UN Official: Nearly 13 Million People in Ukraine Urgently Need Humanitarian Aid

NEW YORK: Nearly 13 million people in Ukraine urgently need humanitarian aid as displacement, psychological trauma and the destruction of essential services continues to take a devastating toll, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said.

Briefing the Security Council, the UN relief chief called on the international community to step up support and do more to protect civilians under fire, emphasizing that parties to the conflict must protect civilians and civilian infrastructure as required under international humanitarian law.

The Russian-Ukrainian war continues to drive mass displacement, with nearly 3.7 million Ukrainians uprooted from their homes inside the country, and a further seven million now living as refugees.

In addition, humanitarians are unable to reach an estimated 1.5 million civilians in Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

Despite the soaring needs, the $2.6 billion UN-led humanitarian response plan in Ukraine has received only about 17% of funds needed.

For his part, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that Ukrainian media continue to portray his country as deliberately attempting to undermine peace efforts.

“It is clear that in these attempts, the goal is to undermine American-Russian dialogue and torpedo the potential agreements that the Kyiv regime will have to accept,” he said, adding that statements from Ukraine are “far removed from reality”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, said that Russia must be held accountable for its invasive actions in her country.

“To end this war, it is necessary to put pressure on them – real pressure – without wasting time on empty talk,” she said.

“A resolute international response to Russian atrocities is crucial. Such terror must never become the norm,” she added.

Hayovyshyn further stated that Russia must respond to the US proposal for an immediate, interim 30-day full ceasefire – which her country has accepted – and end its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Speaking for the United States, Acting Representative Dorothy Shea, said that her country is committed to achieving a just and lasting peace.

She noted that in bilateral engagements with both Russia and Ukraine, the US has proposed a comprehensive ceasefire.

“To achieve the goal of peace, both Ukraine and Russia must fully implement the ceasefire commitments they have already made in Riyadh,” she added, noting that these initial steps, if fully implemented, will protect lives and improve livelihoods.

-QNA