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	Gaza Conflict: Violence directed against civilians is appalling and cannot be justified by UN News, OCHA, Inter-Agency Standing Committee   Nov. 2023   Humanitarians have expressed grave alarm at the immense suffering the conflict is inflicting on the civilian population of Gaza. With human rights agencies underlining the fundamental need for respect for international humanitarian law in all conflict situations. The principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality in military operations being of critical importance.   Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator: 'We renew our call for: Full adherence to international humanitarian law. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access into and across Gaza so that we can deliver aid to people in need wherever they are. The protection of civilians, including by allowing them to seek safety from hostilities. The immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-executive-director-catherine-russells-remarks-un-security-council-briefing http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/statement-protection-cluster-occupied-palestinian-territory-and-global-protection-cluster http://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2023/12/un-women-statement-on-the-situation-in-israel-and-gaza http://reliefweb.int/country/pse   * CNN Christiane Amanpour speaks with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths about the ongoing war in Gaza and the UN's call for a ceasefire (21/11): http://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2023/11/22/amanpour-martin-griffiths-gaza-ceasefire.cnn http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/martin-griffiths-under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-full-transcript-press-encounter-15-november-2023-geneva http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/about-inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-humanitarian-chiefs-will-not-take-part http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-her-visit-gaza http://www.wfp.org/news/gaza-faces-widespread-hunger-food-systems-collapse-warns-wfp   11 Nov. 2023   Senior UN officials said on Saturday said there could be no justification for any “acts of war” in or around any healthcare facilities.   UN relief and humanitarian affairs chief, Martin Griffiths, said there could be "no justification for acts of war in healthcare facilities leaving them with no power, food or water or for any live fire".   "Hospitals must be places of greater safety and those who need them must trust that they are places of shelter and not of war.”   Principle of proportionality   The UN’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, reinforced the call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, stressing that civilian infrastructure “cannot be used for military operations.”   “Patients, medical staff as well as displaced people taking shelter must be protected”, she said. “Principles of proportionality, distinction must be respected.”   The UN Children’s Fund UNICEF said that the “near total breakdown and attacks on medical and healthcare services”, particularly in northern Gaza, had left lives “hanging by a thread.”   “Children’s right to life and health is being denied,” said Adele Khodr, UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director. “The protection of hospitals and delivery of lifesaving medical supplies is an obligation under the laws of war, and both are needed now.”   Meanwhile, medical facilities in the middle and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, already overwhelmed by the sheer number of injuries that need treatment, are now having to also cope with treating the needs of an influx of hundreds of thousands of people into even more densely packed spaces, UNICEF noted.   “These existing services must be supported and strengthened to deal with the increasing challenges they face”, the agency said. Children's lives are "hanging by a thread" said Mr. Khodr. Children in the north have "nowhere to go and are at extreme risk."   Some 135 attacks on health facilities have been documented in Gaza over the course of the past month, according to the World Health Organization.   WHO expressed alarm at an “increasing trend” of attacks on health care, also seen in other ongoing conflicts in Sudan and in Ukraine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified more than 1,300 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the start of conflict in February 2022.   The rules of war are clear. Hospitals are specially protected facilities under international humanitarian law. The ICRC urgently calls for the immediate protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers and medical personnel. This protection is not only a legal obligation but a moral imperative to preserve human life in these terrible times.   http://www.emro.who.int/media/news/unfpa-unicef-and-who-regional-directors-call-for-immediate-action-to-halt-attacks-on-health-care-in-gaza.html http://www.who.int/news/item/04-12-2023-who-appeals-for-protection-of-the-health-system-from-further-attacks-and-degradation-of-its-capacity http://www.msf.org/letter-gaza-un-security-council http://www.icrc.org/en/document/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-demands-protection-patients-healthcare-workers-medical-facilities-in-gaza   http://www.icrc.org/en/document/icrc-president-tells-paris-conference-gaza-immediate-imperative-is-to-save-lives http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1 http://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/lives-one-million-children-hanging-thread-child-health-services-almost-collapse http://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/14/gaza-unlawful-israeli-hospital-strikes-worsen-health-crisis http://www.ochaopt.org/ http://reliefweb.int/country/pse   5 Nov. 2023   Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee:   "For almost a month, the world has been watching the unfolding situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in shock and horror at the spiralling numbers of lives lost and torn apart.   In Israel, some 1,200 people have been killed and thousands have been injured, according to the Israeli authorities. More than 200 people, including children, have been taken hostage. Rockets continue to traumatize families. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. This is horrific.   However, the horrific killings of even more civilians in Gaza is an outrage, as is cutting off 2.2 million Palestinians from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel.   In Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health, nearly 9,500 people have been killed, including 3,900 children and over 2,400 women. More than 23,000 injured people require immediate treatment within overstretched hospitals.   An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship. This is unacceptable.   More than 100 attacks against health care have been reported. Scores of aid workers have been killed since October 7 including 88 UNRWA colleagues – the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict.   We renew our plea for the parties to respect all their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. We renew our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians held hostage.   Civilians and the infrastructure they rely on – including hospitals, shelters and schools – must be protected. More aid – food, water, medicine and of course fuel – must enter Gaza safely, swiftly and at the scale needed, and must reach people in need, especially women and children, wherever they are.   We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now".   http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/about-inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-situation-israel-and-occupied-palestinian   3 Nov. 2023   Gaza: Children and families urgently need humanitarian assistance and protection. (UNICEF)   Children and families in Gaza are caught in a catastrophic situation. Thousands of children have reportedly been killed and thousands more injured. Children and families in Gaza have been cut off from water, food, fuel, medicine, and other essentials, including safe access to hospitals, following escalating hostilities. UNICEF is calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for unrestricted humanitarian access to allow aid to reach children and families in need, save lives and prevent further suffering.   