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	We are on a fast track to climate disaster by IPCC, Climate Action Network International   Apr. 2022   Despite repeated climate change warnings issued by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since 1990, global emissions have continued to rise in the last decade, reaching their highest point in history.   Current policies are leading the planet towards catastrophic temperature rises, the IPCC says in its latest report released this week. Global emissions now are on track to dramatically exceed 1.5C warming limit envisioned in the 2015 Paris Agreement and reach in excess of 3.2C by the century’s end. Humanity has less than three years to halt the rise of planet-warming carbon emissions and less than a decade to cut them in half, states the report.   4 Apr. 2022   UN Secretary-General warns of Climate Emergency: Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the launch of the third Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, in New York today:   "The jury has reached a verdict. And it is damning. This report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a litany of broken climate promises. It is a file of shame, cataloguing the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unliveable world.   We are on a fast track to climate disaster. Major cities under water. Unprecedented heatwaves. Terrifying storms. Widespread water shortages. The extinction of a million species of plants and animals. This is not fiction or exaggeration. It is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies.   We are on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5°C limit agreed in Paris. Some Government and business leaders are saying one thing, but doing another. Simply put, they are lying. And the results will be catastrophic. This is a climate emergency.   Climate scientists warn that we are already perilously close to tipping points that could lead to cascading and irreversible climate impacts. But, high‑emitting Governments and corporations are not just turning a blind eye, they are adding fuel to the flames.   They are choking our planet, based on their vested interests and historic investments in fossil fuels, when cheaper, renewable solutions provide green jobs, energy security and greater price stability.   We left COP26 [twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] in Glasgow with a naive optimism, based on new promises and commitments. But, the main problem — the enormous, growing emissions gap — was all but ignored. The science is clear: to keep the 1.5°C limit agreed in Paris within reach, we need to cut global emissions by at least 45 per cent this decade.   But, current climate pledges would mean a 14 per cent increase in emissions. And most major emitters are not taking the steps needed to fulfil even these inadequate promises. Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But, the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels.   Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness. Such investments will soon be stranded assets — a blot on the landscape and a blight on investment portfolios. But, it doesn’t have to be this way.   Today’s report is focused on mitigation — cutting emissions. It sets out viable, financially sound options in every sector that can keep the possibility of limiting warming to 1.5°C alive.   First and foremost, we must triple the speed of the shift to renewable energy. That means moving investments and subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables — now. In most cases, renewables are already far cheaper. It means Governments ending the funding of coal, not just abroad, but at home.   It means climate coalitions, made up of developed countries, multilateral development banks, private financial institutions and corporations, supporting major emerging economies in making this shift. It means protecting forests and ecosystems as powerful climate solutions. It means rapid progress in reducing methane emissions. And it means implementing the pledges made in Paris and Glasgow.   Leaders must lead. But, all of us can do our part. We owe a debt to young people, civil society and indigenous communities for sounding the alarm and holding leaders accountable. We need to build on their work to create a grass‑roots movement that cannot be ignored.   If you live in a big city, a rural area or a small island State; if you invest in the stock market; if you care about justice and our children’s future; I am appealing directly to you: demand that renewable energy is introduced now — at speed and at scale; demand an end to coal-fired power; demand an end to all fossil fuel subsidies.   Today’s report comes at a time of global turbulence. Inequalities are at unprecedented levels. The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is scandalously uneven. Inflation is rising, and the war in Ukraine is causing food and energy prices to skyrocket. But, increasing fossil‑fuel production will only make matters worse.   Choices made by countries now will make or break the commitment to 1.5°C . A shift to renewables will mend our broken global energy mix and offer hope to millions of people suffering climate impacts today. Climate promises and plans must be turned into reality and action, now. It is time to stop burning our planet and start investing in the abundant renewable energy all around us.   http://www.un.org/press/en/2022/sgsm21228.doc.htm http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-3/ http://www.ipcc.ch/2022/02/28/pr-wgii-ar6/ http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-ii/ http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-i/ http://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/   Apr. 2022   Climate Action Network International: Reactions from civil society organisations to latest IPCC report:   Today the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the third and final report under the Sixth Assessment Cycle (AR6) which looks at climate change mitigation and the solutions and scenarios to limit warming to 1.5°C.   The groundbreaking report must be an obituary to the fossil fuel industry. It recommends rapid and deep cuts in emissions, phasing out all fossil fuels, transformative shifts to scale up energy efficiency, renewable energy and electrification, and the conservation and restoration of forests and lands.   All of this must align with sustainable development policies, substantial financial flows toward climate solutions and be underpinned by principles of equity and justice. This is the only real chance to avert runaway climate change within a narrowing and precious window of time.   