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	Unions call for wages to keep up with inflation as cost of living pressures undermine well being by Veronica Nilsson, Antara Haldar Project Syndicate, ITUC, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung   May 2023   In Britain the economist and commentator Grace Blakeley recently observed:   "The problem for the government is that working people have been subject to so much suffering over the last decade that many feel they have little left to lose. When you can barely heat your home and put food on the table, not demanding wage increases in line with inflation seems like a greater risk than doing so".   Much the same could be said of the mood of many workers worldwide, with the unprecedented rise in strike action for higher wages in response to the cost-of-living crisis. The current crisis is only the latest in a series since 2008. And working people are organising in unions because they don’t want to pay the price for another crisis caused by a greedy elite.   The latest, cost-of-living crisis was triggered by spikes in energy prices caused by sanctions against Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine—’triggered’ in the sense that inflation was subsequently driven by companies exploiting energy-related cost increases to add further price increases to boost their profits. That is not just a trade union view: it is expressed by the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, among others. Economists are now discussing the profit-price spiral and ‘greedflation’.   Before there was the Covid-19 crisis. Many workers were required to continue their ‘normal’ work in what had become a life-threatening context. When the lives of the public were at stake, the nurses, shop workers, lorry drivers and cleaners who provided key services were rightly acknowledged as essential—rather than the far more highly remunerated business managers and bankers lionised in the era of the ‘heroic CEO’. Job losses were stemmed but not stopped by government support for businesses and real wages declined.   The period before the pandemic was dominated by the austerity following the financial crisis. The cuts in the United Kingdom were savage—precipitating the slowest recovery in recorded British history—and the fiscal straitjacket imposed on Greece, Spain, Portugal and other countries by the European Union Stability and Growth Pact caused damage from which workers have not yet fully recovered. Greece in particular is still worse off than before the financial crisis.   Despite inflation being driven by profits, and the absence of evidence that wages are to blame, some politicians and economic bodies, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, are promoting regressive policies—such as supporting interest-rate increases, cautioning against wage rises and calling for more ‘flexible’ labour markets (which usually means more insecure work for less pay).   Restrictive fiscal policies are the last thing needed after a period of decline in the range and quality of public services in most countries. Education, childcare, long-term care and health services—and access to affordable housing—demand more expenditure, not less.   Moreover, public investment is urgently needed to save our planet from climate change and to abandon fossil fuels for clean, green energy. Investment is also required to equip working people with the skills for an era of digitalisation and artificial intelligence.   The OECD of all organisations should be alive to the dangers of the situation facing workers today. Set up after the end of World War II, it is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.   The OECD is credited with the Marshall plan for recovery and is closely associated with the postwar settlement, when ruling elites were terrified by the fear that workers supported Communism. The result was nationalised industries, the birth of welfare states and important elements of workers’ democracy, including widespread collective bargaining and ‘social dialogue’ (of which the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD is an example).   That postwar settlement began however to be dismantled in the 1980s—with privatisation, tax cuts for the rich, attacks on trade unions and collective bargaining, allied to cuts in public spending and an explosion in CEO salaries. And with austerity, the pandemic and now a cost-of-living crisis caused by excessive profits, things really have gone too far.   Even before the latest crisis, the social and political situation looked perilous. Certainly, decision-makers should show a lot more concern for those forced to live in poverty despite working long hours, spending a large portion of their income on basics such as childcare or unable to work because of lack of eldercare. But they should at minimum be concerned about the alarming growth of the far right and the threat it poses to democracy.   It takes little intelligence to grasp that the rise of populism has taken place against a backdrop of people feeling left behind: by globalisation, by delocalisation and outsourcing, by privatisation, by the decline of industry, public services, real wages and living standards—and by the parallel increase in inequality.   