The cost to children and their communities of the escalating violence will be borne out for generations to come. Children are dying at an alarming rate and being denied their basic rights. Hospitals and schools must be protected from bombings and they must not be used for military purposes, in accordance with international humanitarian law.   Civilians must be protected – children particularly – and all efforts must be made to spare them in all circumstances. Even wars have rules.   UNICEF continues to press world leaders at every occasion for humanitarian access to the whole of Gaza, including children and families in the north of the strip which is increasingly cut off. To respond to the dire situation for children in the State of Palestine and Israel, UNICEF is calling for:   An immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The immediate, safe and unconditional release of all abducted children. All access crossings into Gaza to be opened for a safe, sustained and unimpeded access of humanitarian aid, including water, food, medical supplies, and fuel. Urgent medical cases in Gaza to be allowed to leave or to be able to receive critical health services.   Respect and protection for civilian infrastructure such as shelters and schools, and health, electric, water and sanitation facilities, to prevent loss of civilian and children’s lives, outbreaks of diseases, and to provide care to the sick and wounded.   UNICEF continues to focus on the critical needs of children for protection and humanitarian assistance – but access remains difficult and dangerous.   Limited shipments of life-saving supplies and drinking water from UNICEF began moving into Gaza on 21 October. To save children’s lives, much more is needed. Flows of humanitarian aid to meet the needs of all children and their families must be sustained. Clean water is running out in the Gaza Strip after its water plant and public water networks stopped working. Currently, the water production capacity is a mere 5 per cent of its usual daily output. People are now forced to use dirty water from wells, increasing the threat of waterborne diseases.   In addition, fuel is of paramount importance for the operation of essential facilities such as hospitals, desalination plants, and water pumping stations. Humanitarian supplies must be allowed to safely reach children and families in need wherever they are, in accordance with the rules of war".   http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/children-gaza-desperate-need-lifesaving-support http://www.nrc.no/news/2023/november/not-enough-water-to-survive/ http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/about-inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-situation-israel-and-occupied-palestinian http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-briefs-un-security-council-humanitarian http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/un-security-council-emergency-briefing-situation-middle-east http://www.icrc.org/en/document/israel-and-occupied-territories-deescalate-now-prevent-further-human-suffering http://www.icrc.org/en/document/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-demands-protection-patients-healthcare-workers-medical-facilities-in-gaza http://www.nrc.no/news/2023/november/not-enough-water-to-survive/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/joint-statement-undp-unfpa-unicef-wfp-and-who-humanitarian-supplies-crossing-gaza-0 http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2023/11/protection-civilians-absolutely-top-priority-turk-briefs-un-general   26 Oct. 2023   I run the UN Agency for Palestine refugees. History will judge us all if there is no ceasefire in Gaza, by Philippe Lazzarini - Commissioner-General of UNRWA   "The UN charter is a commitment to our shared humanity. Civilians -- wherever they are -- must be protected equally,"   For more than two weeks now, unbearable images of human tragedy have come out of Gaza. Women, children and elderly people are being killed, hospitals and schools have been bombarded -- no one is spared. As I write this, UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, has already, tragically, lost nearly 100 of its staff, many killed while in their homes with their families.   Entire neighbourhoods are being flattened over the heads of civilians in one of the most overcrowded spots on Earth. The IDF has been warning Palestinians in Gaza to move to the southern part of the strip as it bombs the north; but the strikes also continue in the south. There is nowhere safe in Gaza.   Nearly many hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in 150 schools and other UNRWA buildings, living in unsanitary conditions with limited clean water, little food and medicines. Mothers do not know how they can clean their children. Pregnant women pray that they will not face complications during delivery because hospitals have no capacity to receive them. Entire families now live in our buildings because they have nowhere else to go. But our facilities are not safe -- 40 UNRWA buildings, including schools and warehouses, have been damaged by the strikes. Many civilians sheltering inside them were, tragically, killed.   Gaza has been described over the last 15 years as a large open-air prison, with an air, sea and land blockade choking 2.2 million people within 365 sq km. Most young people have never left Gaza. Today, this prison is becoming the graveyard of a population trapped between war, siege and deprivation.   For the past few days, intense negotiations at the highest levels finally allowed very limited humanitarian supplies into the strip. While the breakthrough is welcome, these trucks are a trickle rather than the flow of aid that a humanitarian situation of this magnitude requires.   Before 7 October, Gaza received some 500 trucks of food and other supplies every day, including 45 trucks of fuel to power the strip's cars, water desalination plants and bakeries. Today, Gaza is being strangled, and the few convoys now entering will not assuage the civilian population's sentiment that they have been abandoned and sacrificed by the world.   On 7 October, Hamas committed unspeakable massacres of Israeli civilians that may amount to war crimes. The UN condemned this horrific act in the strongest terms. But let there be no shadow of a doubt -- this does not justify the ongoing crimes against the civilian population of Gaza, including its 1 million children.   The UN charter and our commitments are a commitment to our shared humanity. Civilians -- wherever they are -- must be protected equally. Gaza's civilians did not choose this war. Atrocities should not be followed by more atrocities. The response to war crimes is not more war crimes. The framework of international law is very clear on this and well established.   It will take genuine and courageous efforts to go back to the roots of this deadly deadlock and offer political options that are viable and can enable an environment of peace, stability and security. Until then, we must make sure that the rules of international humanitarian law are respected, and civilians spared and protected. An immediate humanitarian ceasefire must be enacted to allow safe, continuous and unrestricted access to fuel, medicine, water and food in the Gaza Strip.   Dag Hammarskjold, the second UN secretary-general, once said: "The UN was not created in order to bring us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell." The reality today in Gaza is that there is not much humanity left and hell is settling in.   The generations to come will know that we watched this human tragedy unfold over social media and news channels. We will not be able to say we did not know. History will ask why the world did not have the courage to act decisively and stop this hell on Earth.   * Philippe Lazzarini is Commissioner-General of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.   