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	More than 140 countries call for an immediate end to war in Ukraine by United Nations news, agencies   21 Oct. 2024   Russia’s relentless systematic attacks in Ukraine have continued to bring immense suffering to the people and put global food security at risk, a senior UN official told the UN Security Council on Monday.   Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca, whose portfolio straddles both Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, voiced concern over attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches.   Mr. Jenca said at least 208 Ukrainian civilians were killed and 1,220 injured in September, making it the month with the highest number of civilian casualties this year.   Overall, 11,973 civilians have been killed, including 622 children, since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR. During this time, nearly 26,000 people have been injured, including 1,686 children.   Civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure are reported daily in Ukraine, with the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Sumy regions bearing the brunt, he said.   The latest attacks took place that morning and over the weekend, resulting in several casualties in Zaporizhzhia and Kryviy Rih. Ongoing hostilities have also led authorities in the Kharkiv region to further expand mandatory evacuations to some 7,000 people.   While the worst impact of the war continues to be felt in frontline communities in eastern and southern Ukraine, “death and destruction is also a daily occurrence away from the areas of active fighting,” he said.   This includes residential areas of the capital, Kyiv, which was again targeted with drones that same morning and over the weekend. He noted that Kyiv was reportedly attacked by over 130 drones on 16 October. The western city of Lviv as well as Odesa in the south have also been repeatedly hit, resulting in multiple civilian casualties.   “We are also concerned about the impact of continuing fighting across the Russian-Ukrainian border, particularly in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, following Ukraine’s August incursion,” he said.   Russia has also resumed attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports in recent weeks. Since 1 September, six vessels as well as grain infrastructure in the ports have been damaged, according to local authorities.   This led to wheat prices increasing more than six per cent between 1 September and 14 October, while prices of risk insurance for Ukrainian exporters have surged, affecting the agricultural sector.   Mr. Jenca reminded ambassadors that the safety and sustainability of agricultural exports passing through the Black Sea remain critical for global food security.   In this regard, the UN continues engagement with Ukraine, Russia and Turkiye, as well as other stakeholders, in support of freedom and safety of navigation through this crucial channel.   Continuing, he said that “systematic Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have become one of the defining, abhorrent hallmarks of this war."   The large-scale destruction and interruption of power and water supplies throughout the country will likely worsen the living conditions for millions of Ukrainians through a third winter of war.   “Vulnerable groups - including older persons, people with disabilities, and the internally displaced - are likely to be disproportionately affected. Many may soon find themselves trapped in their homes without heating and other essential utilities,” he warned.   These conditions are also expected to magnify the already dire humanitarian situation in Ukraine, where some 7.2 million people received humanitarian aid during the first eight months of this year.   He expressed deep concern over the 1.5 million people who the UN has been unable to properly reach in parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions, currently occupied by Russia.   “We renew our call for the safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief to all civilians in need, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law,” he said, before urging donors to step up support for the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan which is just over half funded.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156636 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155961   Oct. 2024   The UN’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine has only been in post for three months but after talking to many civilians caught up in the fighting near the frontline – and in cities living under constant threat of deadly drone strikes – he told UN News that the “determination to survive and rebuild” is palpable everywhere.   Matthias Schmale spoke to chief of the UN News Russian unit Nargiz Shekinskaya saying that one big priority for the extensive UN aid operation which is designed to help the Ukrainian Government reach 1.8 million most in need, is to keep people warm through another bitter winter, despite losing more than half of their energy production infrastructure.   Russia is continuing to try and push its forces forward as the full-scale invasion continues: “I don’t like the term, but we use it a lot and that’s the resilience of Ukraine’s citizens. It’s remarkable how people continue to cope,” he said.   He describes conversations with civilians living in fear in the southern city of Kherson, under constant shelling, where drones are clearly being directed to attack civilians and buildings far from the frontline.   “Sometimes the drones don't strike, but just follow them around, because you can hear the sound – the trauma of being followed by a drone and not knowing whether it is close.”   UN News: Ukrainian officials report that all thermal power plants and almost all hydroelectric capacity in Ukraine is gone. What are the consequences for civilians?   Matthias Schmale: My understanding is that we have 60 per cent of Ukraine's own energy production capacity partially or completely destroyed. It's getting quite cold. A big priority, a big impact of the destroyed energy capacity is that people don't have access to heating. So very clearly the impact of the energy destruction is severe on civilians.   Our colleagues in human rights, the Office of the Commissioner (OHCHR), recently published a report where they demonstrated that the hits on the energy sector have direct consequences for civilians. I mentioned already earlier that we are trying to assist the government in reaching 1.8 million people, so we see 1.8 million people that are particularly vulnerable. There's over 3 million internally displaced people in Ukraine. And amongst those, they are the ones that are particularly vulnerable in collective shelters.   UN News: What are some other major concerns and challenges today, like healthcare or education? I know it's too much to mention everything, but still the major concerns.   Matthias Schmale: I would start actually with education, with the millions of children whose education has been interrupted. And during my travels around the country, many of education officials and our own colleagues from UNICEF and UNESCO have pointed out, that for younger children, not being in school and not having access to education is now almost six years, because of COVID.   