The science in the report is crystal clear: speculative technological fixes are no substitute for real efforts to eliminate all fossil fuels. Systemic transformations across all sectors of society, particularly the most polluting, can secure a safe, healthy and liveable planet.   Reactions from civil society organisations:   “Climate change is moving faster than we are. We cannot hold on any longer to the polluting fossil fuels that are wrecking our climate and destroying the natural world on which we all depend. We will miss the crucial goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C unless we dramatically scale up climate solutions to rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions. This means investing at scale in powering our societies more efficiently, using clean renewable energy, conserving and restoring nature, moving away from unsustainable business practices and leaving no one behind in this transition. Every moment, every policy, every investment, every decision matters to avoid further climate chaos.” – Dr Stephen Cornelius, WWF Global Lead for IPCC and head of the WWF delegation observing the negotiations.   “It’s game over for fossil fuels that are fuelling both wars and climate chaos. There’s no room for any new fossil fuel developments and the coal and gas plants we already have need to close early. While our leaders have been claiming they’re doing their very best on climate, the scientists have just proven they are not. There’s plenty of potential to do more right now, with huge benefits! Yet, money keeps flowing to problems instead of solutions, and it will only change with credible targets, policies and support aligned with the Paris Agreement warming limit. Both the threats and the opportunities are larger than ever. But so is the power of people who unite for change.” – Kaisa Kosonen, Senior Policy Advisor, Greenpeace Nordic   “The IPCC’s latest report affirms why rapid and equitable phaseout of fossil fuels must be the center-piece of any science-based mitigation strategy that aims to avert catastrophic levels of global warming. Relying on speculative technologies purported to deliver emissions reductions or removals in the future, after temperature rise surpasses 1.5°C, will cost lives and inflict further irreversible harm. The Panel’s findings only reinforce that breaking free from fossil fuel dependency is critical for the global climate, for global peace, and for economic stability.” – Nikki Reisch, Director, Climate & Energy Program, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)   “Decades of failure in global leadership, combined with fossil fuel companies’ single-minded focus on their profits and unsustainable patterns of consumption within the world’s richest households, are putting our planet at peril. Fossil fuels are the root cause of climate change, of environmental injustices and—as we are witnessing in Ukraine right now—frequently associated with geopolitical strife and conflict.   This latest IPCC report puts policymakers on notice, yet again, that the current global trajectory of heat-trapping emissions is alarmingly off-track. The solutions are obvious and have been for a long time—the world needs to rapidly phase out fossil fuel emissions across every sector of the economy and accelerate a transformative shift to clean energy.   Richer nations, including the United States, bear significant responsibility to both cut emissions and provide funding to help developing countries. Continuing down the current path leaves us poised to exceed 1.5 and even 2 degrees Celsius of warming. Let’s seize this precious, narrow window of opportunity to secure a safer, healthier, and more just world.” – Dr. Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director and Lead Economist. Climate and Energy Program, Union of Concerned Scientists   “Solar and wind power, as well as energy efficiency, have the largest economic potentials to cut carbon pollution the most by 2030 in this crucial decade. This must be accompanied by the protection of pristine forests and restoration of degraded ecosystems and a shift to plant-based low-carbon diets. We urge governments, particularly the large polluters, to immediately implement the findings showing that investments into clean technologies have to grow by up to six times annually on average until 2030 to have a chance to stay in the survival trajectory of no more than 1.5°C global warming eventually.” – Dr Stephan Singer, Senior Advisor, Climate Action Network International   “You can feel the scientists’ frustration that mountains of evidence isn’t yet driving the radical action needed to meet global climate goals. They are watching the clock tick down as governments and polluters continue to avoid making the bold changes in our energy, food and industrial systems that are our only route out of catastrophic climate change. The IPCC report delivers a clear warning that reliance on techno-fixes and tree plantations to solve the problem not only amounts to wishful thinking, but would drive land conflicts and harm the food, ecosystems and communities already hardest hit by the climate crisis.” – Teresa Anderson, Climate Justice Lead, ActionAid International   “The latest IPCC report finds that solutions are readily available across all sectors to more than halve emissions by 2030, in line with a 1.5ºC pathway. Moreover, a low-carbon economy can create more jobs overall, and there are many mitigation options with economic, societal and environmental benefits. Since the last report, technologies have significantly improved, and the costs of solutions like solar, wind and batteries have declined by up to 85%.   No countries’ reductions are currently consistent with limiting warming to a 1.5ºC pathway. We clearly have the tools to tackle the climate crisis, but they need to be deployed more rapidly and at a larger scale to keep 1.5ºC within reach and reduce the severity of climate impacts.” – Dr Stephanie Roe, IPCC Lead Author and WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead Scientist.   “Science is telling us we can’t wait until 2030 to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. With this strong piece of evidence, it’s outrageous to see that countries in Europe and the EU are still subsidising fossil fuels, instead of using those precious funds to accelerate a just energy transition for all. This will help protect the environment, but also will have ripple benefits in our health and, as we are specially aware of these days, peace” – Chiara Martinelli, Director, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe   “In a historic first, the IPCC acknowledges the power of people going to court to assert their human rights in the face of the climate crisis. Governments, corporations and financial institutions, you’re officially on notice: align with the science and address fundamental injustices, or be forced to do so.” – Louise Fournier, Legal Counsel for Climate Justice and Liability, Greenpeace International   “The latest IPCC report contains much of what is needed to stay on track for 1.5°C without dangerous temperature overshoot and without speculative technological carbon dioxide removal (CDR). But the IPCC falls short of highlighting the right conclusions from its own findings: The central climate mitigation strategy — phasing out all fossil fuels, starting immediately — is often diluted in the Summary for Policymakers by references to CDR and carbon capture and storage, which are meant to keep the fossil fuel industry alive.   