http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/notes/i-run-un-agency-palestine-refugees-history-will-judge-us-all-if-there-no-ceasefire http://www.ochaopt.org/content/statement-un-humanitarian-coordinator-occupied-palestinian-territory-lynn-hastings-protection-all-civilians http://www.ochaopt.org/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/child-casualties-gaza-growing-stain-our-collective-conscience http://www.emro.who.int/media/news/as-gazas-health-system-disintegrates-who-calls-for-safe-passage-of-fuel-supplies-for-health-facilities.html http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/israel-opt-turk-says-humanity-must-come-first-urges-humanitarian-ceasefire http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/open-call-immediate-ceasefire-gaza-strip-and-israel-prevent-humanitarian-catastrophe-and-further-loss-innocent-lives http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza   Oct. 2023   Conflict once again has brought human suffering to the fore, by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan (Extract)   I come to Egypt at what everybody knows is a very precarious time in world affairs. It's a moment when conflict once again has brought human suffering to the fore. We see nightmares in the daytime on our television screen.. We have watched with horror the pictures emerging from Israel on the 7th of October. I think any of us that are parents or have children, any of us that have families, any of us that are alive, any of us that have love of God or love of humanity in our heart could not have helped feel their hearts chill on hearing the various accounts that came from so many innocent civilians in Israel whose lives were torn apart on that fateful day.   And we simply cannot live in a world, we cannot leave a world for our children where burnings and executions and rapes and killings can take place as if they are normal, as if they are to be tolerated, as if they can happen without consequence.   Children and men and women and the elderly can't be ripped from their homes and taken as hostages, whatever the reasons. And when these types of acts take place, they cannot go uninvestigated and they cannot go unpunished. Because these types of crimes that we've all been watching, that we saw on the 7th of October, are serious violations, if proven, of international humanitarian law.   And one can't watch videos of innocent Israelis being hunted down on a Saturday morning at a party and not pause to think for a moment at the hatred and the cruelty that underpinned those attacks. These acts that we saw on the 7th of October are not acts that accord with our humanity. They are acts that are repugnant to any person that believes in God. They're the most un-Islamic acts and cannot be committed in the name of a religion whose very name is peace.   As I stated five days after the attacks that took place on the 7th of October, we have jurisdiction over crimes committed by the nationals of state parties. And therefore that jurisdiction continues over any Rome Statute crimes committed by Palestinian nationals or the nationals of any state parties on Israeli territory, if that is proven. And whilst Israel is not a member of the ICC, I stand ready to work with state parties and non-state parties alike in pursuit of accountability.   My primary and indeed my only objective must be to achieve justice for the victims and to uphold my own solemn declaration under the Rome Statute as an independent prosecutor, impartially looking at the evidence and vindicating the rights of victims whether they are in Israel or Palestine.   Since the 7th of October, I have intensified my efforts to get in and access the locations where crimes were committed in Israel.. And I've similarly made every effort to enter Gaza, but it has not been possible. In Gaza, I wanted to meet those who are suffering such tremendous pain, to hear their experiences firsthand, and very importantly, to promise to them, to give a commitment to them, that their birthright is justice..   And whilst I wasn't able to enter Gaza on this trip, I stood almost on the door of Gaza when I went to the Rafah Crossing this morning. And there's no denying that any right-minded person would agree that beyond that crossing, - and I had those pictures we see on the television around the world in my mind - beyond that crossing are innocent Palestinians, innocent children, boys and girls who should be at school, who should be playing in parks or playing football or playing with their friends, learning and studying and hoping to build a better future, hoping to cure the mistakes of this generation of leaders and our own shortcomings. And instead, they're enduring unimaginable suffering. And the pictures we see can only be described as horrific and heartbreaking.   Palestinians who want no part of this conflict are caught up in hostilities. And too many are dying and too many are being injured. And it's alarming to see the bodies of young children that could be our own children being dragged, baked in dust, still and silent, - as lifeless bodies - or injured and bleeding - being rushed to medical facilities that may not have the means to fix them and give them a chance to breathe the air and see the sun of tomorrow.   The fact that innocent civilians are trapped under the weight of a war they cannot escape and which is not their fault is not tenable. We need to step back and agree it's not acceptable that they're caught up in a war not of their making.   As a society, we simply cannot accept, I believe, that the brutal nature of war is some fait accompli. We can't willfully turn our faces away from that suffering because it's hard to watch, because it makes uncomfortable viewing. We can't turn our faces away from the suffering of innocents in particular. And we cannot and must not lose sight of the fact that there are laws that govern the conduct of hostilities.   There's no blank cheque. It's not a case that one can do whatever one wants to pursue a particular objective. The laws that we have, the Rome Statute that I operate under, requires that innocent lives are particularly protected. And what is most important is that the application of the law is not theoretical. People have heard promises for a long time. There have been enough words. The protections afforded by the law apply equally regardless of one's race and one's religion, one's nationality, one's gender. There are no children of a lesser God.   I have to say that Israel has clear obligations in relation to its war with Hamas: not just moral obligations, but legal obligations that it has to comply with the laws of armed conflict. It's there in the Rome Statute. It's there in black and white. It's there in the Geneva Conventions. It's there in black and white.   Israel has a professional military. They will need to demonstrate that any attack, any attack that impacts innocent civilians or protected objects, must be conducted in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.   They need to demonstrate the proper application of the principles of distinction, precaution and of proportionality. And I want to be quite clear so there's no misunderstanding: In relation to every dwelling house, in relation to any school, any hospital, any church, any mosque – those places are protected, unless the protective status has been lost. And I want to be equally clear that the burden of proving that the protective status is lost rests with those who fire the gun, the missile, or the rocket in question.   My Office certainly will scrutinise all information we receive in this regard to ensure that the law is not some kind of optional extra that one can take and leave. It is there to bind us together and to keep us away from the gates of hell and further misery. And this principle equally applies to Hamas in relation to firing rockets into Israel, either targeting civilians or knowing they don't have the sophistication to avoid civilian casualties.   As I stated just a few days after the events of the 7th of October, my Office has an ongoing investigation with jurisdiction over Palestine that goes back to 2014 and any crimes committed on the territory of Palestine by any party. And this includes jurisdiction over current events in Gaza and also current events in the West Bank. I'm also extremely concerned with the spike, the increase, in the number of reported incidents of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. We will investigate these attacks and all further attacks must cease immediately.   