Rosemary DiCarlo repeated The Secretary General’s view recalls that the Russian invasion of February 24 was a violation of the UN Charter and international law.
“It has created a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe, traumatized a generation of children and accelerated the global food and energy crisis,” she told the ambassadors.
“Yet this severe damage could pale in comparison to the aftermath of a protracted conflict.”
Deadly Holidays
Many Ukrainians spent the orthodox holiday season in bomb shelters grieving the loss of loved ones, she said.
By the end of the year, Russian forces were targeting Dnipro, Kherson, Kirovohrad and Kyiv – with multiple attacks reported in Kharkiv, Odessa, Lviv, Zhytomyr and the capital.
All administrative districts would be under air raid alert until New Year’s Eve, the head of peace promotion continued.
And the attacks continued in January, threatening all remaining civilians in Kherson, Bakhmut and Soledar.
After the recent fighting, the UN Human Rights Office OHCHRconfirmed 18,096 civilian casualties since the invasion began.
“These totals include 6,952 dead and 11,144 injured,” Ms. DiCarlo said, adding that “the actual numbers are likely significantly higher.”
attacks on health
Targeted, systematic attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, including energy and health facilities, have forced around 5.91 million women and girls to internally flee their homes.
And 745 registered attacks on health facilities up to January 4 was a record for any ongoing conflict.
“According to reports, 15 percent of the facilities are either partially or completely out of order, and up to 50 percent in Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Mykolayiv and Kharkiv,” she said.
“Invisible Scars”
“War also leaves invisible scars,” she continued, noting the long-lasting impact that school demolitions and closures will have on youth.
An estimated 5.7 million students are directly affected, including 3.6 million who were expelled from schools early in the conflict.
Citing the World Health Organization (WHO) Ms. DiCarlo said that “almost a quarter of the population is at risk of developing mental illness as a result of this war.”
Hundreds of displaced and local children in Ukraine celebrated the New Year at the Spilno Child Spot in Kharkiv, run by UNICEF and partners.
Life-saving relief efforts
Meanwhile, humanitarian partners have provided nearly nine million people with food and critical health supplies as of Jan. 5.
Some 7.3 million people have received clean water and hygiene items, and over three million uprooted people have received emergency shelter or essential household items.
Since the war began, almost 14 million people have received assistance from over 740 partners, including a million in areas not under the control of the Ukrainian government.
However, severe access restrictions hamper humanitarian aid.
“In accordance with international humanitarian law, the parties must facilitate the expeditious and unhindered passage of humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need,” the senior UN official said.
Serious Infringements
Regarding allegations of serious human rights violations, OHCHR has documented over 90 cases of conflict-related sexual violence since last February.
Among them, torture and ill-treatment in detention predominantly affected men, while women and girls were subjected to sexual abuse, including gang rape, in areas under Russian control.
“It is imperative that all perpetrators of human rights abuses are held accountable,” said the senior UN official.
Since May, the International Criminal Court (ICJ) continues to work in the country, focusing on the illegal movement and deportation of civilian property and persons from Ukraine to Russia, including children.
A doctor treats patients at a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Black Sea Grain Initiative
Despite the challenges, the Black Sea Grain Initiative continues to make a difference, including by helping to lower global food prices.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported a continued decline in its food price index.
Ms. DiCarlo said the initiative has now shipped more than 17 million tons of food to about 43 countries, of which about 20 percent is destined for countries that fall in the World Bank category of low- and middle-income economies.
The United Nations also continues to work to remove remaining barriers to Russian food and fertilizer exports, as they are “key to keeping prices down and reducing food insecurity.”
military logic
In conclusion, the political chief reiterated that there was no sign of an end to the fighting and that the dominant logic was “military, with very little or no room for dialogue at the moment”.
“But all wars end, and this one will end too.”
“Ukraine, Russia, the world cannot afford this war to continue,” she underscored, recalling that the Secretary General was ready to help the parties “to end this senseless, unjustified conflict” on the basis of the UN charter and international law.