Overly vague language on “net zero” emissions obfuscates the most urgent policy responses: Fossil fuel phase-out, wind and solar, widespread electrification, and lowering energy and resource demand, in particular in the Global North, transformations in food systems and diets, protection and restoration of natural ecosystems in line with rights of local communities and Indigenous Peoples.   The IPCC mitigation report needs to be read in light of the previous two Working Group reports, which highlighted the severe risks and irreversible damage associated with overshooting the 1.5°C limit and with the deployment of CDR technologies to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Geoengineering technologies will not reverse climate breakdown.” – Linda Schneider, Senior Programme Officer International Climate Policy, Heinrich Boell Foundation   “The IPCC’s latest report is crystal clear: the world must phase out virtually all coal, oil and gas production by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2100 while safeguarding the sustainable development goals. We must start shifting energy investments away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, and this process must begin today. The good news is that we can ensure long-term climate and energy security by building an energy system based on renewables and energy storage. The countries must commit to more ambitious climate goals and more than double their annual wind and solar energy investments during the next 10 years to transition away from fossil fuels in a way that is consistent with climate science, justice, and sustainable development.” – Olivier Bois von Kursk, Policy Analyst, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)   “The latest IPCC report on mitigation of the climate crisis once again confirms the urgency with which we need to act. We must free every political portfolio, every business, every home, from our current carbon addiction. We must also be clear that decisive action on climate is not a ‘cost’: it is an investment, not just in our future, but in our survival. Such investment will provide a buoyant green jobs market as well as protecting us against damage from extreme weather and the need to adapt to a drastically altered climate: it would be the greatest cost-saving of human history. Ultimately, the money we spend today will return many times its value, but the ‘Bank of Nature’ will charge a wholly unsustainable rate of interest if we do not pay off our debts now.” – Steve Trent, CEO and founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation   “It is heart-breaking for me, as a Ukrainian climate activist, to be living through a war which has fossil fuel money at its core. The money, that we begged not to invest in dirty energy, is now flying over our heads in the form of bombs. The dependence of some countries on fossil fuels is being used for blackmail. We need to come out of this war better than we were. We need to learn how to act in a more intelligent way and put the great power of people into green recovery. I want us to be a part of building a more just and greener world which prevents fossil fuelled dictatorships from getting this much power. Science is with us, we know what we have to do.” – Olha Boiko, Ecoaction, Coordinator of CAN EECCA, based in Ukraine   “Governments need to respond to this report in two ways. They must set higher climate targets for this decade to close the 1.5˚C emission gap. And we need much stronger implementation of climate policies to actually deliver those emissions cuts. The spotlight’s on the major emitting countries to take these two steps this year without delay. It’s not only what they promised to do at last year’s COP26 UN climate summit, but also what today’s report urgently calls for.” – Tom Evans, climate diplomacy policy advisor, E3G   “Today’s IPCC report confirms that the world is on the brink of unprecedented change. Governments face a choice. They can either seize this moment of transformation, to build a more just world by accelerating climate action, and putting the needs of communities, Indigenous Peoples, and workers first. Or they can remain complacent amidst escalating destruction, conflict, and poverty, and allow the fossil fuel industry to burn our chance for a livable future.”   – Eddy Perez, International Climate Diplomacy Manager, Climate Action Network – Reseau action climat Canada   “Fossil fuel executives are exploiting a war they helped fund to try to increase their own profits and pollution, and this report shows us exactly why governments must put a stop to it. To stay below 1.5°C, we can’t afford any new oil, gas, and coal infrastructure and need to phase out what’s already built at a rapid pace. The positive news is that an energy system based on clean, renewable energy is both achievable and best for people’s health, development, and energy security. To get there, governments must stop listening to fossil fuel corporations and start heeding the science and the urgent pleas for action from communities facing droughts, fires, floods, and rising seas.” – Kelly Trout, Research Co-Director, Oil Change International   “This report is clear that we are now facing a dangerous lock-in of fossil fuel emissions and stranded assets which will further destabilise our economy and society. This is because governments and companies have continued to recklessly expand oil, gas and coal projects. A new global fossil fuel treaty can help countries manage this risk and constrain production in a way that is fast and fair at the scale required to tackle this global crisis. You can’t put out a fire with gas and our planet is quite literally on fire.” – Tzeporah Berman, Chair for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and Stand.earth International Program Director   “This report makes clear just how close we are to breaching the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree limit and just how urgent it is to make a clean break from fossil fuels. There can be no justification for prolonging support and subsidies for fossil fuels that put the planet on a pathway to more than 1.5C of warming – which is already a devastating compromise for vulnerable parts of the world.   