My message at this time is a consistent one that I have given in numerous parts of the world. It flows from the common yardstick of legality that we have to enforce, and it flows from the principle that justice is every child's birthright, every civilian's entitlement. The message is that any person with their finger on the trigger of a gun or controls a missile, has certain responsibilities. My Office will look closely to see whether those responsibilities are being adhered to or not.   I also want to be clear that my Office is in the business of conducting credible, relevant, professional, and independent criminal investigations. And so I don't, I haven't, and I won't be giving a running commentary on social media, or anywhere else for that matter, regarding the state of investigations in this or any other situation. But the absence of commentary does not mean the absence of investigations.   Hostage taking represents a grave breach to the Geneva Conventions. It represents a specific offence under the Rome Statute. And I call for the immediate release of all hostages taken from Israel and for their safe return to their families.   We've heard a lot from the Secretary General of the United Nations, from the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, and from the World Health Organization regarding the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Impeding relief supplies as provided by the Geneva Conventions may constitute a crime within the Court's jurisdiction.   I want to underline clearly to Israel that there must be discernible efforts, without further delay, to make sure civilians receive basic food, medicine, anaesthetics, morphine. We hear reports of operations taking place without these basic medicines, as if we're in the Middle Ages. Civilians must receive basic food and water and the desperately needed medical supplies.   This morning, I saw trucks full of goods, full of humanitarian assistance stuck where nobody needs them, stuck in Egypt, stuck on Rafah and away from the hungry mouths or the bleeding wounds. These supplies must get to the civilians of Gaza without delay. And in the same way, I underline to Hamas and anybody who has control in Gaza, that when aid reaches Gaza, it's imperative that the assistance gets to the civilian population, and is not misused or diverted away from them.   I think our shared humanity, our faith, our traditions, require us to remember and express condolences for the loss of so many. In Israel, those that have been buried, for those that are waiting for their loved ones to be returned and that same heart, those same filial relationships and those same bonds of blood, of family, of friendship apply in Gaza to those Palestinians suffering so profoundly - for the many that are being buried and for the so many futures that have already been cut short in this ugly conflict.   It is really tragic, as we express our condolences, to have to ask what on earth is happening to this Holy Land of Israel and Palestine, whose very ground sheds tears at the blood of so many innocents that is being spilt.   We should never think things cannot get worse. What we are seeing around the world today are these epicentres of violence, whether it's in Ukraine or in the Sahel, whether it's in what's happening in Darfur, the plight of the Rohingya, what's happening in Afghanistan. I think it really is a moment where we must adhere to the law. It's our duty to do so. It's an imperative if we love our own children. We have to act because it is such a perilous moment.   I fear that if we fail collectively to hear the call of our humanity, if we fail to listen to the reproaching soul of our hearts, to be better than we are, to be more just than we've been, to fight for things not based upon people's religion or tribe or nationality, their wealth or their poverty, but simply because we want to live in a world where there is equality so that we do not fall completely into the abyss. We want to live in a world where there is justice. We have to do better than we are doing right now. There are so many that are crying, and there are so many that are in pain.   http://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-khan-kc-cairo-situation-state-palestine-and-israel http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1147217 http://www.who.int/europe/news/item/23-10-2023-shock-grief-and-the-challenge-of-healing-israel-health-system-responds-to-the-october-attacks http://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/press-release/israel-west-bank-mission/ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67053011 http://rabbis4ceasefire.com/statement-2/   12/10/23   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “Let me begin by expressing my utter condemnation of the abhorrent attacks by Hamas and others against Israeli towns and villages in the Gaza periphery, which have left over 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 3,000 injured (12/10),” he said.   Mr. Guterres noted that over 200 Israelis - civilians, including women, children and the elderly - have been reported captured by armed groups and are being held hostage inside the Gaza Strip.   Meanwhile, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad group have launched thousands of indiscriminate rockets that have reached central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.   “Nothing can justify these acts of terror and the killing, maiming and abduction of civilians,” he said. “I reiterate my call to immediately cease these attacks and release all hostages.”   In the face of these unprecedented attacks, Israel has commenced military operations in Gaza.   “While I recognize Israel’s legitimate security concerns, I also remind Israel that military operations must be conducted in strict accordance with international humanitarian law.”   The Secretary-General stressed that civilians must be respected and protected at all times, and that civilian infrastructure must never be a target.   9 Oct. 2023   UN officials have urged all concerned to urge "maximum restraint” following “horrific scenes of violence” that has left many hundreds of people dead and over 2,000 people wounded in Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza Strip, amid rocket and armed attacks by armed Palestinian militants early Saturday morning.   At dawn, a Hamas-led operation launched thousands of rockets towards Israel from the Gaza Strip, and armed Hamas fighters entered Southern Israel and attacked a number of Israeli towns and settlements murdering hundreds of women and children, the elderly and unarmed civilians. Families were burned alive in their homes, shot while trying to flee, massacred en masse in brutal acts defined as war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.   In response, Israeli authorities have declared that the country is in a state of war and have launched a military operation with strikes on the Gaza strip by air, land and sea.   Tor Wennesland, the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:   “I vehemently condemn this morning’s multi-front assault against Israeli towns and cities near the Gaza Strip and barrage of rockets reaching across central Israel by Hamas militants.. These events have resulted in horrific scenes of violence and many Israeli fatalities and injuries, with many believed to be kidnapped inside the Strip,” he said. “These are heinous attacks targeting civilians.”   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk: “Civilians must never be the target of attack.. I am shocked and appalled at reports this morning that thousands of indiscriminate rockets have been fired by Palestinian armed groups towards Israel, and that many Israelis have been killed and hundreds injured.”   Noting that Israeli forces have responded with airstrikes into the densely populated Gaza Strip, he called on them to “take all precautions to avoid civilian casualties there”.   “I call for an immediate stop to the violence, and appeal to all sides and key countries in the region to de-escalate to avoid further bloodshed,” he said.   