Colleagues from across the UN system are trying to help. We're also trying to help with safe spaces in schools where they are open. And the one particularly fascinating experience for me was going to Kharkiv, where six schools are now functioning in underground metro stations - some 5,000 to 6,000 children, I think, in Kharkiv the schools are actually underground.   There is a lot of healthcare infrastructure that was destroyed. My WHO colleague has mentioned the number – over a thousand health centres and hospitals that have been hit either completely or partially destroyed.   Our colleagues also recently published a report that shows the impact of damage in the energy sector on primary health centres. It's not just individuals and families that need to have energy and water. When you take in the places where they live, but it's also public service institutions that need to have access to energy. So, a concern is how to keep primary health care going and to help rebuild the health sector.   Then another issue I would like to mention is that Ukraine is now one of, if not the most heavily mined country in the world. And so, this is a big issue.   UN News: You've taken office just three months ago, but already you have visited many frontline towns. What is life like there and how do people manage to cope?   Matthias Schmale: I don't like the term, but we use it a lot and that’s the resilience of Ukraine's citizens. It's remarkable how people continue to cope. I've been to quite a few conflict zones around the world. And usually, the sense is we have to wait, and the fighting and the war is over before we seriously get into recovery and rebuilding lives and infrastructure. Whereas here in Ukraine, I am really impressed by the determination of citizens and the government to start repairing and rebuilding as soon as opportunities arise.   Now, of course, I think it would be a mistake if I just painted a rosy picture around resilience. I also, of course, seen some very desperate people and situations. I'm not trying to paint a rosy picture. I'm trying to pay tribute to the people and their determination to survive and rebuild.   I was particularly concerned earlier this week when I visited Kherson in the south, which was the capital city of a region, under constant shelling. So it is in the middle of an active war zone. And there in recent weeks, the armed forces of the Russian Federation have also added drone attacks, and drone attacks, are of course, precise. And it clearly shows on the footage and in images that actually suggest that there are deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.   People in Kherson told me that sometimes the drones don't strike, but just follow them around, because you can hear the sound. The trauma of being followed by a drone and not knowing whether it is close is very unsettling.   26 Aug. 2024   “It is crucial to keep attention on the human rights situation in Ukraine”, says Danielle Bell the Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.   The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation is well into its third year. How would you describe the human rights situation in Ukraine?   The invasion is having an immense impact on the Ukrainian people. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and more than 20,000 injured. Relentless attacks continue to destroy homes, hospitals, schools, and infrastructure. Entire neighbourhoods and villages have been destroyed. A major children’s hospital in Kyiv was recently attacked. Millions have been forced to flee, separating families. Summary executions, torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and sexual violence have occurred with impunity.   In the Russian Federation, the conflict has also affected increasing numbers of Russian civilians, and there has been destruction and damage of civilian infrastructure. It’s easy to become numb to the scale of these figures, but our public reports are not just statistics. Every single figure we report has a human story behind it, often with dreadful suffering.   What recent trends in violations have you observed?   We have been seeing an alarming increase in civilian casualties since March this year, with July being the deadliest month for Ukraine’s civilians since October 2022. This surge is due to coordinated attacks launched by the Russian armed forces across Ukraine, including air strikes on a hospital complex in Kyiv, and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, which are causing the most harm in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine. Also, large-scale attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have drastically reduced the country’s electricity capacity, leading to daily power cuts for millions of people across Ukraine.   These outages, often lasting many hours, limit access to water, mobile networks and internet, and public transportation, and disrupt children’s ability to study, as many in Ukraine attend school remotely. Those who will be most impacted are the vulnerable groups. And in the Russian Federation, the conflict has recently led to large numbers of civilians displaced from their homes.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155961 http://news.un.org/en/tags/ukraine http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/ukraine-quarterly-humanitarian-access-update-q3-2024   22 Aug. 2024   Military activity in the vicinity of nuclear power plants is a serious risk to nuclear safety and security. (IAEA)   The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed by the Russian Federation today that the remains of a drone were found within the territory of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.   The drone fragments were reported to have been located roughly 100 metres from the plant’s spent fuel nuclear storage facility. The IAEA was informed that the drone was suppressed in the early morning of 22 August.   IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed his intention to personally assess the situation at the site during his visit next week.   “Military activity in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant is a serious risk to nuclear safety and security. My visit to KNPP next week will provide us with timely access to independently assess the situation,” Director General Grossi said.   17 Aug. 2024   The nuclear safety situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is deteriorating following a drone strike that hit the road around the plant site perimeter today, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.   “Yet again we see an escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides and for strict observance of the five concrete principles established for the protection of the plant,” said Director General Grossi.   Earlier today, the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) team was informed by ZNPP that an explosive carried by a drone detonated just outside of the plant’s protected area.   The team immediately visited the area and reported that the damage seemed to have been caused by a drone equipped with an explosive payload. There were no casualties and no impact on any NPP equipment. However, there was impact to the road between the two main gates of ZNPP.   