Putin’s horrific fossil fuel funded invasion of Ukraine has rocked Europe and must be the final wake-up call that breaks the stranglehold of fossil fuels on our energy system. Clean, safe energy solutions exist and the IPCC shows they are getting cheaper. Europe must finally put people and our planet before industry profits, start decommissioning fossil fuels and go all-out for renewables, insulation and energy saving.” – Colin Roche, climate justice and energy coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe   “This latest report drives home both the urgency and agency in addressing the climate crisis. While we are already experiencing dangerous climate change impacts, this report shows that we can still avert the worst consequences if we rapidly accelerate the transition from fossil fuels toward clean energy and climate-friendly practices. A Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty can be an anchor for driving forward that transition globally.” – Michael E Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State University   “We’re past the point in human history where continuing to burn stuff is a bad idea, undermining both the climate and democracy. Happily, there’s a ball of burning gas hanging 93 million miles up in the sky that we can depend on. We have the tech, we need the will! At this point, a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a must. – Bill McKibben, founder, 350.org   “The report makes a strong call for action as time is running out. The good news is that we already know the solutions, but they require urgent investments. That is why the need to scale up climate finance is so important.” – Mattias Soderberg, Chief Advisor, DanChurchAid   “No amount of adaptation can compensate for the terrible consequences of failing to hit the Paris goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. This is a survival target and it remains within our grasp, but just barely. After a dip in 2020, carbon emissions that fuel climate change have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. We need extraordinary cuts in the use of fossil fuels to meet our emissions targets, and that entails a dramatic shift towards sustainable renewable energy. The recent push to increase production of oil, gas and coal and backtrack on climate measures because of the crisis in Ukraine —and even to delay net-zero— is shortsighted folly.” – Nafkote Dabi, Oxfam’s Climate Policy Lead   “Today’s report is a reminder of the urgent need to heal humanity’s fractured relationship with the natural world. We must rapidly phase out the burning and extraction of fossil fuels while ensuring an equitable transition to justly-sourced renewable energy systems. We must reject the dangerous distractions of fossil-fuel based solutions like refining natural gas for hydrogen fuels and carbon capture. As a global community, we must choose now to invest in community controlled solutions to build a just, equitable, and people-centered economy.” – Sriram Madhusoodanan, International Strategy Director, Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy   “The latest warning from IPCC scientists is clear: our reliance on fossil fuels is self-destructive and must decline rapidly if we want to stand any chance of protecting people’s human rights. All those who value human dignity and wellbeing must fully throw their weight behind the call for global climate justice. To meet their obligations in international law to protect human rights, each state must act urgently, at home and through international cooperation, to achieve a managed and equitable phase out of existing fossil fuel use and production worldwide.” – Ashfaq Khalfan, Law and Policy Director, Amnesty International   “Expanding greenhouse gas emissions are undermining the fundamental human and environmental rights of the most vulnerable people and communities around the world, including here in the Pacific Islands. The scientific evidence becomes more damning with each IPCC report, and makes it inevitable that those Corporations and State sponsors that are profiting off the lives and livelihoods of our island women, youth, and indigenous peoples, will soon face criminal prosecution. We must bring climate change to the International Court of Justice to protect the rights of present and future generations who call this planet home.”   – Lavetanalagi Seru, Regional Policy Coordinator, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network   “This report confirms that just moving to decarbonize by 2050 isn’t enough; climate change is outpacing our response, and avoiding its worst impacts requires urgent, decisive action from governments all around the world. Japan, as one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, needs to set more ambitious emission reduction targets, along with concrete roadmaps and policy instruments to achieve them, in order to do its fair share to ensure the world avoids the worsening climate crisis. This begins with completely phasing out coal-fired power, its largest source of emissions, by 2030, and replacing it with renewable energy – not with impractical technology like ammonia and hydrogen co-firing, which won’t meaningfully reduce emissions and will only extend the life of coal power.” – Evan Gach, Program Coordinator, Kiko Network. Coordinator, Climate Action Network Japan   “The polar heat waves, ice shelf collapse and fossil-fueled war surrounding this report show we need a lifeline for humanity, not fossil fuels. Climate change mitigation through methods like carbon capture and storage is dangerous, ineffective and wildly expensive. Instead, we need the political will to leave fossil fuels in the ground, advance renewable energy and invest in nature-based carbon dioxide removal through forest and ecosystem protection. We have the solutions we need, so the only question is whether our leaders have the courage.” – Maya Golden-Krasner, Deputy Director, Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute   “In Australia we face some of the worst impacts of climate change whilst also being the third largest exporter of fossil fuels on earth. This latest IPCC Report makes it clear that nations like Australia must shift away from fossil fuels quickly. Not just domestically, but as an exporter too. Luckily for us we have some of the world’s greatest solar and wind resources and the capacity to replace our current exports of coal and gas with green hydrogen and ammonia to the same markets in north Asia. We need to support our coal and gas communities through this transition and chart a new way forward, with our fellow nations, for the Asia-Pacific region.” – Glen Klatovsky, acting Executive Director, Climate Action Network Australia   “Of the 