tens of thousands of displaced families, refugees and host communities in North and South Kordofan.

In North Kordofan, aid groups have reached around 85,000 people in Sheikan and Ar Rahad localities with water and sanitation assistance.

In South Kordofan, nearly 88,000 people, including displaced families and South Sudanese refugees, have received similar support.

Civilians caught in escalating violence

Despite ongoing aid efforts, OCHA warned that civilians remain at grave risk as fighting intensifies.

Heavy shelling and drone attacks reportedly escalated in Dilling, South Kordofan, where the Sudan Doctors Network said up to six people were killed on Tuesday and others injured.

In Darfur, repeated drone attacks were also reported in El Geneina and Nyala, causing additional casualties and damage.

OCHA called on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and allow safe and sustained humanitarian access across Sudan.

WFP aid truck struck in Ukraine

A World Food Programme (WFP) truck delivering food to frontline communities in Ukraine was struck by a drone on Tuesday, as continued attacks across the country place civilians and humanitarian operations at growing risk.

According to OCHA, the clearly marked truck was hit in the Dnipro region, injuring the driver.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim in Ukraine, Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, described the strike as “unacceptable.”

Civilian casualties continue to rise

OCHA said attacks across Ukraine over the past day killed nine civilians and injured nearly 40 others, including five children. The Dnipro region was among the hardest hit.

Authorities also announced the mandatory evacuation of families with children from high-risk areas near Nikopol and Marhanets due to intensified fighting, with more than 1,000 people expected to relocate over the next month.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) warned that civilian casualties during the first four months of 2026 have exceeded the same period in any of the previous three years.

According to the rights monitors, at least 238 civilians were killed and 1,404 injured in April alone, bringing the verified total for 2026 so far to 815 killed and 4,174 injured.