The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is extremely concerned by the alarming intensification of armed violence in Israel and the Occupied Territories. The ICRC calls on all parties to respect their legal obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL).   Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC regional director for the Near and Middle East, said: “The images and reports we have seen this morning from Israel are utterly horrific. The violence directed against civilians is appalling and cannot be justified. If the situation continues to escalate, then civilians on both sides will suffer immensely.   “We are aware of reports relating to people being captured or detained. I want to make it clear that carrying out, or threatening to carry out, an act of hostage-taking is prohibited under international humanitarian law. Anyone detained, including combatants, must be treated humanely and with dignity.   “All parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. This is non-negotiable. Civilians and civilian objects must be respected and protected. Healthcare workers and health facilities must be protected to ensure people needing help can receive treatment".   http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142082 http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142012 http://www.icrc.org/en/document/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-calls-immediate-protection-civilians-after-horrific http://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/middle-east/israel-and-occupied-territories/israel-conflict http://www.savethechildren.net/news/children-are-paying-heaviest-price-violence-israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territory-escalates http://www.care-international.org/news/care-international-condemns-horrific-violence-israel-and-gaza http://www.hrw.org/report/2024/07/17/i-cant-erase-all-blood-my-mind/palestinian-armed-groups-october-7-assault-israel http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule139 http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1 http://www.un.org/en/situation-in-occupied-palestine-and-israel Visit the related web page
	The need for negotiations to stop the war in Ukraine could not be more urgent by UN News, ICRC, UNICEF, MSF, agencies   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”.   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”.   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   15 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”.   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   16 Jan. 2023   Ukraine: Civilian attacks ‘must end immediately’ says UN. (UN News)   The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned Russia’s attack on a large residential building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro at the weekend that has left at least 45 civilians dead, including three children, and at least 75 injured, with those figures likely to rise, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country.   Spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said that António Guterres had condemned Saturday evening’s missile strike adding that it was “another example of a suspected violation of the laws of war.”   Violation of international law   In a statement issued later in the day, the Spokesperson reiterated that “attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, violate international humanitarian law. They must end immediately.”   The Ukraine office of UN aid coordination wing OCHA, described the strike on the nine-storey building in the central Ukrainian city as one of the deadliest attacks since Russia began its full-scale invasion on 24 February last year.   With many still unaccounted for, rescuers were still digging through the rubble looking for survivors on Monday, while dozens more civilians were killed or injured across the country over the weekend period, said OCHA.   The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, condemned the immense civilian toll of the attack by Russia, calling for an effective investigation of suspected war crimes and appropriate prosecution of suspects.   “More than 1,000 people have been made homeless as a result of the attack, according to our humanitarian colleagues on the ground”, said Ms. Tremblay.   Red Cross premises hit   In the southern city of Kherson, the premises hosting the Ukrainian Red Cross Society were hit during shelling in the city on Sunday, said Ms. Tremblay. “Although no one was injured, the organization lost critical supplies.”   The UN deputy relief chief Joyce Msuya, said she was “shocked and terrified” by the attacks on civilians in Dnipro, and the shelling of the Red Cross facility in Kherson.   Ms. Brown said that a “place where people impacted by the war can find relief, should never be a target.”   Ms. Tremblay said that UN humanitarians wanted all combatants everywhere to understand that “humanitarian workers and facilities are protected and constant efforts must be made to spare them. “A hospital, also protected under international humanitarian law, was hit in the city.”   Meanwhile, in Kryviy Rih, in the Dnipro region, local authorities reported that more than 50 homes, three schools, and two kindergartens were damaged on Sunday.   ‘Critical’ situation in the east   “Further east, the situation remains critical, with scores of civilians killed and injured on both sides of the front line in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions”, said Ms. Tremblay.   In the parts of Donetsk currently under Russian control, dozens of homes were damaged, and at least two health centres and several ambulances were also hit during shelling reported over the weekend, according to Russian-installed authorities there.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/01/1132492 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/over-900-hours-underground-children-ukraine-endure-life-bunkers-war-enters-second-year http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-one-year-ngos-call-protection-civilians-humanitarian-access-localisation-and-durable-solutions http://unocha.exposure.co/7-reasons-why-the-world-must-keep-supporting-ukraine http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/ http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/news/press/2023/1/63d3c3324.html   6 Dec. 2022 (UN News)   The torment being unleashed by Russia’s “senseless war”, on the people of Ukraine and beyond, is “colossal”, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told the UN Security Council.   Amidst ongoing humanitarian operations, Martin Griffiths told ambassadors he had come to brief them in New York on “the widespread death, destruction, displacement, and suffering” taking place since the invasion of 24 February, and the challenges that the continuing violence and winter weather were exacerbating.   “Over 14 million people remain forcibly displaced from their homes in Ukraine, including 6.5 million internally displaced in Ukraine, and over 7.8 million refugees recorded across Europe”, he detailed.   Citing the UN human rights office OHCHR, he said that 17,023 civilians have been killed since 24 February, including 419 children, but “we know that the real toll is far greater”.   The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there have been at least 715 attacks on Ukraine’s health system, including 630 that impacted health facilities and 61 affecting personnel.   “These attacks in Ukraine represent more than 70 per cent of all attacks on healthcare infrastructure reported worldwide this year”, said the UN relief chief.   Mr. Griffiths said that since 24 February, 1,148 children had been killed or injured, “while millions have fled, been uprooted from their homes, separated from their families or put at risk of violence”.   Some 765,000 children have needed and received psycho-social support, to help them deal with the trauma they have gone through.   Meanwhile, mobile teams in centres for the internally displaced, are registering, assessing and providing direct support. At the same time, gender-based violence targeting women and girls continues to be pervasive, and under-reported, he said.   Assault on energy grid   Amidst freezing temperatures that are expected to drop to below -20°C, attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure continue, leaving millions without access to heat, electricity, and water – “adding another dangerous dimension to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war”, said Mr. Griffiths.   