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Country: World Source: World Health Organization Please refer to the attached file. Nearly 20 million lives saved in Africa through measles vaccinations **Brazzaville/Geneva—**Nearly 20 million measles-related deaths have been averted in Africa since 2000 thanks to increasing vaccination coverage, according to the first-ever detailed analysis of immunization targets on the continent. The analysis, by World Health Organization (WHO) in the African region, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, also found that alongside the 19.5 million measles deaths averted, more than 500 million children in Africa have been protected through routine immunization between 2000 and 2024. Halving measles deaths in one generation Progress on measles underscores the impact of consistent investment in immunisation. Since 2000, 44 African countries have introduced a second dose of measles-containing vaccine into routine immunization, helping to increase coverage rates from 5% in 2000 to 55% in 2024. Supplemental campaigns have delivered 622 million vaccinations. These efforts collectively have halved measles deaths in the African region and led to a 40% drop in overall cases. While the region has made significant progress towards protecting populations from measles, some countries have gone further. In 2023 and 2024, nine countries reported consistently low measles incidence rates (fewer than five cases per million), and in 2025, Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles became the first sub-Saharan African countries to achieve measles and rubella elimination status, the gold standard in protecting against both diseases. Broad progress against vaccine-preventable diseases The analysis also assessed overall progress and challenges in expanding immunization coverage against a broad range of diseases, as well as ongoing efforts to reach the targets of the 2030 Immunization Agenda—a global strategy to reduce vaccine-preventable deaths and diseases, expand vaccine access and strengthen immunization within primary health care. Routine immunization schedules currently protect against 13 vaccine-preventable diseases, up from eight in 2000; meningitis deaths have fallen by 39%; the malaria vaccine has been introduced in 25 countries; and in 2024 alone, at least 1.9 million lives were saved through vaccination—42% of which were due to measles vaccination. “Africa has made remarkable progress in less than a generation, expanding immunization and saving millions of young lives,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “But the progress is uneven, and even slowing, leaving too many children unprotected as key targets are still missed. We must urgently strengthen routine immunization to leave no child behind.” Additionally, 47 sub-Saharan Africa countries now provide hepatitis B as part of routine vaccination, with 16 countries providing a birth dose; 33 have introduced the rubella vaccine; and 29 countries offer the human papillomavirus vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer. “This analysis highlighting twenty-four years of remarkable progress on the African continent demonstrates the immense life-saving power of vaccines when immunisation is prioritised as a matter of policy,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi the Vaccine Alliance. “At the same time, we must acknowledge that these immunisation outcomes reflect very different realities, and we have more work to do to ensure we are consistently able to reach children, even in the most fragile and remote contexts. Through the Gavi Leap reform agenda, we hope to unlock further progress through novel, innovative approaches and by working with countries to build sustainable, self‑reliant programmes for the long term.” Challenges remain The analysis by WHO and Gavi plays a critical role in providing evidence to support policy formulation as well as assessing and understanding the impact of investments towards Immunization Agenda 2030 targets in the region. The Immunization Agenda 2030 aims for 90% coverage of four key life-stage vaccines: the third dose of the diphtheria tetanus toxoid and pertussis vaccine (DTP3); the third dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV3); the second dose of the measles-containing vaccine (MCV2); and one dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV). Although millions more children are being vaccinated and efforts to reduce the number of unvaccinated children are proving successful, Africa is off track towards the 90% coverage target, as immunization