10 countries in Southeast Asia (SEA), four are in the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate risk. Actions taken by governments to address climate change – based on an equity and fair shares approach – have to be transformational and truly ambitious in nature. The latest IPCC Report highlights clear ways to mitigate against climate change. The intergovernmental body ASEAN must convene a meeting to discuss both IPCC’s latest and previous reports so that strategies can be adopted and actions taken – on a region-wide basis – to address climate change. This should include adopting a SEA Just Transition Framework to ensure no one is left behind, while the region shifts away from its dependence on fossil fuels.” – Nithi Nesadurai, Director and Regional Coordinator, Climate Action Network Southeast Asia   “There are only so many ‘code red for humanity’ warnings that can be issued, it’s clear time is running out. The crisis in Ukraine has shown the fragility of global oil and gas supplies, investment in renewables is the only way to energy security and dealing with the climate crisis; there must be no rowing back on commitments to tackle the climate crisis by reopening gas pipelines and unplugging oil wells.   The conflict in Ukraine has shown us the peril refugees face across the world, as we open our hearts and minds to those in need. If the world does not address the causes of climate change with increased urgency, many millions more will face a similar journey in years to come as they search for a safe place to call home.” – Christine Allen, Director, CAFOD   http://climatenetwork.org/2022/04/04/ipcc_3/ http://climatenetwork.org/2022/02/28/new-ipcc-report-paints-harsh-reality-of-unavoidable-climate-impacts-and-loss-and-damage/ http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-reaction-ipccs-working-group-iii-report-climate-change-mitigation http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/800-increase-un-appeal-needs-extreme-weather-related-emergencies-over-last-20-years http://www.savethechildren.net/news/save-childrens-response-ipcc-mitigation-report-0 http://www.ucsusa.org/about/news/new-ipcc-report-finds-sharp-cuts-fossil-fuels-and-emissions-urgently-needed-policymakers http://www.carbonbrief.org/in-depth-qa-the-ipccs-sixth-assessment-on-how-to-tackle-climate-change http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/interview/2022/04/07/the-climate-crisis-and-the-bleak-future-of-food   http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/04/ipcc-report-now-or-never-if-world-stave-off-climate-disaster http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/28/ipcc-issues-bleakest-warning-yet-impacts-climate-breakdown http://www.dw.com/en/ipcc-world-must-halve-emissions-by-2030/a-61348250 http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60984663 http://insideclimatenews.org/news/05042022/ipcc-report-climate-change/ http://www.noaa.gov/news-release/increase-in-atmospheric-methane-set-another-record-during-2021 http://www.project-syndicate.org/bigpicture/the-forgotten-climate-crisis http://ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment http://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419/full http://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2022-billions-of-people-still-breathe-unhealthy-air-new-who-data http://theconversation.com/how-treaties-protecting-fossil-fuel-investors-could-jeopardize-global-efforts-to-save-the-climate-and-cost-countries-billions-182135 Visit the related web page
	The need for negotiations to stop the war in Ukraine could not be more urgent by OCHA, UN News, ICRC, UNICEF, agencies   3 June 2022   One hundred days of war in Ukraine. (UN News)   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres marking the tragic milestone:   "Today marks 100 days since the start of the 24 February Russian invasion of Ukraine. As we mark this tragic day, I renew my call for an immediate halt to violence, for unfettered humanitarian access to all those in need, for safe evacuation of civilians trapped in areas of fighting and for urgent protection of civilians and respect for human rights in accordance with international norms.   The conflict has already taken many thousands of lives, caused untold destruction, displaced millions of people, resulted in unacceptable violations of human rights and is inflaming a three-dimensional global crisis – food, energy and finance – that is pummeling the most vulnerable people, countries and economies.   The UN is committed to the humanitarian effort. But as I have stressed from the beginning, resolving this conflict will require negotiations and dialogue. The sooner the parties engage in good-faith diplomatic efforts to end this war, the better for the sake of Ukraine, Russia and the world".   United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, Amin Awad:   "This war has taken an unacceptable toll on people and engulfed virtually all aspects of civilian life. This war has and will have no winner. Rather, we have witnessed for 100 days what is lost: lives, homes, jobs and prospects. We have witnessed destruction and devastation across cities, towns and villages. Schools, hospitals and shelters have not been spared.   Families and communities have been disrupted and uprooted. In just over three months, nearly 14 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, the majority women and children – a scale and speed of displacement not witnessed in history.   More than 3 million children saw their education suspended – an entire generation of children whose future hangs in the balance. All over the country, hundreds of thousands of people do not have access to water and electricity, and millions do not know where their next meal is coming from. 15.7 million people are in need of humanitarian support now, with numbers growing.   One hundred days on, the war ravages unabated especially in the east of the country. And with winter coming, millions of civilian lives could be in peril.   UN agencies and humanitarian partners in Ukraine continue to work to support those whose lives have been shattered by war. In the past 100 days, we have provided humanitarian aid to some 8 million people across the country, including in besieged cities in the east of Ukraine. Our efforts to respond to the war’s devastating impact will continue. But above all we need peace. The war must end now".   ICRC director-general Robert Mardini:   "It would be hard to exaggerate the toll that the international armed conflict in Ukraine has had on civilians over the last 100 days. The scale of destruction in cities defies comprehension. Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed and civilians have suffered the horrors of conflict, with lives lost and families torn apart".   