A fresh round of austerity to tackle inflation could be the last straw. What is needed instead is a new social settlement—a clear commitment to invest in a socially-just transition to a carbon-neutral future, and in public services, social protection and jobs, while promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining.   That is what the OECD should be leading on in its 75th-anniversary year—along with every government and international organisation that cares about the future for working people and democracy.   * Veronica Nilsson is acting general secretary of the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.   http://www.ituc-csi.org/may-day-2023 http://www.ituc-csi.org/financing-universal-social-protection http://policydialogue.org/publications/working-papers/end-austerity-a-global-report-on-budget-cuts-and-harmful-social-reforms-in-2022-25/   May 2023   The lethal price of sweatshop development, by Antara Haldar. (Project Syndicate, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung)   It has been 10 years since an eight-story commercial building, housing several textile factories on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed on 24 April 2013. The collapse of Rana Plaza claimed the lives of 1,134 people and severely injured 2,000 more, most of them women.   It was the deadliest industrial disaster since the 1984 gas leak that killed more than 3,000 people in Bhopal, India, and the worst accident in the modern history of the textile industry.   Thousands of workers were trapped beneath the rubble for several days, with many succumbing to hunger and dehydration while others resorted to drinking their own urine to survive.   The deaths were predictable and preventable. The building was constructed atop a filled-in pond using substandard materials, rendering it unable to support the weight of heavy machinery. The upper four floors were added illegally, further exacerbating its structural issues. Cracks in the building’s walls were seen in the days before the collapse, leading to the evacuation of some floors.   But the building’s owner, Sohel Rana, insisted on business as usual. Under pressure from buyers to meet delivery targets, Rana threatened to withhold workers’ wages (roughly $38 per month) if they failed to report to work. For those who did, his building proved to be a death trap, collapsing in under 90 seconds.   It is tempting to dismiss the Rana Plaza disaster as just another example of the challenges, including corrupt governments and unregulated businesses, facing the developing world. But developed Western countries were just as complicit. The wreckage was littered with the labels of some of the world’s top retailers and fashion brands. Benetton, Monsoon, Mango, Walmart and Primark were among the 29 large retailers identified as having sourced inventory from the building’s garment factories.   The fact is that sweatshops like Rana Plaza would not exist if the dynamics of international trade did not fuel a desperate race to the bottom as developing countries compete for foreign direct investment from multinational corporations. In Bangladesh, the lack of regulation has enabled low wages and exploitative working conditions that are comparable to modern slavery.   The organisation of global supply chains, which employ more than 450 million people worldwide, both perpetuates this exploitation and helps to obscure its nature. By outsourcing jobs to developing countries, multinational firms can evade international labour standards and deprive workers of the rights and benefits accorded to direct employees. But this sleight of hand is not limited to the developing world.   Exploitation is also rampant in the US garment industry, with workers in Los Angeles being paid as little as $1.58 an hour. Even in the tech industry, workers are subjected to precarious working conditions and exploitative wages, as evidenced by conditions in Amazon fulfilment centres.   Although the Rana Plaza disaster drew widespread condemnation and moral outrage, even from Pope Francis, little has been done in the past 10 years to address the underlying issues that led to the collapse and its devastating human toll.   For example, while the legally binding 2013 Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh was renewed in 2018 and has more than 200 signatories, several major companies, including Levi Strauss, Gap, Walmart and Amazon, refused to get on board. Instead, they opted for the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a legally nonbinding corporate alternative that ended in 2018.   While the Rana Plaza Arrangement – a fund set up by the International Labour Organization and multiple donors, NGOs, the Bangladeshi government, trade unions and clothing brands – provided compensation for the survivors and victims’ families, it was akin to putting a band-aid on a gangrenous wound.   Despite some symbolic gestures of corporate social responsibility, workers in Bangladesh continue to face inadequate wages, unsafe working conditions and unfair termination. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic may have left most even worse off, as brands currently pay lower prices for the same products.   The story of Rana Plaza is not an isolated event but a microcosm of the abuse and exploitation endemic to globalised capitalism. Countries in the Global South are expected to overcome the legacy of colonialism and make up centuries of economic development in just a few decades. Many are attempting to do just that. Bangladesh, for example, has grown dramatically since gaining independence in 1971, largely owing to its position as the world’s second-largest garment exporter.   