The ISAMZ team has reported that military activity in the area - including very close to the plant - has been intense for the last week. The team has heard frequent explosions, repetitive heavy machine gun and rifle fire and artillery at various distances from the plant. There is no sign of the military activity in the vicinity of ZNPP abating, despite Director General Grossi’s repeated calls for restraint.   On 10 August ZNPP informed the IAEA team that artillery struck the local power and water substation in the nearby city Enerhodar, home to most ZNPP staff. The attack caused the failure of two transformers, leading to a citywide power outage. As a result, water had to be supplied using diesel generators.   A significant fire at one of the ZNPP cooling towers earlier this week resulted in considerable damage, although there was no immediate threat to nuclear safety.   Also this week, IAEA teams maintaining the Agency’s continued presence at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs, as well as at the Chornobyl site, reported frequent air raid alarms and drone attacks.   “Nuclear power plants are designed to be resilient against technical or human failures and external events including extreme ones, but they are not built to withstand a direct military attack, and neither are they supposed to, just as with any other energy facility in the world,” said Director General Grossi.   “This latest attack highlights the vulnerability of such facilities in conflict zones and the need to continue monitoring the fragile situation.”   Additionally, this week Director General Grossi continued discussions on the recent events in the territory of the Russian Federation, including the proximity of military action to an important and operating nuclear power plant.   http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-director-general-statement-on-kursk-nuclear-power-plant http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-informed-of-drone-at-kursk-nuclear-power-plant-director-general-grossi-to-assess-site http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-245-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine http://www.iaea.org/topics/response/nuclear-safety-security-and-safeguards-in-ukraine22   Aug. 2024   We cannot allow horrific devastation of Russia-Ukraine war to become normalized.   (UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca’s remarks to the UN Security Council on Ukraine, 28 August)   Over the past 30 months, millions of Ukrainians have witnessed unimaginable death, devastation, and destruction.   According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, since 24 February 2022, 11,662 civilians have been killed - 639 of them children. 24,207 civilians have been injured - 1,577 of them children.   This July was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine in almost two years: at least 219 civilians were killed and 1,018 injured.   Tragically, these figures only grow, as missiles, shells and drones continue to hit cities, towns and villages across Ukraine daily.   In the past two days, hundreds of missiles and drones reportedly killed at least eleven people and hit energy and other critical civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. Damage was reported in 15 regions, with at least 11 energy facilities affected.   This vast destruction further aggravates the already precarious access to energy and water for millions of people.   Days earlier, on 24 August, amidst escalating fighting in eastern Ukraine, a missile struck a hotel in the town of Kramatorsk, Donetsk region of Ukraine. A Reuters staff member was killed and four journalists injured. Similar attacks on hotels, restaurants, markets and shopping areas in frontline communities have been reported.   We are also concerned about the impact of the spread of fighting on the civilian population on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border, including in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions of Ukraine, as well as in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions of the Russian Federation.   Following the start of Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region on 6 August, local Russian officials reported at least 12 people killed and 121 others injured. According to local officials, at least 130,000 people have been evacuated from the region. OHCHR has not received additional reports of civilian casualties or related harm and is not able to confirm these reports as it has no access to the Russian Federation and the areas impacted by the fighting.   As the Secretary-General repeatedly underlined, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable, no matter where they occur. These attacks are prohibited by international humanitarian law. They must end immediately. We urge all sides to act responsibly and ensure the protection of civilians.   After a decade of conflict in the east of Ukraine and occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, and following two and a half years of full-scale war, the suffering of the people in Ukraine continues unabated.   Women in Ukraine are facing particular risks. They make up 56 per cent of the 15 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.   In front-line areas, particularly in the east and south of Ukraine, entire villages and towns have been either partially or completely devastated. According to OHCHR, 546 medical facilities and 1,306 educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed.   As we have previously briefed, humanitarian operations in some areas lack access to people in need.   We remain deeply concerned about the 1.5 million people who we are unable to reach in parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation.   Like all others living close to the front line in Ukraine, they require urgent access to health care and medicine, food and clean drinking water.   In accordance with international humanitarian law, it is imperative that impartial humanitarian relief be facilitated for all civilians in need.   The hostilities have displaced millions of Ukrainian people who continue to need our support. Nearly 3.7 million people have been internally displaced within Ukraine. More than 6.6 million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded globally.   We cannot allow the horrific devastation of this war to become normalized. Now, more than ever, it is critical for us to speak with one voice to ensure protection of civilians and to step up our urgent efforts towards peace..   http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/we-cannot-allow-horrific-devastation-russia-ukraine-war-become-normalized-tells-asg-jenca-tells-security-council   March 2024 (UN News)   Top UN officials and agencies on the ground in Ukraine on Friday condemned overnight large-scale coordinated Russian strikes on energy plants across the country that left 1.5 million without electricity.   The UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned in the strongest terms the large-scale missile and drone attacks, his Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said on Friday.   “The Secretary-General is appalled by the continued killing and destruction and once again underlines that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law; they are unacceptable and must end immediately,” Mr. Haq said.   Multiple types of missiles and drones were launched throughout the early morning hours, disrupting water supplies in some areas and leaving more than 1.5 million Ukrainians without electricity across Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Odesa, Donetsk, Sumy and Kirovohrad.   “The targeting of energy infrastructure providing essential public services is a black-and-white issue – it is simply unacceptable,” UN High Representative of Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu told the Security Council on Friday morning. “The scale and scope of this devastation are appalling.”   Multiple types of missiles and drones were launched throughout the early morning hours, disrupting water supplies in some areas and leaving more than 1.5 million Ukrainians without electricity across Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Odesa, Donetsk, Sumy and Kirovohrad.   UN agencies on the ground roundly decried the targeted attacks, with UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown saying that rescue efforts have been deployed to help those in affected areas.   “I am outraged by the magnitude of today’s attacks by the Russian Armed Forces on energy infrastructure across Ukraine,” she said in a statement, adding that UN agencies continue to work with partners to deliver aid to those in need across Ukraine.   The wider impact of today’s attacks on critical civilian infrastructure is deepening the already dire humanitarian situation for millions of people in Ukraine, she warned, stressing that international humanitarian law explicitly safeguards civilians and civilian infrastructure and “must be respected”.   Echoing those concerns, Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said “this morning’s attack is the largest single-day attack in more than one year directly targeting Ukraine’s vital power and water infrastructure, with potentially devastating effects for the country’s civilian population.”   Ukraine’s largest dam, located in the city of Zaporizhzhia was damaged, but stable, according to UN agencies.   Nearby, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost electricity to its last remaining main power line for about five hours today, according to the International Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA), which issued a statement on Friday morning including a time line of the incident.   “The world’s attention is rightly focused on the continued danger of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant being hit or losing its off-site power,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.   The latest attacks starkly highlight ever-present dangers to nuclear safety and security during the conflict, he warned, also noting that the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant also temporarily lost the connection to one of its power lines following the overnight strikes.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1147886 http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-220-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-42-civilian-casualties-every-day-two-years-war-enuk http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2024/02/un-experts-urge-international-community-step-efforts-forge-peace-between-russia http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146887 http://news.un.org/en/interview/2024/02/1146752 http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/february/ukraine-two-years-on-destruction-and-displacement-the-devastating-impacts-of-the-escalation-of-war-revealed-in-new-nrc-report/   http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/full-scale-ukraine-war-enters-third-year-prolonging-uncertainty-and-exile http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/escalation-attacks-infrastructure-leaves-ukraines-children-without-sustained-access http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/ukraine-frontline-children-battling-mental-trauma-underground http://www.unocha.org/news/remember-ukraine-un-relief-chief-urges-attention-country-faces-3rd-year-war-and-occupation http://reliefweb.int/topics/ukraine-humanitarian-crisis   15 Jan. 2024   "Remember Ukraine" - UN relief chief Martin Griffiths urges attention as country faces 3rd year of war and occupation. Remarks to the press at the joint OCHA-UNHCR launch of the 2024 Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the Regional Refugee Response Plan for Ukraine (Extract):   Next month, we will enter a third year and an unexpected, in my view, a third year of full-blown war and occupation. It started, of course, ten years ago in the east of the country. But the escalation in 2022 rushed in a whole new level of death, destruction and despair and, of course, of outflow of refugees.   Forty per cent of the population will need humanitarian assistance this year. That is 14.6 million people, 40 per cent of the population in Ukraine will need humanitarian aid. Four million people are internally displaced. That is in addition to those who are externally displaced; 3.3 million live in frontline communities in the east and south where the war goes on, under relentless bombardment – 3.3 million people living in the middle of war zones, of bombardment, of uncertainty about where the day will end. And that is really a shockingly high number, even these days.   No place in Ukraine is untouched by the war and the wave of attacks that began just before the new year, to the devastating civilian cost of the war. Add to that the harsh winter, which is sweeping across Ukraine and ratcheting up people's need for lifesaving support, heating, proper shelter, warm clothes and a sufficient calorie intake because of the winter.   In the small towns and villages on the front lines, people have exhausted their own meager resources and rely on aid coming in through the convoys of our partners to survive. In the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, families live in damaged houses with no piped water, gas or electricity in the freezing cold.   Constant bombardments force older people to spend their days in basements. Children – terrified, traumatized, still – have lived for the last [two] years under these circumstances, trapped indoors and many of them with no schooling.   Across Ukraine, homes, schools and hospitals are repeatedly hit. Basic services are not spared. Water, gas and power systems. Indeed, the very fabric of society, how we live – employment, schools, care centers, shopping, safety of access to those places daily – is under threat.   But it is worth taking a moment to remember that Ukrainians refuse to buckle under this extraordinary onslaught. And they refuse to resign. People step up for each other. Community spirit remains high. They volunteer to help deliver relief to those who cannot move, some warm shelter, care for children.   No less than 60 per cent of our 500 humanitarian partners are Ukrainian organizations. So, 500 humanitarian organizations operating inside Ukraine, delivering aid inside Ukraine, more than half of them are Ukrainian organizations. A testament really to the community spirit of so many people in that country.   We aim to reach more than 8.5 million people this year with water and hygiene services, materials to repair homes, winter clothes, supplies and things that I have already referred to. The plan for 8.5 million focuses, as you know from the math, on the most vulnerable. Those who are close to the frontline are the top priority. And every day, convoys are sent out to reach those in danger, as are the convoys in danger. Aid will be delivered across the country to areas we can reach by these comprehensive programmes on these convoys, in partnership with local NGOs, local partners I referred to and complementing the Ukrainian Government's own efforts.   