100 days of war in Ukraine have left 5.2 million children in need. (Unicef)   100 days of war in Ukraine have wrought devastating consequences for children at a scale and speed not seen since World War II. Three million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Almost two out of every three children have been displaced by fighting.   On average more than two children are killed and more than four injured each day in Ukraine – mostly in attacks using explosive weapons in populated areas. Civilian infrastructure on which children depend continues to be damaged or destroyed; this includes at least 256 health facilities and one in six UNICEF-supported ‘Safe Schools’ in the country’s east. Hundreds of other schools across the country have also been damaged or destroyed. Conditions for children in eastern and southern Ukraine where fighting has intensified are increasingly desperate.   UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, "the war has shattered the lives of millions of children. Without an urgent ceasefire and negotiated peace, children will continue to suffer – and fallout from the war will impact vulnerable children around the world.”   "The war and mass displacement are devastating livelihoods and economic opportunities, leaving many families without sufficient income to meet basic needs and unable to provide adequate support for their children.   UNICEF continues to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and to protect all children from harm. This includes ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian infrastructure. UNICEF is appealing for full humanitarian access to safely and quickly reach children in need wherever they may be".   269 verified attacks on health care facilities. (WHO)   “In 100 days of war, there have been over 260 verified attacks on health care in Ukraine. These attacks are not justifiable, they are never ok, and they must be investigated. No health professional should have to deliver health care on a knife edge, but this is just what nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, the medical teams in Ukraine are doing,” said Dr Hans Henri Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.   “I have been privileged to meet many health workers during my visits to Ukraine. They are keeping vital services and hope alive in the face of unbelievable sorrow and suffering,” he added. Some health facilities have been completely destroyed, while others have been overwhelmed by people seeking care for trauma and injuries resulting directly from the war".   Matilda Bogner, Head of UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU):   "The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has been able to verify the deaths of 4,183 civilians and 5,014 civilians injured, but we know that the actual numbers are considerably higher.   Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects. To date, we have documented the deaths of 3,524 civilians from the use of artillery and tank shelling, multiple launch rocket systems, missile and air strikes. The extent of civilian death and damage and destruction of civilian infrustructure, strongly suggests that there have been violations of international humanitarian law, some of which may amount to war crimes.   The Mission has also documented the devastating impact of the war on other human rights. Among them we recorded unlawful killings, including summary executions, torture, ill-treatment, and conflict-related sexual violence. Parties to the conflict should put an end to civilian suffering, and fully respect obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law".   Intense and ongoing hostilities continue to cause suffering, deaths and massive destruction of civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, particularly affecting people in the east and south of the country. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to be uprooted by the war, while in the worst-impacted areas people have lived for over two months without adequate access to food, water and electricity or gas, with limited health services, while enduring the constant threat of bombardment.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1119672 http://ukraine.un.org/en/press-centre/press-releases http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/ http://reliefweb.int/country/ukr http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/war-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children http://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-twice-many-schools-attacked-past-100-days-during-first-7-years-conflict http://www.icrc.org/en/humanitarian-crisis-ukraine http://www.wfp.org/stories/war-ukraine-wfp-renews-call-open-black-sea-ports-amid-fears-global-hunger http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/news/briefing/2022/6/6299c8f14/100-days-anguish-unhcr-focused-protection-shelter-ukrainians.html http://storyteller.iom.int/stories/scorched-dreams-100-days-war-ukraine http://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/statement/briefing-of-srsg-patten-about-ukraine-to-the-security-council-6-june-2022/   25 Apr. 2022 (OCHA)   The war in Ukraine, which began on 24 February, has caused death and suffering on a dramatic scale and left at least 15.7 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection.   By 21 April, at least 2,345 civilians had been killed, including 177 children, according to the latest estimates by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.   However, the actual death toll is likely to be much higher. In Mariupol alone, local authorities estimate that tens of thousands of people have been killed, while the recent revelations of mass graves in Bucha, Irpin and other areas surrounding Kyiv highlight the likelihood of many more deaths that have not been counted.   The war has seen the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area in urban settings, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes. The presence of landmines and unexploded explosive ordnance is also a major concern. Even before this war, eastern Ukraine was one of the most mine-contaminated regions in the world.   The conflict has caused the world’s fastest growing displacement crisis since World War II, with nearly 13 million people uprooted in less than two months. Over a quarter of Ukraine’s population have fled their homes, including more than 7.7 million people now estimated to be internally displaced and over 5.2 million people who have crossed borders to seek security and safety in other countries, most of them women and children.   Nearly two-thirds of the children in Ukraine have been displaced.   Massive devastation in urban centres, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, have made life unbearable for millions of people and severely disrupted critical services, especially healthcare.   