But the calculus of capitalism prioritises aggregates and national economic performance over the equitable distribution of gains among and within countries. Markets can provide no redress for employers’ disproportionate appropriation of earnings at the expense of their workers. To achieve a fairer distribution of wealth and resources, Adam Smith’s invisible hand must be restrained through regulation and redistributive policies.   The power imbalance between developed and developing countries renders the theoretical foundations of the global capitalist paradigm as shaky as a sweatshop built on landfill. And, like Rana Plaza in its fateful last days, the cracks are starting to show, with rising inequality and looming climate threats undermining the system’s fragile structure.   * Antara Haldar, is Associate Professor of Empirical Legal Studies at the University of Cambridge, and a visiting faculty member at Harvard University.   © Project Syndicate   * Bangladesh: Economic growth cannot justify keeping workers in poverty, says UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter: http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/05/bangladesh-economic-growth-cannot-justify-keeping-workers-poverty-says-un   May Day - Education unions call on governments to Go Public! Fund Education   To mark May Day, Education International, the global voice of the teaching profession, is calling on governments everywhere to fully fund public education systems, and guarantee labour rights and good working conditions for teachers and education support personnel. Well-resourced, inclusive, and equitable quality public education systems are a prerequisite for advancing human rights, equity and equality, peace, democracy, social and climate justice.   The global teacher shortage is threatening the right to education around the world. Widespread policies driving uncompetitive pay, unsustainable workloads, and growing precarity make it impossible to recruit and retain the teachers the world needs.   This crisis has been years in the making. Despite the warning issued by UNESCO in 2016 that 69 million new teachers were required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education for all, governments failed to act.   The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the failure of chronically underfunding essential public services, including education. In the wake of the pandemic, educators everywhere must now help their students heal and make up for lost time with even fewer resources than before.   Despite professing their support for public education, too many governments have in fact cut education budgets. Education financing has fallen in 65% of low- and middle-income countries and in 33% of upper-middle and high-income countries since the start of the pandemic.   The teaching profession has reached breaking point. Experienced educators are leaving the profession they love, fewer candidates aspire to replace them, and the global teacher shortage is reaching alarming proportions. This shortage denies students their right to learn, it denies them the bright futures they deserve.   To address the global teacher shortage, governments must make education a real priority and give their public education systems the resources needed to have a well-supported, well-trained workforce that has the time, tools, and trust to carry out their profession.   Education unions everywhere are rallying around the Go Public! Fund Education campaign launched by Education International.   “We want to go public about the fact that this crisis needs to be addressed without delay because this is an existential, pivotal moment for the future of our planet. We are mobilising at the local, national, regional, and global level so that all governments commit to increase funding for public education. We want to make sure we have the working conditions we need to teach, and our students have the environment they need to learn. A more just, inclusive, democratic, and sustainable future is impossible without a clear and meaningful commitment to education,” said David Edwards, Education International General Secretary.   As we celebrate May Day, we reaffirm our determination and commitment to social justice, peace, and democracy. Educators stand together, one union, one voice, to Go Public and Fund Education. We also stand in solidarity with the global union movement, our union brothers and sisters, in our common fight for workers’ rights and a just and sustainable future for all.   http://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/27547:may-day-2023-education-unions-call-on-governments-to-go-public-fund-education http://www.ei-ie.org/en/dossier/1296:students-before-profit http://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/27721:social-justice-without-quality-public-education-and-teachers http://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/28001:united-nations-high-level-panel-forwards-urgent-solutions-to-address-the-global-shortage-of-teachers http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/no-human-right-education-without-teachers-un-expert Visit the related web page