These attacks deprive people of basic healthcare and children of their right to an education.   “In Ukraine today, the ability of civilians to survive is under attack”, reminding that the already vulnerable, such as the elderly and displaced, are at the highest risk.   Under international law, “objects indispensable to survival… must be protected… throughout all military operations”, Mr. Griffiths added.   The humanitarian community continues to stay and deliver for Ukrainians, with almost 690 partners providing life-critical aid and protection services to 13.5 million people.   However, since October, sustained attacks on the whole energy grid by Russian forces, have created a whole new level of need, he warned. “The scale of destruction of the electrical and heating infrastructure requires enhanced support to the Government of Ukraine beyond what humanitarians can provide”, he warned.   While acknowledging some improvements in humanitarian access, he said impediments to reaching areas in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia remain. “It is absolutely vital that humanitarians be allowed to send personnel and inter-agency convoys to deliver relief items to all those in need, wherever they are located”, he underscored.   “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 relief personnel have the freedom of movement required for their work”, he said.   At the beginning of 2022, 274 million people needed humanitarian assistance. The projected number for 2023 has now grown to 339 million – a 24 per cent increase, Mr. Griffiths told ambassadors.   “It represents one in every 23 people on the planet”, he said, equating the number to a population the size of the world’s most populous country.   “We must do more to reverse this devastating trend and… redouble all efforts to prevent further escalation and end the war in Ukraine…and spare no effort for peace”.   http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-martin-griffiths-remarks-un-security-council-ukraine-new-york-6-december-2022 http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/ http://www.icrc.org/en/document/russia-ukraine-international-armed-conflict-immense-damage-essential-infrastructure http://www.icrc.org/en/document/ukrainerussia-civilian-lives-and-infrastructure-must-be-protected http://www.nrc.no/news/2022/november/humanitarian-organisations-condemn-attacks-on-civilian-infrastructure-ukraine/ http://www.nrc.no/news/2022/november/ukraine-people-cut-off-from-aid-face-extreme-suffering-as-winter-conditions-worsen/ http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/11/1131012 http://www.who.int/europe/news/item/21-11-2022-statement---winter-in-ukraine--people-s-health-cannot-be-held-hostage   20 Nov. 2022   IAEA chief condemns strikes at Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. (News agencies)   UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has denounced the “targeted” strikes at Ukraine’s Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, calling for a “stop to this madness”.   Around a dozen strikes had targeted the plant, he said, and the situation was “very serious”, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told French broadcaster BFM TV.   It was an outrage that some people “consider a nuclear power plant to be a legitimate military target”, he said.   While he did not blame either Russia or Ukraine, Grossi said: “Whoever it is, stop this madness!”   “The people who are doing this know where they are hitting. It is absolutely deliberate, targeted.”   Earlier Sunday, Kyiv and Moscow blamed each other for shelling the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.   The IAEA is to send a team of experts to the plant – the biggest nuclear facility in Europe – after the “powerful explosions” there on Saturday and Sunday.   “The plant is on the front line, there are military activities that are very difficult to identify, there are Russian troops and Ukrainian troops in operation,” Grossi said.   “There has been damage in some rather delicate places,” he added, though the nuclear reactors themselves have not been affected but “rather the area where the fresh and spent fuel is located”.   Russia, which launched an offensive on Ukraine in February, has been occupying the territory around the power station. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed its annexation, along with four Ukrainian regions. Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for the repeating shelling of the site.   http://www.iaea.org/nuclear-safety-and-security-in-ukraine http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-129-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/11/1130857 http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/08/1124452   23 Nov. 2022 (OCHA)   A new wave of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this afternoon has left millions of people in all regions of the country without electricity, adding to the already grave energy crisis faced by millions of Ukrainians. The emergency power outages – which come on top to the ongoing scheduled cuts – also affect access to water and heating, at a time when temperatures are below zero in many parts of the country.   Today’s strikes happened just a few hours after the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the Russian Federation for conducting deliberate attacks and atrocities against the civilian population of Ukraine that violate human rights law and international humanitarian law.   Following the attacks, some Ukrainian regions like Lviv in the west, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa in the south and Chernihiv in the north have been completely disconnected from electricity. Blackouts are also affecting large parts of the central regions of Vinnytsya and Dnipro, western Khmelnitsk, northern-eastern Kharkiv and Sumy, southern Mykolaiv and the capital Kyiv. According to the Ministry of Energy, temporary power outages have affected all Ukrainian nuclear power plants.   In Kyiv, the entire population – estimated at around 3 million people – was left without water today, and authorities stated they are working around the clock to restore the supply. People in some parts of the city are also facing challenges with the heating system. In addition to energy infrastructure, residential buildings were also hit in Kyiv and in Chabany and Vyshhorod towns, in the outskirts of the capital. While search and rescue teams are still on operating, authorities have confirmed that over 30 civilians have been killed or injured in the three localities.   * More than 10 million Ukrainians are without electricity after dozens of Russian air attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure as winter sets in and temperatures plummet. Repeated barrages have disrupted electricity and water supplies across Ukraine.   http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-escalation-attacks-across-country-flash-update-no7-23-nov-2022-enruuk http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/ http://www.icrc.org/en/document/russia-ukraine-international-armed-conflict-immense-damage-essential-infrastructure http://www.icrc.org/en/document/ukrainerussia-civilian-lives-and-infrastructure-must-be-protected http://www.nrc.no/news/2022/november/humanitarian-organisations-condemn-attacks-on-civilian-infrastructure-ukraine/ http://www.nrc.no/news/2022/november/ukraine-people-cut-off-from-aid-face-extreme-suffering-as-winter-conditions-worsen/ http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/11/1131012 http://www.who.int/europe/news/item/21-11-2022-statement---winter-in-ukraine--people-s-health-cannot-be-held-hostage   31 Oct. 2022 (OCHA)   A new wave of missile attacks on urban centres this morning has, once again, left an unconfirmed number of civilians injured and caused large-scale disruption to electricity and water supplies. The attacks happened in the earlier hours of the morning, when people were commuting to work.   This is the fifth time this month that we have seen a wave of attacks on energy infrastructure across Ukraine, which are leaving millions of people across the country without power and limited access to clean water as the pumps to supply water depend on electricity.   