coverage is uneven and a large number of children—often those that are the hardest to reach—are still being missed. This is worsening immunization inequity within countries. Rapid population growth, weak health systems, lack of integration of immunization programmes in primary health care, as well as the devastating impact of climate change, humanitarian crises and political instability are some of the major hurdles to reaching the optimal vaccination coverage. Continued investment by countries and strong political commitment are critical to sustain gains and protect future generations. Focus on building or rebuilding resilient immunization systems at sub-national level is central to addressing prevalent immunization inequities and sustaining coverage at no less than 90%. WHO, Gavi and partners are working with governments to widen vaccination coverage as well as accelerate and scale up the introduction of new vaccines such as those for malaria and human papillomavirus. For Additional Information or to Request Interviews, Please contact: Collins Boakye-Agyemang Communications and marketing officer Tel: + 242 06 520 65 65 (WhatsApp) Email: boakyeagyemangc@who.int Saida Swaleh Communications and Media Relations Officer WHO Regional Office for Africa Email: saida.swaleh@who.int

Country: Lebanon Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. HIGHLIGHTS More than 2,000 people killed and 1.2 million displaced since the escalation began on 2 March, including over 140,000 people sheltering in collective sites. Deadly airstrikes and security incidents continue, including a strike on Nabatieh Governorate killing 19 people and damage to UNIFIL vehicles amid ongoing fighting in the south. Humanitarian needs remain severe, with partners responding under extreme insecurity, access constraints and major funding shortfalls under the Lebanon Flash Appeal. Situation Overview Hostilities across Lebanon continued during the reporting period, following the large‑scale airstrikes of 8 April and amid ongoing military operations in southern Lebanon, parts of the Bekaa and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Since the escalation began on 2 March, the Ministry of Public Health has reported more than 2,000 fatalities. The security environment remains highly volatile, with continued risks to civilians, civilian infrastructure, humanitarian personnel and UN staff. The humanitarian impact remains severe. At least 1.2 million people are displaced, including over 140,000 hosted in collective shelters. Many displaced families have experienced repeated displacement and remain unable to return due to ongoing hostilities and widespread destruction. Overcrowding in shelters and sustained pressure on essential services persist, particularly in urban and peri‑urban areas. Several notable incidents were reported during the period. On 11 April, an airstrike on the Nabatieh Governorate building reportedly killed 19 people, including 13 members of the Lebanese State Security Forces, and injured approximately 15 others. Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon continued overnight into Monday, resulting in additional casualties. Airstrikes were also reported in Western Bekaa, including strikes in Mashghara that occurred in close proximity to Litani River Authority workers, raising concerns about risks to civilian personnel and critical water infrastructure. Pressure on the health system continued. Health facilities remain overstretched as they respond to conflict‑related injuries alongside routine care, amid supply shortages, staffing constraints and infrastructure damage. Attacks and threats affecting health workers, ambulances and health facilities continued to be reported during the period, increasing protection concerns. Security incidents involving international personnel persisted. On 12 April, reports indicated that IDF soldiers rammed UNIFIL vehicles with a Merkava tank, causing significant damage. This follows the deaths of at least three UNIFIL peacekeepers in separate incidents at the end of March amid ongoing fighting between IDF forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Political and diplomatic developments continued alongside the escalation. On 12 April, marking the 51st anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war, Lebanon’s Prime Minister reiterated calls for national unity and renewed efforts to end hostilities and protect civilians. In parallel with United States–Iran ceasefire negotiations, Lebanon–Israel diplomatic talks are scheduled to begin, with preparatory meetings planned for 14 April in Washington.

