“On the eve of a terrible one-year milestone, We have a lot of work to do and we can do better,” said Martin Griffiths, who is also the Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Tragedy continues
“We have warned of the deadly poison, destruction, displacement and deprivation that this war has wrought. We talked about the psychological trauma it left behind. We have condemned its death toll on civilians. However, the tragedy continued with there is no end in the scene,” said Mr. Griffiths.
Nearly 40% of Ukraine’s population needs assistanceIn light of the more than 7,000 civilian deaths and widespread devastation, he said, and informed the Council of the current humanitarian situation. Homes, schools and hospitals were destroyed and the whole city was badly damaged.
“This Violence shows no sign of abating,” he said, recalling recent air strikes and sharing heartbreaking scenes from his film December visit to Ukraine.
‘Remarkable motivation for survival’
Witnessing communities completely cut off electricity and essential supplies, he said “In this war context, I also see everyone’s remarkable effort to survive“in the context of the ongoing conflict.
He cites a bakery run by women, with the help of the World Food Program (WFP), now produces thousands of loaves of bread every day.
“Ukrainian people have amazed the world with their resilience,” He said, detailing some of the enormous challenges they face, from rampant sexual violence and trafficking, to crippling damage to infrastructure.
UN supports 15.8 million people
For your part, the UN supports 15.8 million people, including 1.3 million that are beyond the control of the Ukrainian Government, he said. Inter-agency convoys provide comprehensive support packages with a multitude of partners to send supplies – from winter coats to building materials – to those most in need.
Activity has expanded exponentially over the past year, he continued. Convoys delivered relief supplies to villages near the front lines in the rural areas of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson and Kharkiv provinces.
Before February 2022, he said, humanitarian partners had provided assistance, mainly to the east on both sides of the front lines in Donetsk and Luhansk, or areas, after the initial Russian invasion. year 2014. More than 650 humanitarian organizations are currently active in all the provinces of Ukrainehe added.
“However, we need to reach more people, more oftenHe emphasized. “We must continue to stand firm in support from all angles, to avert the humanitarian catastrophe and suffering of the Ukrainian people, and to address the profound global effects of this war on wages. global food and energy, supply chains and trade, and nuclear safety questions.”
‘Progress where we can’
“We are making progress where we can,” he said, noting that the Black Sea Grains Initiative keep making strides and anticipating the urgent need for renewal in March.
In addition, the UN will try to pressure to make food and fertilizer exports more favorable from Russia in a broader effort to tackle global food insecurity.
However, Despite many attempts, convoys crossing the border from the North to the South have not come trueHe said, stressing that humanitarian access to areas under temporary Russian military control has become increasingly unpredictable and impeded. He Remind all parties in Ukraine Continuously concerned with rescuing civilians and related items and ensuring the passage of aid.
The humanitarian response plan 2023will be launched in Geneva next week, claim $3.9 billion to bring support to more than 11 million people, he said. Faced with current conditions, which occurred after eight years of previous conflict between Russia and Ukraine, he stressed that have to do more.
“I urge all of us to push with renewed vigor to give the Ukrainian people the peace and support they need and deserve,” he said.
UN Secretary-General warns of ‘broader war’
Warning before the General Assembly on Monday, while delivering a keynote speech on his priorities for the year, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the risk of further escalation and bloodshed continued to increase.
“I fear that the world is not sleepwalking in a wider war,” he said. “It is doing so with its eyes wide open.”
