DiCarlo rosemary repeat the view of the Secretary-General, in reminding that the invasion of Russia on 24 February, was violated uncharted and international law.
“It has created a humanitarian and human rights disaster, traumatized a generation of children, and accelerated global food and energy crises,” she told ambassadors.
“And yet, this serious damage may pale in comparison to the consequences of a protracted conflict.”
death day
Many Ukrainians, she said, have spent the Orthodox holiday in bomb shelters and mourn the loss of loved ones.
By the end of the year, Russian forces had targeted Dnipro, Kherson, Kirovohrad and Kyiv – with multiple attacks reported in Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv, Zhytomyr and the capital.
By New Year’s Eve, all administrative areas were warned of air strikes, the peace-building team leader continued.
And attacks continued into January, threatening all remaining civilians in Kherson, Bakhmut and Soledar.
After the most recent fighting, the United Nations human rights office, OHCHRverified 18,096 civilian casualties since the invasion began.
“This total includes 6,952 people killed and 11,144 injured,” DiCarlo said, adding that “the actual number could be significantly higher.”
Health attack
Systematic, targeted targeting of critical civilian infrastructure, including energy and health care facilities, has displaced approximately 5.91 million women and girls. domestic.
And 745 recorded attacks on health care facilities as of January 4, a record for any conflict currently unfolding.
“According to reports, 15% of facilities are partially or completely inactive, and up to 50% are in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv,” she said.
‘Invisible scars’
“War also leaves invisible scars,” she continued, pointing to the long-term effects that school demolitions and closures will have on young people.
An estimated 5.7 million students were directly affected, of which 3.6 million dropped out of school early in the conflict.
Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), Ms. DiCarlo said that “nearly a quarter of the population is thought to be at risk of mental illness because of this war”.
Hundreds of refugee and local children in Ukraine celebrated the new year at the Spilno Children’s Site in Kharkiv, run by UNICEF and its partners.
Efforts to save lives
Meanwhile, since January 5, humanitarian partners have provided food and vital healthcare support to nearly nine million people.
About 7.3 million people have received clean water and sanitation products and more than 3 million displaced people have received emergency shelter or important household items.
Since the start of the war, nearly 14 million people have received assistance from more than 740 partners, including one million in areas not under the control of the Ukrainian Government.
However, severe access restrictions hinder a humanitarian response.
“Under international humanitarian law, parties must facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid to all civilians in need,” the senior UN official said.
Serious rights violation
Moving on to allegations of serious human rights violations, OHCHR has recorded more than 90 cases of conflict-related sexual violence since last February.
Among them, men are mainly subjected to torture and ill-treatment while in custody, while women and girls in Russian-controlled areas are subjected to sexual abuse, including gang rape.
“It is imperative that all human rights violators be held accountable,” the senior UN official said.
As of May, the International Criminal Court (ICJ) has continued to operate in the country, focusing on the illegal transfer and deportation of civilian objects and persons from Ukraine to Russia, including children.
A doctor takes care of a patient at a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Black Sea Grains Initiative
Despite the challenges, the Black Sea Grains Initiative meanwhile continues to make a difference, including helping to bring down global food prices.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported a continued decline in the Food Price Index.
Ms. DiCarlo said more than 17 million tonnes of realized wages have been delivered under the initiative to about 43 countries, about 20% of which are for low- or middle-income countries. low average of the World Bank. .
The UN also continues to work to remove the remaining obstacles to Russia’s food and fertilizer exports as “the key to keeping prices low and reducing food insecurity”.
military logic
Finally, the political leader reiterated that there is no sign of an end to the fighting and that the prevailing logic “is a military issue, there is little, if any, space for dialogue right now”.
“But all wars end, and so does this war.”
She stressed: “Ukraine, Russia, the world cannot let this war go on”, and reminded that the Secretary-General is ready to support the parties “to put an end to this senseless, absurd conflict”. the basis of the Charter of the United Nations and the International. law.