Today’s attacks reportedly caused power outages in at least 10 of Ukraine’s 24 regions, causing trains to stop and leaving hospitals relying on generators to continue services in some locations, including Kharkiv.   In the capital Kyiv, most people are without water at their homes and some 350,000 houses and businesses have no electricity, according to the Ukrainian authorities.   In times of war, civilian infrastructure is protected under international humanitarian law. With the harsh winter in Ukraine approaching, it is particularly important to preserve energy and water supplies, which are also necessary to run the heating systems in most of the country.   http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-escalation-attacks-across-country-flash-update-no-4-31-october-2022-enukru   10 Oct. 2022   Ukraine: Escalation of attacks across the country. (OCHA)   A wave of missile attacks and other airstrikes on large urban centres in Ukraine this morning have left scores of civilians killed and injured and key infrastructure damaged across most regions of the country, including the capital Kyiv. The escalation of Russia's war on Ukraine comes just a couple of days after the Kerch Strait bridge, which connects the annexed Crimean peninsula with the Russian Federation territory, was reportedly damaged over the weekend.   Schools across the whole country were closed, and hundreds of thousands of families were left without power supplies in eastern Kharkivska, western Lvivska, central Poltavska, northern Sumska and western Ternopilska oblasts, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Water and telecommunications services have also been affected in some regions.   The wave of attacks, claimed by Russia, has also impacted humanitarian operations across Ukraine, particularly hampering the movement of aid workers and delivery of emergency supplies in the east of the country, where people are already in desperate need of assistance.   In Kyiv, a series of explosions since early hours in the morning were reported in central districts of the capital, including near to the Shevchenko University, when students were going to classes and people commuting to work.   This was the first missile attack on the capital since late June and forced the city authorities to stop the movement of some metro lines and convert the stations into shelters for the population. Critical infrastructure, including some civilian buildings, were damaged during the strikes, and emergency services are working to rescue survivors.   In Kharkiv city and parts of Kharkivska oblast in eastern Ukraine, energy systems were reportedly damaged, leaving the population also without water due to the lack of electricity to operate the pumps. The situation is similar in Dnipro, an important humanitarian hub in central Ukraine, where a missile attack left an unspecified number of civilian casualties. In the south, the situation is particularly concerning in Zaporizka oblast, where several missiles overnight have reportedly hit residential buildings and power lines. Yesterday 9 October, more than a dozen civilians were reportedly killed and over 50 -- including above 10 children -- injured during overnight strikes that damaged or destroyed dozens of homes in the city.   Over the past few days, the administrative centre, Zaporizhzhia, has been impacted almost daily, leaving scores of civilians killed and injured and civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, kindergartens damaged.   In western Ukraine, several missile strikes were reported in Lviv city and across the oblast, reportedly targeting energy infrastructure, according to humanitarian security reports and the authorities.   The new escalation of Russia's war on Ukraine comes at a time when nearly 18 million people across the country are already facing urgent humanitarian needs following nearly eight months of ferocious fighting.   http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-escalation-attacks-across-country-flash-update-no1-enruuk http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129387 http://www.icrc.org/en/document/ukrainerussia-civilian-lives-and-infrastructure-must-be-protected http://www.savethechildren.net/news/joint-statement-aid-agencies-call-upholding-international-humanitarian-law-protection-civilians http://www.acaps.org/country/ukraine/crisis/conflict http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-flash-update-no4-17-october-2022-enukru   11 Aug. 2022   UN chief appeals for immediate end to military activities at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant. (UN News)   Military activities around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in Ukraine must stop immediately, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, warning of the potential danger to the area and beyond amid ongoing shelling.   Europe’s largest nuclear plant has been occupied by Russian forces since March, and last week the external power supply system was damaged in an attack.   “I am calling for all military activities in the immediate vicinity of the plant to cease immediately and not to target its facilities or surroundings,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement expressing his grave concern over the unfolding situation.   The Secretary-General recalled his appeal to all parties “to exercise common sense and reason” and not do anything that might endanger the plant’s physical integrity, safety or security.   “Regrettably, instead of de-escalation, over the past several days there have been reports of further deeply worrying incidents that could, if they continue, lead to disaster,” he said.   “I urge the withdrawal of any military personnel and equipment from the plant and the avoidance of any further deployment of forces or equipment to the site. The facility must not be used as part of any military operation. Instead, urgent agreement is needed at a technical level on a safe perimeter of demilitarization to ensure the safety of the area.”   The Secretary-General underlined the UN’s support for the critical work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and its efforts towards ensuring safe operations at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant. He also urged the parties to provide the agency with immediate, secure and unfettered access to the site.   “We must be clear that any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia or any other nuclear facilities in Ukraine, or anywhere else, could lead to catastrophic consequences not only for the immediate vicinity, but for the region and beyond. This is wholly unacceptable.”   http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/08/1124452 http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/humanitarian-needs-ukraine-global-food-crisis-still-skyrocketing-six-months-after-russian-federations-invasion-secretary-general-warns-security-council http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/director-general-grossi-alarmed-by-shelling-at-ukraine-npp-says-iaea-mission-vital-for-nuclear-safety-and-security http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/situation-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-very-alarming-international-atomic-energy-agency-director-general-tells-security-council http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/nearly-us43-billion-required-respond-worsening-humanitarian-crisis-ukraine-enruuk http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-situation-report-20-jul-2022-enruuk http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine   June 2022   One hundred days of war in Ukraine. (UN News)   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres marking the tragic milestone:   "Today marks 100 days since the start of the 24 February Russian invasion of Ukraine. As we mark this tragic day, I renew my call for an immediate halt to violence, for unfettered humanitarian access to all those in need, for safe evacuation of civilians trapped in areas of fighting and for urgent protection of civilians and respect for human rights in accordance with international norms.   