And our relationship with the Ukrainian Government remains steady, strong, supportive, and we act under their guidance, under their leadership and often under their direction. We are asking donors for more funding for 2024.   No one wants to depend on assistance from outsiders to cover life's basic needs. This is true across the world, whether in Gaza, Sudan or Syria or elsewhere. No one wants to depend on such assistance. But there is no choice for those 14 .6 million who need assistance, 8.5 million of whom we are targeting. They need help. They need this funding because humanitarian aid remains the lifeline without which they will perish.   As the war continues unabated, without signs that I am aware of, of coming to some conclusion, and amid everything else happening across the globe, we must stay the course for the people of Ukraine.   http://www.unocha.org/news/remember-ukraine-un-relief-chief-urges-attention-country-faces-3rd-year-war-and-occupation http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-humanitarian-response-2023-winter-attacks-humanitarian-impact-intensified-strikes-and-hostilities-flash-update-4-2-jan-2024-enuk http://tinyurl.com/494npftk http://reliefweb.int/country/ukr http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-two-children-reportedly-killed-and-15-injured-latest-wave-deadly-attacks http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/secretary-general-condemns-strongest-terms-overnight-large-scale-attacks-russian-federation-ukrainian-cities-civilians-critical-infrastructure http://dppa.un.org/en/mtg-sc-9523-asg-khiari-ukraine-29-dec-2023 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/12/comment-un-high-commissioner-human-rights-volker-turk-attacks-ukraine http://news.un.org/en/tags/ukraine   14 Nov. 2023   Millions of civilians in Ukraine are living with the effects of over 600 days of brutal conflict. As winter conditions develop and needs multiply, once-thriving communities are at risk of disintegrating under an increasingly protracted conflict, warns the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).   Across eastern and southern Ukraine, millions of civilians are facing an increasingly uncertain and dangerous future as winter conditions set in. For over 600 days, an unyielding barrage of shelling has left an estimated 1.4 million homes in ruin or disrepair. Thousands of families have been forced to flee, or have been left to shelter in damaged buildings lacking basic services. Millions remain out of reach of aid in Russian controlled areas. As temperatures drop and public services come under increasing pressure, at least 2.5 million people need vital humanitarian assistance to support them through winter.   "Millions of families are facing a growing winter nightmare here," explained Jan Egeland, NRC Secretary General, on a visit to Ukraine this week. "The physical impact of aerial bombardment can be seen right across the towns and cities I have visited. And the mental impact on those who remain under this ever-present threat is just as striking. People have told me about the horror of watching their communities transformed into sites of destruction or battlegrounds.   "While glimpses of stability emerge in pockets of the country, the humanitarian landscape in the east and south remains bleak and is defined by relentless hostilities and fighting along the frontlines. We are deeply concerned for the future of those millions who are already dependent on support, given that winter has barely begun."   In the 20 months since the escalation of the conflict, Russia has fired thousands of drones and missiles on Ukrainian cities and settlements. Hundreds have been used to destroy civilian infrastructure relating to transport, heating, and electricity. Port facilities in the south have continued to be targeted since the end of the Black Sea Grain Deal, with over 30 attacks since July. Today, more than 17 million people are affected as a result of these attacks, at a point in the year at which needs greatly increase.   Despite a significant humanitarian effort, large swaths of Ukraine are under the control of the Russian Federation and remain largely out of reach of international aid. Ongoing hostilities also continue to hamper the delivery of assistance. Security concerns impede the delivery of urgent assistance to more than 4 million people who live in the areas beyond the control of the Government of Ukraine. "The information we receive through partners and colleagues paints a picture of appalling conditions facing those beyond the reach of humanitarian workers. It is more urgent than ever that all parties ensure that civilian populations can be reached by humanitarian aid," said Egeland.   "I call upon all parties involved to ensure the unimpeded and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to all affected areas, regardless of their control. It is our moral duty to extend a lifeline to those in dire need and to work resolutely toward sustainable solutions that can bring an end to the suffering endured by the Ukrainian citizens residing in conflict-affected communities.   "Swift and decisive action is imperative to prevent this crisis from deepening, in the name of these communities and the future of those who have already endured so much."   http://www.nrc.no/news/2023/november/ukraine-millions-face-winter-in-damaged-homes-under-threat-of-air-raids-beyond-the-reach-of-aid/ http://ukraine.un.org/en/252627-brutal-attacks-ukrainian-civilians-and-health-care-are-utterly-unacceptable-and-must-cease   Oct. 2023   The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that civilians in Ukraine are facing daily attacks along frontline areas in the east and south of the country. In recent days, homes, schools, health facilities, port infrastructure and aid distribution points have all been hit.   Senior UN officials have strongly condemned recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian towns and civilian infrastructure, emphasizing the need for accountability for those harming civilians during hostilities.   On Thursday, 5 October, an attack in the village of Hroza in the Kharkiv region resulted in the deaths of at least 52 people, including one child. This incident marked one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since Russia’s invasion in February last year.   Less than 24 hours later, the region faced another strike, as missiles hit buildings in Kharkiv’s city centre, reportedly killing two, including one child.   “The recent attacks in Kharkiv add to an already unbearable toll of civilian casualties resulting from Russia’s invasion – a war launched in violation of the UN Charter and international law,” Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for political affairs, told ambassadors at the UN Security Council.   As of Sunday (8 October), the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has verified 9,806 civilian deaths, including 560 children, and 17,962 injuries due to the war. “The actual figures are very likely considerably higher and, tragically, will continue to rise if current patterns continue,” Ms. DiCarlo added.   In recent weeks, civilians and civilian infrastructure, including grain storage facilities, across Ukraine have been under nearly constant attacks.   “Residents of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Lviv, Sumy, Donetsk, Odesa, Kyiv and other regions continued to face unrelenting and often indiscriminate attacks.”   These, combined with Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Initiative, not only endanger the livelihoods of Ukrainian farmers, but also risk exacerbating hunger worldwide, she said.   Ms. DiCarlo informed the Security Council of the findings of a UN human rights office report that “paints a grim picture of serious human rights violations across the country, most of them attributed to the Russian armed forces.”   These violations include conflict-related sexual violence reportedly committed by Russian armed forces and penitentiary service members, as well as arbitrary and incommunicado detention of civilians in Russian-occupied territory. The Office also documented cases of arbitrary detention by Ukrainian forces, primarily of law enforcement authorities.   OHCHR expressed concern over recent legislation in Russia that could effectively grant amnesty to its service members for a wide range of crimes, potentially including serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, Ms. DiCarlo noted.   She reiterated Russia’s obligation under international law to investigate and prosecute potential war crimes and gross human rights violations committed by its forces in Ukraine.   Joyce Msuya, Deputy UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, also briefed the 15-member Security Council, urging the international community to help advocate for humanitarian access to all those in need across Ukraine, including four million people living in areas under the military control of Russia.   “More than anything, the people of Ukraine need concerted action to make this devastating war – with its unceasing death, destruction and suffering – come to an end,” she said.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142072 http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/mr-ramesh-rajasingham-ocha-director-coordination-behalf-under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-mr-martin-griffiths-briefing-security-council-humanitarian-situation-ukraine-31-october   6 Sep. 2023   New deadly attacks today hit Donetsk and Zaporzhzhia Region. (OCHA)   A few hours ago, an attack in Kostiantynivka Town, Donetsk Region, hit an open market area where many local residents do their daily shopping, reportedly causing dozens of civilian casualties, including children.   The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, issued a statement saying that this tragic and unacceptable event is another example of the suffering that Russia’s invasion inflicts on civilians across the country. She recalled that civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law.   Earlier today, an education facility and houses were damaged in the neighbouring Zaporizhzhia Region, and port facilities were again hit in Odesa Region in the south.   Humanitarian partners on the ground are delivering emergency shelter materials and assisting the affected families. Furthermore, the repetitive attacks on Ukrainian ports are depriving farmers of their livelihoods and the world of affordable food when millions are facing hunger in the poorest countries.   David Miliband, the head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) told reporters during a visit to Kyiv this week that , “the abnormal is becoming normalised” in Ukraine, as Russia’s war on the country continues.   Mr. Miliband said: “The reason for coming here is I can see the abnormal becoming normalised. The abnormal is war crimes, attacks on civilian infrastructure, the abnormal is 18 million people in humanitarian need, the abnormal is 6 million refugees, and it’s becoming background music in global affairs, rather than something that is a poster child for the age of impunity”.   The IRC supports projects operating in Ukraine, offering healthcare, cash support and other services as well as support for Ukrainian refugees living in neighbouring countries.   http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-ukraine-10 http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/ http://ukraine.un.org/en/press-centre/press-releases http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1140702 http://www.unocha.org/protection-civilians http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/time-and-time-again-childrens-lives-being-cut-short-attacks-ukraine http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/statement-unhcr-representative-19-august-2023 http://www.nrc.no/news/2023/august/new-displacement-fears-as-southern-ukraine-suffers-more-missile-attacks/ http://www.rescue.org/article/ukraine-war-what-are-impacts-world-today http://www.hi-us.org/en/civilians-in-ukraine-must-be-protected http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/iicihr-ukraine/index http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule1 http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1 http://guide-humanitarian-law.org/content/article/3/civilians/   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.   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. The dam is a key source of agricultural irrigation in southern Kherson and the Crimean peninsula. The sustained flooding 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 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 harder for those already suffering from the conflict.   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 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://www.nrc.no/news/2023/september/ukraine-dam-explosion/ 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://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 Visit the related web page
	War is devastating lives around the world by UNICEF, ICRC, UN Secretary-General, agencies   May 2023   Statement by members of the NGO Working Group on the Protection of Civilians:   Civilians are increasingly shouldering the burden of conflicts around the world. Today, 2 billion people - a quarter of humanity - live in places affected by conflict, as conflicts themselves are not only more numerous, but increasing in duration, lethality, and size.   Civilians are facing extreme levels of humanitarian need, displacement, and food insecurity, with a disproportionate impact on women and girls, people with disabilities, older people, and other potentially marginalised groups.   This year’s Secretary-General’s Protection of Civilians (POC) report and the Security Council’s Open Debate brings a strong focus on conflict and hunger. Five years after UN Security Council resolution 2417, in which the Council unanimously recognized that conflict-induced food insecurity and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access threaten international peace and security, civilians find themselves in the midst of the most severe global hunger and malnutrition crisis in modern history. An expected 345.2 million people are projected to be food insecure this year – more than double the number in 20201.   Conflict is the main driver of hunger in many of the world's most severe food crises. The deliberate destruction of food, livelihoods and civilian infrastructure has become a widespread tactic in conflicts where land and productive assets are deliberately targeted.   