Posted by Alina Romanowski, Acting Assistant Administrator for Middle East on Tuesday, May 14th 2013

Recently, while visiting the West Bank, I had the pleasure to meet Palestinian shop owner Abu Shadi at his store in the community of Dura in the Hebron governorate. His Al Awawdeh Shop is one of 130 West Bank shops participating in an innovative USAID/World Food Programme (WFP) food assistance voucher program that channels aid through the local market.

The Global Overview collates information from a range of sources and displays it in a manner that allows for quick comparison of different humanitarian crises.

Office of the Spokesperson, Washington, DC
May 8, 2013

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

Campaign against measles and polio is continuing until the end of May in IDP shelters, schools and primary health care centres to cover governorates where children have not been reached.

HIGHLIGHTS

• A 7.8 earthquake hit South-Eastern Iran on 16 April, close to the border with Pakistan. The impact was felt in both countries, with 14 people killed, 73 injured and two missing.

• New and worsening humanitarian crises since 2011 have led to a considerable increase in CERF allocations to the MENA region. The largest recipients have been Pakistan, Syria and Yemen.

Of 67,292 students enrolled at UNRWA schools, 43,552 are out of school due to the ongoing conflict. 8 schools are housing IDPs, and a further 61 are closed due to hostilities.

The Global Overview collates information from a range of sources and displays it in a manner that allows for quick comparison of different humanitarian crises.

April 28, 2013. Following the firing of a rocket from Gaza towards Israel last night, Kerem Shalom Crossing is closed and Erez Crossing is operating but according to further restrictions than per usual – travel is being allowed for Israeli citizens, medical patients, foreigners, people returning to their homes in the West Bank and other individually-approved humanitarian cases. The army spokesperson’s office tweeted that the restrictions were “due to security concerns”.