Country: Syrian Arab Republic Sources: GOAL, Innovation Consulting & Solutions Please refer to the attached file. This Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) provides a broad evidence base on food security, nutrition, and WASH conditions across 11 governorates of Syria at a time of continued humanitarian fragility. The raw dataset comprised 6,687 household interviews across 44 districts; following data cleaning and quality assurance, the final analytical dataset included 5,302 households across 39 districts. Overall, 91% of households surveyed were classified as food insecure, of which 44% were moderately or severely food insecure according to the Consolidated Approach to Reporting Indicators of Food Security (CARI) framework. Food insecurity is driven less by physical food availability than by affordability: 44% of households reported relying on cheaper or less preferred foods, 22% reduced the number of meals eaten, and 36% spent more than half of total household expenditure on food. Half of all households were using Crisis or Emergency livelihood coping strategies, indicating that many are meeting current food needs only by eroding future resilience. Severity was particularly high in AsSalamiyeh (Hama), Abu Kamal (Deir-ez-Zor), Hama district (Hama), Al Makhrim (Homs), Ar-Rastan (Homs), and As-Suqaylabiyah (Hama). Female-headed households, households headed by persons with disabilities, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) consistently showed worse food security outcomes than comparison groups. Nutrition findings point to substantial dietary vulnerability. Among children aged 6–23 months, only 18% met the Minimum Acceptable Diet standard, with low dietary diversity emerging as the principal constraint. Among assessed women, only 31% met Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women. Infant feeding practices were mixed: while 82% of infants aged 0–5 months were reportedly breastfed in the previous 24 hours, only 31% were breastfed within the first hour after birth, and 39% received prelacteal feeding. Broader nutrition results, together with qualitative evidence, indicate meaningful nutritional risk and significant barriers to treatment access. WASH findings reveal relatively high headline access to basic services, but serious weaknesses in reliability, infrastructure quality, and environmental health. Using strict World Health Organization (WHO)/ United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) 2017 definitions, 78% of households accessed an improved water source, but 22% relied primarily on water tankers. More importantly, 57% of households reported interruptions to water supply in the previous three months, and 14% experienced frequent interruptions. Sanitation coverage was high overall, yet specific districts showed major gaps, including no-toilet access in As-Sweida district (As-Sweida) and severe open sewage problems in Al-Qusayr (Homs), Tall Kalakh (Homs), Darayya (Rural Damascus), and Al Bab (Aleppo). Solid waste collection was absent for 27% of households, and hygiene promotion coverage was extremely low at just 9%. Diarrhoea prevalence among households with children under five was 14% overall, with major hotspots in Darayya (Rural Damascus), Abu Kamal (Deir-ez-Zor), Al-Haffa (Lattakia), Ar-Rastan (Homs), and Harim (Idleb). The assessment recommends an integrated, area-based response that combines food security, nutrition, and WASH interventions in the districts with the highest severity, particularly As-Salamiyeh (Hama), Abu Kamal (Deir-ez-Zor), Hama district (Hama), Al Makhrim (Homs), Ar-Rastan (Homs), and AsSuqaylabiyah (Hama). Given that affordability rather than food availability is the main driver of need, unrestricted cash and voucher assistance should be prioritised and regularly adjusted to market prices, while also covering essential non-food needs. Programmes should explicitly prioritise female-headed households, households headed by persons with disabilities, and IDP households, as these groups consistently face more severe food insecurity, weaker dietary outcomes, and greater access barriers across sectors. To prevent further erosion of resilience, emergency assistance should be complemented by livelihoods support, especially in areas where Crisis and Emergency coping strategies are widespread. Small-scale income-generating activities, home-based businesses, and women-friendly livelihoods opportunities should be promoted to reduce reliance on negative coping such as child labour, school dropout, and distress borrowing. For returnees, integrated support packages that combine food assistance, livelihood recovery, and rehabilitation of basic services are particularly important. In nutrition, the response should expand community-based malnutrition screening and treatment, especially in districts where poor child dietary diversity and treatment barriers are most acute. Nutrition services should be made more accessible through community outreach, home-based approaches, and financial support to offset treatment and transport costs. Infant and young child feeding interventions should focus on reducing pre-lacteal feeding, promoting early breastfeeding initiation, and improving complementary feeding through a combination of counselling and support for access to diverse foods. Maternal nutrition should also be strengthened through improved iron and folic acid supplementation, better access to antenatal care, and targeted support in districts with the lowest dietary diversity among women. In WASH, the priority is to rehabilitate water systems in districts with poor network access and frequent interruptions, while reducing dependence on water trucking. Immediate sanitation improvements are needed in areas with severe open sewage problems and in IDP settings where toilet access remains inadequate. Solid waste management services should be expanded in underserved districts, particularly where collection systems are weak or absent. Hygiene promotion should be urgently scaled up, especially in diarrhoea hotspots, using trusted community-based channels and female outreach workers. Across all sectors, programmes should be designed as integrated packages rather than stand-alone interventions. Districts facing overlapping food insecurity, dietary vulnerability, and WASH deficits should receive combined assistance that addresses the full set of household needs. Finally, future monitoring should strengthen district-level tracking of food security trends and improve nutrition measurement, particularly MUAC data collection, to support more precise targeting and more robust evidence for programme adaptation.

Country: Lebanon Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file.