At the same time humanitarian assistance is withheld, with physical and bureaucratic impediments used to restrict civilians’ access to food and to force them to flee their homes and communities.   Despite protections afforded to civilians in conflict under international humanitarian law (IHL), international human rights law (IHRL), UNSCR 2417, as well as UNSCR 2573 – which, in 2021, condemned attacks against objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population – violations of IHL and IHRL continue to have far-reaching effects on conflict-induced food insecurity and, all too often, they take place with near impunity. Starvation has been used as a method of warfare in active conflicts today.   Fighting in cities and towns involves the use of increasingly powerful explosive weapons with wide area effects. Between 2011-2020, on average civilians constituted 90% of those killed and wounded from attacks carried out with explosive weapons in populated areas. Nearly half of all verified child casualties in conflict are from explosive weapons and the remnants of war.   Beyond the direct harm to civilians, damage to critical civilian infrastructure impacts food production and availability, access to safe water and sanitation, electricity, and other essential services. This has long-lasting impacts on civilians’ health, nutrition, safety, and wellbeing, with consequences that can last for decades after a war has ended.   Even indirectly, conflict on one side of the world can have far reaching impacts on civilians in other regions, fuelling global economic crises, eroding local support systems, and inflating food prices, as evidenced by recent conflicts.   This further weakens communities' resilience, ability to access and purchase food, and contributes to the erosion of decades of hard-won development gains.   The ripple effects of conflicts, combined with climate variability, drought, and skyrocketing cost of living make the situation even worse for women and girls, who play a crucial role across food and water systems and in feeding their families and communities.   Households have less access to positive coping mechanisms, which elevates the risk of children being forced to drop out of school, gender based violence, women and girls being coerced into exchanging sex for food, and forced marriage including child marriage.   Entrenched gender inequalities and gender norms surrounding food consumption disproportionately increase the vulnerability of women and girls to hunger and malnutrition and contributed to an estimated 150 million more women than men going hungry in 2021. In addition, persons with disabilities, in particular women and children, face additional barriers accessing food during armed conflict.   The climate crisis and conflict-related environmental degradation have compounded the detrimental impacts of food insecurity for civilians in conflict through a mutually reinforcing cycle.   Climate change increases the scale and complexity of existing protection challenges and vulnerabilities, in particular in situations where civilians are already facing resource scarcity and conflict-related insecurity.   Conflict also exacerbates environmental degradation by damaging and endangering ecosystems and critical environmental infrastructure including the destruction of agricultural fields and the pollution of soil and water systems. These effects pose potentially lethal and long-lasting risks to civilian lives and livelihoods.   Meanwhile, conflicts also contribute to the weakening and breakdown of governance systems, as well as mitigation, and resilience capacities, creating conditions in which communities have fewer safety nets to counter the impacts of climate risks and environmental harm.   Protecting civilians has too often been understood only through the prism of compliance with IHL, but this is the bare minimum. Current patterns of harm and long-term effects of hostilities including on hunger and the environment highlight the need for policies and practices that effectively address the full protection of civilians in all their diversity.   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/statement-members-ngo-working-group-protection-civilians http://www.globalr2p.org/resources/statement-group-of-friends-unsc-open-debate-on-protection-of-civilians/ http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/more-than-85-of-people-facing-hunger-crises-live-in-conflict-affected-countries/   May 2023   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. Many civilians have been killed; hundreds of thousands of 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.   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 UN 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   May 2023   Report of the Secretary-General: Protection of civilians in armed conflict 2022   With over 100 armed conflicts worldwide, civilians have continued to endure profound and lasting hardship. In 2022, as in previous years, armed conflict led to death, injury, enforced disappearance, torture, rape and other suffering and loss. The destruction of critical infrastructure had far-reaching consequences, including disruptions to electricity, health care, water and sanitation services, and deprived many of the essentials to live. Health-care personnel and facilities were targeted, leaving thousands without care.   The use of explosive weapons in populated areas had devastating effects well beyond their intended targets. The rise in prices of food, fuel and fertilizers, combined with the effects of climate change, further intensified civilians’ needs. The number of people forcibly displaced reached new highs.   Humanitarian organizations faced a variety of obstacles in their efforts to alleviate suffering, including violence, bureaucratic impediments and shortages of vital supplies such as food and medicine.   Armed conflict continued to be a primary driver of hunger. Valuable farming equipment was stolen, agricultural land was littered with explosive ordnance, and livestock and crops were destroyed. Conflict also disrupted agriculture and trade, leading to a shortage of basic supplies and agricultural products.   This, coupled with additional factors such as the armed conflict in Ukraine, led to higher food prices and reduced access to necessary supplies for food preparation and distribution. Furthermore, the destruction of vital infrastructure, shortages of electricity and fuel, and extreme weather events all contributed to the scarcity of water.   Throughout 2022, armed conflict exacted a massive human toll, eroding resilience and straining what remained of essential infrastructure and services. Civilian death and injury, enforced disappearance, torture, rape and ill -treatment were reported across many armed conflicts...   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/protection-civilians-armed-conflict-report-secretary-general-s2023345-enarruzh http://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=S/2023/345   * Note: The civilian casualities cited in this report are only official state recognised calculations and are a most considerable under-estimation of the terrible toll inflicted on civilians in conflict. For example this: "In 2022, the United Nations recorded at least 16,988 civilian deaths across 12 armed conflicts.. although actual figures are likely higher". When consideration is given to the uncounted victims of conflict and the indirect impacts of conflict, particularly on the health of populations, the calculations should tragically cite many hundreds of thousands.   