	War is devastating lives around the world by United Nations news, OCHA, agencies   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ remarks to the United Nations Security Council’s open debate on “Protection of civilians in armed conflict”:   Less than six weeks have passed since war erupted in Sudan. In that time: Hundreds of civilians have been killed — including members of the United Nations family; 250,000 people have fled the country; hospitals have been occupied and attacked; the price of goods is reported to have quadrupled in parts of the country; and aid warehouses have been looted on a massive scale. Terrible as this picture is, it is far from unique.   My report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict in 2022 shows that war is devastating lives around the world.   Explosive weapons continue to wreak havoc, especially in the cities: Last year, 94 per cent of their victims in populated areas were civilians.   Those able to flee the fighting did so in record numbers: The total number forced from their homes due to conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution reached 100 million refugees.   Health facilities and schools were devastated, and their workers injured, kidnapped and killed. At least 2000 schools were destroyed in three regions of Ethiopia alone.   Humanitarians also faced regular threats. Their work was hampered by violence, bureaucracy and politics, and obstructed by overly broad sanctions and counter-terrorism measur   In Afghanistan, the ban by the de facto authorities on women working in the humanitarian aid sector is having life-threatening consequences for women and girls.   War means hunger. Armed conflict is a key factor driving food insecurity around the world. Last year, more than 117 million people faced acute hunger primarily because of war and insecurity. This is an outrage.   Damage to critical infrastructure hampers food production, blocks distribution and deprives people of safe water: Syria now has 40 per cent less drinking water than at the start of the conflict. Fighters destroy crops and steal livestock; explosives contaminate fertile land; markets cannot function; and prices rocket.   Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has contributed to the rise in the price of food, energy and fertilizer globally, with terrible effects for the world’s poorest.   And when conflict combines with the climate crisis, harvests shrink and people go hungry. I saw this for myself during my recent visit to Somalia. After years of war, Somalis have been going through their worst drought in decades.   An estimated 43,000 people died as a result in 2022 alone, half of them children, and millions have been forced from their homes.   There has been a few actions over the past year to alleviate the impact of conflict on civilians. Some parties to conflicts have taken steps to protect children, allow humanitarians to gain access to those in need, and more.   The Black Sea Grain Initiative and the memorandum of understanding to promote Russian food and fertilizer to global markets (somewhat) helped to stabilize markets, bring down prices and ease the food crisis.   Ukraine has been able to export over 30 million metric tons of food. That includes lifesaving grain transported by the World Food Programme to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen. We hope that exports of food and fertilizers, including ammonia, from the Russian Federation and Ukraine will be able to reach global supply chains safely and predictably.   Last November, States adopted a political declaration to protect civilians by restricting or refraining from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. I urge all states to join and turn the declaration into meaningful action.   And in December, the Security Council adopted resolution 2664 (2022), which aims to prevent United Nations sanctions from harming civilians and obstructing humanitarian action. I urge all States to implement it and to exclude humanitarian and medical activities from their own counter-terrorism and sanctions measures.   These modest steps are welcome. But the terrible truth is that the world is failing to live up to its commitments to protect civilians; commitments enshrined in international humanitarian law.   The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols are the cornerstone of that legal framework. And I pay tribute to the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the guardian of those treaties: You meet danger and brutality with bravery, compassion and humanity, and you will always have my full support.   ICRC’s role is unique. It has a mandate to respond, and that mandate must be respected: by every Government, every armed group and every fighter.   We must never lose sight of the meaning and purpose of international humanitarian law: It is the difference between life and death; between restraint and anarchy; between losing ourselves in horror and retaining our humanity.   But law overlooked is law undermined. We need action and accountability to ensure it is respected. That depends on political will. Peace is the best form of protection.   We must intensify our efforts to prevent conflict, protect civilians, preserve peace and find political solutions to war.   