In besieged areas, people have lived for weeks without access to food, water and heat, while under the constant threat of bombardment. More than half of all attacks against healthcare facilities in the world this year—119 out of 182 by 11 April—have occurred in Ukraine.   These attacks have decimated access to healthcare at a time when people need it most—women have been forced to deliver babies in basements, injured people have had no access to care and ill children have lost access to life-saving treatments.   Roughly 300 health facilities are in conflict areas and 1,000 health facilities are in areas that have changed control. Nearly 50 per cent of Ukraine’s pharmacies are presumed to be closed and many health workers are either displaced or unable to work.   Other civilian infrastructure has also been severely impacted: more than 869 educational facilities have been damaged and 88 destroyed, according to the Ministry of Education, although these figures are not verified.   Millions of people—including women and small children—have been left without access to safe water or sanitation, drastically heightening the risk of waterborne disease as well as dehydration. Due to attacks on water system infrastructure and power outages an estimated 1.4 million people in eastern Ukraine do not have access to water, and another 4.6 million people across the country have only limited access.   There are mounting allegations of sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls during the war. The threat of gender-based violence—including conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and human trafficking—has risen exponentially since the war began. Women from groups in vulnerable situations are being left behind and disproportionately affected by disruptions caused by war.   The armed conflict may prevent farmers from accessing their fields, harvesting, and marketing current crops, planting new crops, or sustaining livestock production. Between 20 and 30 per cent of areas under winter cereal, maize and sunflower production will remain unharvested in July/August, or not be planted this spring, according to the Government and FAO. About half of winter wheat and a third of rye due to be harvested in July–August 2022 are currently in war-affected areas. There are also concerns over damage to standing crops and risk of mines and unexploded ordnance impacting the ability to harvest in the period ahead.   The war has also devastated Ukraine’s economy. The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, has said that economic losses due to the ongoing military offensive may exceed $1 trillion, while some 53 per cent of employed Ukrainians have lost their jobs since the war began, according to a nation-wide survey conducted by the Rating Group in March.   http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-flash-appeal-march-august-2022 http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-millions-displaced-traumatised-and-urgently-need-help-say-experts http://reliefweb.int/country/ukr http://news.un.org/en/tags/ukraine   8 Apr. 2022   International NGO statement on the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure   We, the undersigned humanitarian organizations, are shocked and disturbed by the level of humanitarian needs and mass civilian deaths, casualties, and sexual violence against women and girls witnessed in different regions across Ukraine.   Targeting densely populated areas and collectively depriving civilians of their right to access basic needs, essential services, humanitarian assistance, protection, and safe evacuation - as well as targeting civilian objects such as hospitals, learning institutions and residential buildings are blatant violations of International Humanitarian Law.   As humanitarian organizations following the principles of neutrality, independence, and impartiality, we are seriously concerned about the ongoing hostilities and the international community's unsuccessful efforts at negotiating and securing a ceasefire. The cessation of hostilities is urgently needed to stop the killing of civilians and the suffering of people in Ukraine. We are closely monitoring the ongoing UN-led high-level negotiations and demand that they have a positive outcome on the humanitarian situation on the ground.   Nothing can justify the ongoing suffering of civilians, particularly children and women, older women and men, and people with disability in Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, Borodianka, Mariupol, and in other Ukrainian regions. All parties to the conflict must uphold their international obligations, including not targeting civilians and vital public infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and water and electricity supplies. All parties to the conflict must not tolerate in their ranks sexual violence. Such serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in armed conflicts could amount to war crimes.   "I will never forget the day I tried to get out of Irpin. I was outside when my neighbor's car was shelled. The father died, and the mother and her child were wounded. It is difficult to accept this and impossible to understand. I desperately want this war to come to an end," - Olha, a senior from Irpin, currently displaced in western Ukraine.   We call for a serious political agreement for the protection of civilians, including safe and voluntary passage to people who want to leave high-risk areas across Ukraine. At the same time their right to determine their destination of choice for evacuation must be respected in line with the Fourth Geneva Convention.   Parties to the conflict must urgently facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access allowing relief workers and volunteers to urgently deliver life-saving assistance and medical support to people in need. Under the IV Geneva Convention and the UN Security Council Resolution 2286, health personnel and health facilities, such as hospitals and other facilities that have been set up for medical purposes, must be respected and protected in all circumstances. Medical units may not be attacked and access to them may not be limited.   The international community, including the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, must take sterner measures to bring hostilities to an end, and reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights and conditions under which respect for the obligations from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained.   