UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said that 13 million people in Ukraine are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
While informing the Security Council about the situation of the Ukrainians, the UN relief chief called on the international community to help and support them. He stressed that the warring parties should protect civilians according to international law. According to him, about 37 million Ukrainians have been displaced due to the Russia-Ukraine war, while 7 million are currently living as refugees. Likewise, humanitarian aid workers said that they are unable to reach the estimated 1.5 million citizens of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia occupied by Russia.
Despite the growing need, the $2.6 billion UN-led humanitarian response plan in Ukraine has received only 17 percent of the required funds.
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said that the Ukrainian media is portraying his country as a country that deliberately undermines peace efforts.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Kristina Hyovyshyn, said that Russia should be held accountable for the aggressive actions in her country. He also said that to end the war, it is necessary not only to discuss but also to put real pressure. Hyovishin said that Russia should immediately respond to the American proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire and end the war of aggression against Ukraine.
Acting Representative Dorothy Shea, representing the United States, said her country is committed to achieving a just and lasting peace. He mentioned that the US has proposed a complete ceasefire in bilateral engagement with Russia and Ukraine.
In order to maintain peace, the ceasefire commitments already made by Ukraine and Russia should be fully implemented.