Where war continues, all countries must comply with international humanitarian law and members of this Council have a particular responsibility. Governments should incorporate international humanitarian law into national laws and military rules and training.   Humanitarians must be assured safe access. Attacks against them must cease. And their work must be facilitated, including by removing deadly bureaucratic barriers. It is unconscionable that vital aid languishes in ports and warehouses while people die.   The Security Council has a special role to play in urging States to respect the rules of war. Governments with influence over warring parties should engage in political dialogue and train forces on protecting civilians. And countries that export weapons should refuse to do business with any party that fails to comply with international humanitarian law.   Those who commit war crimes must be held to account. States must investigate alleged war crimes, prosecute perpetrators and enhance other States’ capacity to do so.   And we must do everything in our power to break the deadly cycle of armed conflict and hunger:   Addressing the underlying causes of hunger by strengthening vulnerable countries’ economies; honouring commitments to support countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis; and increasing contributions to humanitarian operations, which are — shamefully — just 15 per cent funded.   Civilians have suffered the deadly effects of armed conflict for too long. It is time we live up to our promise to protect them.   http://press.un.org/en/2023/sgsm21805.doc.htm http://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15702.doc.htm http://dppa.un.org/en/peace-and-security-news   June 2023   UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, remarks to the UN Security Council on Ukraine, 6 June 2023.   We have all seen the terrifying pictures of the catastrophe unfolding in Kherson in Ukraine as we speak. The destruction of the Kakhovka dam is possibly the most significant incident of damage to civilian infrastructure since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.   The sheer magnitude of the catastrophe will only become fully realised in the coming days, but it is already clear that it will have grave and far-reaching consequences for many thousands of people in southern Ukraine – on both sides of the front line – through the loss of homes, food, safe water and livelihoods.   The Kakhovka Reservoir, which is formed by the Dam, is a lifeline in the region and a critical water source for millions of people, not only in Kherson but also Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro oblasts.   Ukrainian authorities report that at least 40 settlements are already flooded or partially flooded in Kherson oblast. This number is expected to rise in the coming days. Severe impact is also expected in areas controlled by the Russian Federation where humanitarians, my colleagues, are still struggling to gain access.   An emergency response is under way to provide urgent assistance to over 16,000 affected people. These efforts are in addition to the Ukrainian Government’s response.   When I last briefed this Council on the situation in Ukraine just three weeks ago, I highlighted the civilian death and suffering being caused by the conflict on both sides of the front line. I mentioned then the loss of healthcare, water, electricity and heating for thousands of people. And the massive numbers of those forcibly displacement.   Today’s news means the plight of people in Ukraine is set to get even worse than the pictures that we saw then. Immediate humanitarian needs are expected to grow as floodwaters move over the coming days, and as assessments of the situation and the response continue.   The dam is a key source of agricultural irrigation in southern Kherson and the Crimean peninsula. The sustained flooding displayed on our screens today will disrupt farming activities, damage livestock and fisheries, and bring widespread longer-term consequences. This is a massive blow to a food production sector which is already significantly damaged.   We are particularly concerned about the risks of mine and explosive ordnance contamination, as fast-moving water shifts projectiles to areas previously assessed as safe, thus putting people in further and unpredictable danger. At least 30 per cent of Ukraine’s territory is mine-contaminated, according to the Ukrainian authorities, with Khersonska oblast being the most affected.   The destruction of the dam may also negatively affect electricity generation. Additionally, any uncontrolled decrease in the water level of the Reservoir may negatively affect the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Our colleagues at the IAEA are closely monitoring the situation. And as of this time no immediate threat has been reported.   The United Nations has no access to independent information on the circumstances that led to the destruction in the hydroelectric power plant dam. Yet, international humanitarian law is very clear: Installations containing dangerous forces, such as dams, must receive special protection precisely because their destruction can cause severe loss for the civilian population. Constant care must be taken thus to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure throughout all types of military operations.   The damage caused by the dam’s destruction means that life will become intolerably harder for those already suffering from the conflict.   