We add to and reiterate our demands from March 4, 2022:   An immediate cessation of hostilities and targeting of civilians, civilian objects and infrastructure;   All parties to the conflict must abide by International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Attacks targeting civilians and public infrastructure, including facilities that are indispensable for the survival of the civilians are prohibited under IHL. At no time should hostilities jeopardize the rights, well-being and safety of civilians or civilian objects such as schools, health centers, markets or farmlands, among others;   Safe and unhindered humanitarian access, including across conflict lines for humanitarian assistance to reach all those in need, particularly those in vulnerable situations, with respect to the independence and neutrality of humanitarian agencies and the protection of humanitarian personnel and volunteers;   All children have the right to enjoy provisions under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which urges all persons to consider the best interests of the child. During armed conflict, IHL provides general protection for children as persons not taking part in hostilities and special protection as particularly vulnerable persons. Protocol I, Article 77: "Children shall be the object of special respect and shall be protected against all forms of indecent assault. The parties to the conflict shall provide them with such care and assistance as they may require, whether on account of their age or for any other reason";   All parties must abide by their obligations under Security Council resolutions on Children and Armed Conflict, and prevent the killing and maiming, recruitment, use, sexual exploitation and sexual violence against girls, boys and adolescents who are at risk of suffering the six grave violations against children in conflict;   All parties to the conflict must recall the fundamental Principle of Distinction and the Safe Schools Declaration to ensure the protection of all children and facilities including schools, kindergartens and hospitals where children are present. The full range of duty bearers and armed actors must ensure that children and their caregivers remain safe, regardless of the prevailing circumstances;   The United Nations Security Council to uphold their mandate, ensure the protection of civilians and maintain international peace and security away from political disputes;   A serious political agreement for the protection of every civilian trapped in high-risk areas anywhere in Ukraine, including safe and voluntary passage to people who want to leave, humanitarian access, and protection. At the same time their right to determine their destination of choice for evacuation must be respected in line with the Fourth Geneva Convention;   Ensure full cooperation with the United Nations and the ICRC to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of safe and systematic passages enabling the swift passage of humanitarian cargos and convoys including the safe passage of all civilians and relief workers;   All countries to equally welcome all foreign nationals and stateless persons fleeing Ukraine regardless of their nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, country of origin, religious background, race or ethnicity;   All funds to alleviate the suffering, and for people affected by the conflict in Ukraine must be additional and flexible, or new funding streams adapted to local actors. They must not be diverted from other under-funded humanitarian crises taking place globally.   http://www.nrc.no/news/2022/april/ukraine-ingo-statement-on-the-targeting-of-civilians-and-civilian-infrastructure/ http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/story/ukraine-ngo-statement-targeting-civilians-and-civilian-infrastructure http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/joint-ingo-statement-humanitarian-protection-and-access-ukraine-enruuk http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/every-day-war-continues-children-will-continue-suffer http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/war-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children   * OCHA Humanitarian updates: http://bit.ly/3ClCh5g   22 Mar. 2022   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's remarks to press on the war in Ukraine:   One month ago, the Russian Federation launched a massive invasion of the sovereign territory of Ukraine in violation of the UN Charter.   It was done after months of building up a military force of overwhelming proportion along the Ukrainian border. Since then, we have seen appalling human suffering and destruction in cities, towns and villages. Systematic bombardments that terrorise civilians. The shelling of hospitals, schools, apartment buildings and shelters.   And all of it is intensifying -- getting more destructive and more unpredictable by the hour. Ten million Ukrainians have been forced from their homes and are on the move. But the war is going nowhere, fast. For more than two weeks, Mariupol has been encircled by the Russian army and relentlessly bombed, shelled and attacked. For what? Even if Mariupol falls, Ukraine cannot be conquered city by city, street by street, house by house. The only outcome to all this is more suffering, more destruction, and more horror as far as the eye can see.   The Ukrainian people are enduring a living hell – and the reverberations are being felt worldwide with skyrocketing food, energy and fertilizer prices threatening to spiral into a global hunger crisis.   Developing countries were already suffocating under the burden of COVID and lack of access to adequate financing. Now they are also paying a heavy price as a result of this war.   At the same time, we cannot lose hope. From my outreach with various actors, elements of diplomatic progress are coming into view on several key issues. There is enough on the table to cease hostilities – now … and seriously negotiate -- now.   This war is unwinnable. Sooner or later, it will have to move from the battlefield to the peace table. That is inevitable. The only question is: How many more lives must be lost? How many more bombs must fall? How many Mariupols must be destroyed? How many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed before everyone realizes that this war has no winners — only losers?   How many more people will have to die in Ukraine, and how many people around the world will have to face hunger for this to stop?   Continuing the war in Ukraine is morally unacceptable, politically indefensible and militarily nonsensical.   What I said from this podium almost one month ago should be even more evident today. By any measure – by even the shrewdest calculation -- it is time to stop the fighting now and give peace a chance. It is time to end this absurd war.   http://www.un.org/sg/en/node/262541 http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1114392 Visit the related web page
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