Researchers, writing in the Lancet Journal:   “Armed conflicts have indirect health implications beyond the direct harm from violence”. “Destroyed health-care infrastructure; severe shortages of food, water, and shelter; population’s inability to flee to safe places; lack of funding support for those in need, are among the compounding factors impacting life outcomes. In recent conflicts, such indirect deaths range from three to 15 times the number of direct deaths”.   May 2023   Speech by President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric to the UN Security Council on the protection of civilians:   For the International Committee of the Red Cross, the issue of protection of civilians lies at the core of our mandate. As we meet, countless civilians in conflicts around the world are experiencing a living hell.   Any minute, the next missile can obliterate their home, their school, their clinic and everyone in it. Any day, their loved ones might be abused, raped, detained, or tortured. Any week, they might run out of food or medicine.   Everywhere I look – and in my short time as president of the ICRC, I have visited conflict-affected countries in Africa, Europe and the Near East – I see a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. Entire regions are trapped in cycles of conflict without an end in sight.   ICRC’s figures show that the number of non-international armed conflicts has, over the past 20 years, more than tripled from less than 30 to over 90.   Many of these are protracted conflicts, bringing ceaseless suffering – suffering that is compounded by climate shocks, food insecurity and economic hardship.   Civilians are gravely unprotected because they suffer a relentless accumulation of attacks, threats, destruction, as well as political stalemates.   When conflicts are characterised by widespread destruction and violation of international humanitarian law; then development and peace become an unachievable ambition.   It is clear: the protection of civilians is a pre-condition of stability, peace, and recovery.   My calls to States today are urgent. First, protect civilians and critical infrastructure in urban areas. The widespread and often indiscriminate destruction of homes and critical infrastructure disproportionately raises the cost of war.   Across the places I visited in the past months, I saw how the shock of losing one’s home is compounded by the interruption or prolonged absence of essential services such as water, electricity, healthcare, and education.   As fighting envelops towns and cities, such as in Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen, the ICRC is seeing large-scale and compounding patterns of harm. We need to break the pattern of violations: and this can be done through strong political will and sustained action.   State and non-state parties must do more to prevent, reduce, and mitigate the damage that armed conflict causes in urban centres. In adopting resolution 2573 more than two years ago, this very Council demanded that parties to armed conflict do more. I echo that call again today.   The ICRC urges all parties engaged in urban warfare to:   Ensure that the protection of civilians is prioritized in urban settings; Comply fully with international humanitarian law and notably the principles on distinction, proportionality, and precaution; Avoid the use of heavy explosive weapons in populated areas - and endorse and faithfully implement the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas; and Ensure that the protection of essential services encompasses the infrastructure, people and consumables that keep hospitals, water, and power functioning.   Second, States must step up to prevent and mitigate food insecurity in conflict-affected areas.   During my visit to the Horn of Africa earlier this year, I saw how conflict and climate shocks are having a devastating impact on already vulnerable communities. In Somalia, more than seven million people are in urgent need of food and water.   The combination of drought, lack of investment in climate adaptation in conflict zones and the knock-on effects of the international armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine is seriously impacting people in conflicts around the world.   The ICRC calls on states and other actors to:   Respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, including rules on the conduct of hostilities, to reduce the risk of food insecurity and famine. Invest in practical solutions and adaptation measures to mitigate the effects of climate change in conflict-affected regions.   Third, I call on States to enable neutral and impartial humanitarian access:   This means: access to civilians in need, notably besieged communities… Access to overcrowded detention facilities where we continue to see worrying trends in relation to ill-treatment and torture… Access to the estimated 175 million people who live in areas fully or partially controlled by armed groups.   This requires enabling a humanitarian dialogue with non-state armed groups, for instance through the implementation of the humanitarian carve-out to sanctions regimes adopted by this Council in resolution 2664. This is critical for an organization like the ICRC which maintains a dialogue with more than 300 armed groups worldwide.   In today’s operating environment, misinformation and disinformation also present a threat to populations and hinder humanitarian operations. Misinformation can fuel dangerous community divisions and undermine community acceptance of humanitarian organisations.   We urge States and other actors to take all necessary measures to prevent and mitigate the impact of harmful information on the safety, dignity, and rights of civilians, and to preserve the space for neutral, impartial humanitarian action and to protect it from political instrumentalization.   Finally, I must underscore: the protection of civilians means the protection of all. There is no chance of enduring stability or security until international humanitarian law is upheld for all genders.   The ICRC urges states to:   Ensure that all persons, regardless of their gender, are protected in conflict and equally benefit from humanitarian assistance. Ensure that the clear prohibition of sexual violence under international humanitarian law is integrated into national laws, military doctrine, and training. Commit to applying a gender perspective into the application and interpretation of international humanitarian law.   The ICRC continues to insist on the preventive and protective effects of international humanitarian law. Compliance with the law protects civilians. It prevents violations and abuses.   It reduces the cost of war while maintaining a pathway to ceasefire agreements, and eventually to lasting peace, functioning economies, and a healthy natural environment.   I call upon all states to uphold international humanitarian law, including through their influence over others.   In times of compounding global trends and geopolitical tensions, compliance with international humanitarian law must become a political priority.   http://www.icrc.org/en/document/icrc-president-protection-civilians-is-pre-condition-of-stability-peace-and-recovery Visit the related web page
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