New York: Nearly 13 million people in Ukraine urgently need humanitarian aid as displacement, psychological trauma, and the destruction of essential services continue to take a toll, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said.
According to Qatar News Agency, the UN relief chief, during a Security Council briefing, called on the international community to increase support and protect civilians under fire. He emphasized that parties to the conflict must safeguard civilians and infrastructure as required under international humanitarian law.
The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war has resulted in mass displacement, with nearly 3.7 million Ukrainians displaced within the country and an additional seven million living as refugees. Humanitarians face challenges accessing an estimated 1.5 million civilians in Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
The UN-led humanitarian response plan in Ukraine, requiring $2.6 billion, has so far received only about 17% of the necessary funds.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia remarked that Ukrainian media continues to depict Russia as attempting to undermine peace efforts. He stated that such portrayals aim to disrupt American-Russian dialogue and potential agreements with Kyiv.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, insisted that Russia be held accountable for its actions. She stressed the need for real international pressure to end the conflict and emphasized the importance of a firm response to Russian actions to prevent them from becoming normalized.
Hayovyshyn urged Russia to respond to the US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has accepted, to end its aggression.
Speaking for the United States, Acting Representative Dorothy Shea reaffirmed the US commitment to a just and lasting peace. She highlighted US proposals for a comprehensive ceasefire during engagements with both countries and emphasized the necessity of implementing existing ceasefire commitments to protect lives and improve conditions.