The consequences of not being able to deliver assistance to the millions of people affected by the flooding in these areas are potentially catastrophic.   The people of Ukraine have shown incredible resilience. Our urgent humanitarian task is to continue to help them to survive and to be safe and then to get a future. We will do so to the best of our ability.   Kakhovka Reservoir, which was formed by the Kakhovka Dam and stretches 240 kilometres through Zaporizka, Dnipropetrovska and Khersonska oblasts, is one of the largest water sources in the south of the country. It provides water supply, including drinking water, to major industrial cities, home to nearly 700,000 people.   The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam has also reportedly destroyed the irrigation system and the water supply across southern Ukraine, including Crimea, according to Ukrainian authorities. It impacted areas largely consist of agricultural lands, which has led to the disruption of agricultural activities in the midst of the season and will bear longer-term consequences.   The destruction of the dam on Tuesday has put thousands of lives at risk, said IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino, causing “severe environmental damage and led to further serious strain on response services in a country already dealing with the humanitarian fallout of more than a year of war”.   He said public infrastructure “should never be a target. Yet now, innocent civilians are not only living in a deadly flood zone but are set to face major shortages of clean water and critical energy supplies over the coming weeks, as the humanitarian situation worsens”.   UN Secretary-General António Guterres, told reporters the tragedy “was yet another example of the horrific price of war on people. The floodgates of suffering have been overflowing for more than a year, and that must stop”, along with all attacks on civilians and infrastructure. “Above all, I appeal for a just peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and the resolutions of the General Assembly”.   http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-martin-griffiths-remarks-un-security-council-ukraine-6-june-2023 http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/ http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/06/1137372 http://dppa.un.org/en/msg-sc-9357-ukraine-23-jun-23 http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1137172 http://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-thousands-children-lack-safe-drinking-water-kakhovka-dam-crisis-unravels   15 May 2023   Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths’ remarks to the UN Security Council on Ukraine.   When I last spoke to the Council about the situation in Ukraine in March, I highlighted the humanitarian impact of the full-scale war not only on the people of Ukraine, but on the wider world already struggling with myriad shocks. In that context, I emphasized the overwhelming need for a political solution to the war on Ukraine, and peace.   I note with regret, therefore, that hostilities, including missile strikes, currently appear to be escalating on both sides of the front line. Air raid sirens continue to ring out in cities and towns across Ukraine. Civilians continue to seek protection in bunkers, some for days on end. And as Ukraine emerges from a hard winter, civilian casualties are rising to their highest levels in months.   OHCHR has now verified a staggering 23,600 civilian casualties since 24 February 2022; we all know the actual toll is likely to be much higher.   The humanitarian impacts are extensive. Many communities along the north-eastern border with the Russian Federation and near the front line are encircled, cut off from water, food and medical care by heavy ground fighting and blocked roads.   Only last week in Kherson, residential buildings, a school, an outpatient hospital, and an elderly care facility were reportedly damaged, leaving scores of civilians needing shelter and healthcare. And missile strikes in Odesa hit a humanitarian storage warehouse.   A Ukrainian Red Cross mobile hospital in Mykolaiv was also hit. Humanitarian supplies and vital medical equipment were destroyed.   Fortunately, no humanitarian staff or volunteers were injured. But the threat to humanitarians and civilians represented by the latest wave of attacks is persistent.   I am compelled, once again, to recall here to this Council, that under international humanitarian law parties must take constant care to protect all civilians and civilian objects, including homes, schools, hospitals, and other essential infrastructure, as well as humanitarian facilities and assets.   As you can understand, the humanitarian operating environment remains complex and dangerous. Nonetheless, thanks to the sheer bravery of humanitarian workers, particularly local workers, we continue to deliver life-saving assistance to front line areas and elsewhere across Ukraine. But there are still numerous limitations on our ability to deliver aid to all those in need.   The biggest challenge remains the impediments to reaching all areas in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia currently under the military control of the Russian Federation. The humanitarian notification system – together with direct engagement with key interlocutors in Moscow and Kyiv – was set up to maximize the opportunity for safe and unimpeded passage of inter-agency convoys to these areas.   