Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth said at least two civilians were killed and many more injured in the “horrific attack”, which also hit a warehouse contracted by UNHCR. Significant amounts of aid and shelter materials were destroyed.
He expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the two warehouse workers who lost their lives and to the families of civilians killed in other attacks in Ukraine in the last 24 hours.
Destroyed aid items
Castel-Hollingsworth said the warehouse was hit by a ballistic missile and caught fire. Preliminary estimates revealed that some 900 pallets of relief items, including blankets and hygiene kits, valued at more than $1 million, were destroyed in the attack.
UNHCR and its partners planned to distribute these supplies to evacuees and others in mass and transit sites, as well as to people whose homes have been damaged.
“It is absolutely abhorrent that once again humanitarian facilities and aid items are being damaged in these relentless airstrikes, just as we repeatedly witness humanitarian workers being attacked while doing their work and delivering aid to those most in need,” he said.
High risk of below-average rainfall in the Greater Horn of Africa
Weather and climate experts predict a high probability of below-average rainfall in the northern Greater Horn of Africa during the critical June-September rainy season, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday.
The outlook was published by IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC), based in East Africa, which is part of the broader WMO regional network.
It raises concerns in key sectors, with likely impacts on farming, water availability, livestock systems, hydropower generation, food security and public health.
Rainfall from June to September accounts for more than 50 percent of annual rainfall in the northern and western parts of the Greater Horn of Africa, and more than 80 percent in most of Sudan.
Drier conditions
The forecast calls for drier than usual conditions in South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, much of Eritrea, Sudan and western and coastal Kenya.
The highest probability is projected for central, northeast, and northwest Ethiopia; southern Sudan and northern Uganda, where the probability of below-normal rainfall exceeds 60 percent and reaches up to 80 percent in northeastern Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, isolated areas in northern Sudan, southeastern Ethiopia, and southern and northern Somalia are expected to receive higher rainfall.
Areas of northern Sudan, southern coastal Somalia and Kenya are forecast to receive near-normal rainfall.
Children walk between shelters in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Bangladesh: $710 million appeal to support Rohingya refugees and host communities
The United Nations and its partners are seeking $710.5 million to support more than one million Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh and the local communities hosting them.
The call launched in Dhaka on Wednesday is 26 percent smaller than in 2025.
It aims to cover only the minimum necessary to provide life-saving assistance in sectors such as food, shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), with $36.2 million allocated to host communities.
Limited resources, growing needs
More than 1.2 million Rohingya – a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar – have found refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. Most arrived a decade ago following targeted violence and persecution.
Needs continue to increase as Rohingya continue to flee conflict. Some 150,000 people have arrived in Bangladesh since the beginning of 2024, straining limited humanitarian resources and putting additional pressure on overcrowded camps.
The call comes amid growing global instability and growing pressure on humanitarian agencies, which have been forced to prioritize their operations amid growing needs.
“As resources become more limited, it is more important than ever to help refugees develop skills and resilience, so they can gain independence, hold on to hope and rebuild their lives,” said Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
“Until the Rohingya can safely return to their homes and can rebuild their communities there, we must continue to provide them with safety, care and dignity wherever they are.”