The conflict has already taken many thousands of lives, caused untold destruction, displaced millions of people, resulted in unacceptable violations of human rights and is inflaming a three-dimensional global crisis – food, energy and finance – that is pummeling the most vulnerable people, countries and economies.   The UN is committed to the humanitarian effort. But as I have stressed from the beginning, resolving this conflict will require negotiations and dialogue. The sooner the parties engage in good-faith diplomatic efforts to end this war, the better for the sake of Ukraine, Russia and the world".   United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, Amin Awad:   "This war has taken an unacceptable toll on people and engulfed virtually all aspects of civilian life. This war has and will have no winner. Rather, we have witnessed for 100 days what is lost: lives, homes, jobs and prospects. We have witnessed destruction and devastation across cities, towns and villages. Schools, hospitals and shelters have not been spared.   Families and communities have been disrupted and uprooted. In just over three months, nearly 14 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, the majority women and children – a scale and speed of displacement not witnessed in history.   More than 3 million children saw their education suspended – an entire generation of children whose future hangs in the balance. All over the country, hundreds of thousands of people do not have access to water and electricity, and millions do not know where their next meal is coming from. 15.7 million people are in need of humanitarian support now, with numbers growing.   One hundred days on, the war ravages unabated especially in the east of the country. And with winter coming, millions of civilian lives could be in peril.   UN agencies and humanitarian partners in Ukraine continue to work to support those whose lives have been shattered by war. In the past 100 days, we have provided humanitarian aid to some 8 million people across the country, including in besieged cities in the east of Ukraine. Our efforts to respond to the war’s devastating impact will continue. But above all we need peace. The war must end now".   ICRC director-general Robert Mardini:   "It would be hard to exaggerate the toll that the international armed conflict in Ukraine has had on civilians over the last 100 days. The scale of destruction in cities defies comprehension. Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed and civilians have suffered the horrors of conflict, with lives lost and families torn apart".   100 days of war in Ukraine have left 5.2 million children in need. (Unicef)   100 days of war in Ukraine have wrought devastating consequences for children at a scale and speed not seen since World War II. Three million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Almost two out of every three children have been displaced by fighting.   On average more than two children are killed and more than four injured each day in Ukraine – mostly in attacks using explosive weapons in populated areas. Civilian infrastructure on which children depend continues to be damaged or destroyed; this includes at least 256 health facilities and one in six UNICEF-supported ‘Safe Schools’ in the country’s east. Hundreds of other schools across the country have also been damaged or destroyed. Conditions for children in eastern and southern Ukraine where fighting has intensified are increasingly desperate.   UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, "the war has shattered the lives of millions of children. Without an urgent ceasefire and negotiated peace, children will continue to suffer – and fallout from the war will impact vulnerable children around the world.”   "The war and mass displacement are devastating livelihoods and economic opportunities, leaving many families without sufficient income to meet basic needs and unable to provide adequate support for their children.   UNICEF continues to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and to protect all children from harm. This includes ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian infrastructure. UNICEF is appealing for full humanitarian access to safely and quickly reach children in need wherever they may be".   http://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en/press-releases/war-ukraine-has-left-nearly-1000-children-killed-or-injured   269 verified attacks on health care facilities. (WHO)   “In 100 days of war, there have been over 260 verified attacks on health care in Ukraine. These attacks are not justifiable, they are never ok, and they must be investigated. No health professional should have to deliver health care on a knife edge, but this is just what nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, the medical teams in Ukraine are doing,” said Dr Hans Henri Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.   “I have been privileged to meet many health workers during my visits to Ukraine. They are keeping vital services and hope alive in the face of unbelievable sorrow and suffering,” he added. Some health facilities have been completely destroyed, while others have been overwhelmed by people seeking care for trauma and injuries resulting directly from the war".   Matilda Bogner, Head of UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU):   "The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has been able to verify the deaths of 4,183 civilians and 5,014 civilians injured, but we know that the actual numbers are considerably higher.   Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects. To date, we have documented the deaths of 3,524 civilians from the use of artillery and tank shelling, multiple launch rocket systems, missile and air strikes. The extent of civilian death and damage and destruction of civilian infrustructure, strongly suggests that there have been violations of international humanitarian law, some of which may amount to war crimes.   The Mission has also documented the devastating impact of the war on other human rights. Among them we recorded unlawful killings, including summary executions, torture, ill-treatment, and conflict-related sexual violence. Parties to the conflict should put an end to civilian suffering, and fully respect obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law".   Intense and ongoing hostilities continue to cause suffering, deaths and massive destruction of civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, particularly affecting people in the east and south of the country. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to be uprooted by the war, while in the worst-impacted areas people have lived for over two months without adequate access to food, water and electricity or gas, with limited health services, while enduring the constant threat of bombardment.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1119672 http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1121592 http://ukraine.un.org/en/press-centre/press-releases http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-situation-report-13-jul-2022-enuk http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/ http://reliefweb.int/country/ukr http://www.acaps.org/country/ukraine/special-reports#container-1776 http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/war-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children http://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-twice-many-schools-attacked-past-100-days-during-first-7-years-conflict http://www.icrc.org/en/document/ukraine-humanitarian-situation-deteriorates-major-cities-bear-brunt-heavy-fighting http://www.icrc.org/en/humanitarian-crisis-ukraine http://www.wfp.org/stories/war-ukraine-wfp-renews-call-open-black-sea-ports-amid-fears-global-hunger http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/news/briefing/2022/6/6299c8f14/100-days-anguish-unhcr-focused-protection-shelter-ukrainians.html http://storyteller.iom.int/stories/scorched-dreams-100-days-war-ukraine http://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/statement/briefing-of-srsg-patten-about-ukraine-to-the-security-council-6-june-2022/ http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/new-report-un-human-rights-shows-shocking-toll-war-ukraine-enruuk Visit the related web page
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