However, despite 14 months of notifying the parties of our intentions through this system, we have not been able to deliver assistance to communities along the front line in areas under the military control of the Russian Federation.   Access options to these areas, including response modalities, continue to be explored through engagement with both parties. It is imperative that we explore all options to reach civilians, wherever they are.   As I have said before, under international humanitarian law, all parties must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need and must ensure that personnel have the freedom of movement required for their work. I urge the parties to strengthen facilitation efforts so we can reach all civilians in need.   It is clear that the people of Ukraine and millions around the world can ill afford a continuation of this war.   More than ever, they need an end to hostilities and a political solution to end the conflict. I call on this Council and all Member States to support all efforts to bring an end to the carnage and destruction.   23 Feb. 2023   The UN General Assembly on Thursday called for ending the war in Ukraine and demanded Russia’s immediate withdrawal from the country, in line with the UN Charter.   At its eleventh emergency special session, the world body adopted a new resolution calling for an end to the war, only hours before the conflict enters its second year on Friday.   The results were 141 Member States in favour and seven against - Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria. Among the 32 abstentions were China, India and Pakistan.   By the terms of the resolution, the Assembly reiterated its demand that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine and called for a cessation of hostilities”.   Address war’s global impact   The Assembly, through the resolution, urged Member States to cooperate in the spirit of solidarity to address the global impacts of the war on food security, energy, finance, the environment and nuclear security and safety.   Underscoring that arrangements for a lasting peace should consider these factors, the Assembly also called upon all nations to support the Secretary-General in his efforts to address these impacts.   The resumed session had met on Wednesday to begin debating the resolution, with the General Assembly President, Csaba Korosi, saying that for a full year, the 193-member Assembly, the Secretary-General, and the international community “have been consistent and vocal in our calls to end this war, and to adhere to the UN Charter and international law”.   Justice for all victims   The Assembly also reaffirmed its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.   The resolution also emphasized the need to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Ukraine through independent national or international investigations and prosecutions to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133847 http://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2023-02-22/secretary-generals-remarks-the-general-assembly-emergency-special-session-ukraine-bilingual-delivered-scroll-down-for-all-english-and-all-french http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-18-million-need-support-war-enters-second-year http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/who-records-1000th-attack-health-care-ukraine-over-past-15-months-full-scale-war-enuk http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-156-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine   Feb. 2023 (OCHA, UNHCR)   Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by Russian forces, the lives of countless women, men, and children have been torn apart and so many have needlessly died.   The common thread running throughout the year has tragically been one of destruction, displacement, and suffering from continuous shelling and air strikes.   Millions were forced to leave Ukraine and become refugees, and millions more have been displaced within the country.   Almost a year since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UN issued a renewed humanitarian appeal to help millions of people affected inside the war-torn country and beyond.   The situation for many in Ukraine remains desperate, amid “relentless” shelling of civilian targets and infrastructure, the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, told journalists in Geneva.   Humanitarian funding is needed to continue supporting lifesaving aid convoy deliveries to communities on the front line, “into areas of great danger and difficulty and priority needs”.   He highlighted how for example on Tuesday UN country team staff had travelled from Dnipro in six pre-loaded trucks to the eastern Donetsk region, some 200 kilometres away, to provide aid for two villages caught up in “the worst of those war zones… people under daily shelling, daily attacks, homes bombed, freezing cold, electricity problems”.   To continue doing this lifesaving work, the OCHA chief appealed for $3.9 billion to help 11.1 million of the 18 million people who need humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine. Officially called the Humanitarian Response Plan for Ukraine, it brings together more than 650 partners, the majority of them Ukrainian organizations.   In parallel with the OCHA appeal, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is also seeking $1.7 billion to help 4.2 Ukrainian refugees in 10 host countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Women and children represent approximately 86 per cent of the overall refugee population.   UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi warned against complacency about what is happening in Ukraine. “I think we’re becoming a little bit used to this; we shouldn’t, because it’s quite appalling what the Russian invasion is doing to the country,” he said.   Describing a recent official visit to Ukraine, the UNHCR chief said that in the year since Russian battlegroups crossed the border 24 February 2022, civilian infrastructure in Ukraine had continued to come under constant attack, leaving nurseries “flattened and old people living in cellars because of the danger of bombing”.   Inside Ukraine, the UN migration agency, IOM, said that the scale of destruction in the south and east has been massive - so much so, that one senior UN humanitarian worker with the agency told UN News in an interview, that some towns “don’t even exist anymore”.   IOM Area Manager Johannes Fromholt said in frontline locations the conflict is actually getting worse, with increased fighting on a day-to-day basis”. “So, people simply have to stay down in basements, in shelters with no electricity in freezing conditions.”   The devastation and destruction as result of the conflict has been staggering, with some 40 per cent of Ukraine’s population in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.   “Almost a year on, the war continues to cause death, destruction and displacement daily, and on a staggering scale,” said Martin Griffiths.   “We continue to prioritize assistance to people who need it most and to support local authorities and civil-society organizations, whose dedication has been inspiring,” he added. “We must do all we can to reach communities, including those close to the front line. The suffering of the Ukrainian people is far from over – they continue to need our support.”   Systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure throughout the war has contributed to displacement and humanitarian needs. In October 2022, attacks targeting energy infrastructure intensified, often in and around urban areas, disrupting public services including water, electricity, health care, education, and social protection. Additionally, according to the Government of Ukraine, 2,917 education facilities have been bombed or shelled during the war, with damage or destruction to 580 such facilities documented by OHCHR.   Between 24 February and 19 December 2022, there were 745 verified attacks on health care, of which 659 impacted health-care facilities, constituting over 90 per cent of all such attacks recorded by WHO across 16 countries/territories during this period.   The war has profoundly affected access to livelihoods and disrupted market stability particularly in southern and eastern oblasts, further aggravating humanitarian suffering. A majority of Ukrainians have reportedly reduced food consumption and spent savings, with factors such as the elimination of 30 per cent of Ukraine’s pre-war employment, skyrocketing inflation, and inadequate social assistance largely to blame.   Food and necessary items are still available in most areas under the control of the Government of Ukraine but are difficult for many people to afford without cash, voucher, or livelihood assistance, and are much more difficult to obtain in areas experiencing constant bombardment.   http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-humanitarian-response-plan-february-2023-enuk http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-summary-humanitarian-response-plan-and-regional-refugee-response-plan-february-2023 http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-situation-report-10-feb-2023-enruuk http://response.reliefweb.int/ukraine http://response.reliefweb.int/ukraine/reports http://news.un.org/en/tags/ukraine http://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/war-ukraine-pushes-generation-children-brink-warns-unicef http://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-children-dire-need-war-plunges-nearly-half-families-extreme-poverty http://www.savethechildren.net/news/over-900-hours-underground-children-ukraine-endure-life-bunkers-war-enters-second-year   http://www.nrc.no/news/2023/february/ukraine-refugee-survey/ukraine-ingo-statement/ http://unocha.exposure.co/7-reasons-why-the-world-must-keep-supporting-ukraine http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/02/turk-deplores-human-cost-russias-war-against-ukraine-verified-civilian http://bit.ly/3KKisu3 http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/news/press/2023/1/63d3c3324.html http://www.wfp.org/stories/war-ukraine-how-humanitarian-tragedy-fed-global-hunger-crisis http://www.acaps.org/country/ukraine/crisis/conflict http://www.acaps.org/country/ukraine/special-reports http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-and-impacted-countries-crisis-emergency-appeal-ndeg-mgr65002-operation-update-report-ndeg-6 Visit the related web page
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