New York, 6 December 2023
Thank you, Mr. President,
I thank ASG Jenca and, Director Rajasingham for their briefing.
Colleagues,
Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine has not stopped; the suffering of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine continues, and the humanitarian needs for the population only get worse.
The impact of this military aggression is on a scale beyond what Europe has seen during this century, resulting in human suffering, in continued deaths of innocent civilians, deliberate destruction of vital infrastructure, and massive displacement within Ukraine and beyond.
Millions of people do not have access to basic services, including water, electricity, and heating, while food supplies are running low. The winter times will make a challenging situation worse.
Ensuring safe access for humanitarian organizations is essential to deliver relief items and enable safe evacuations from areas under attack.
As this year comes to an end and with no prospects to ending this war, we fear that millions of people will remain internally displaced in Ukraine in 2024, with close to 6 million refugees outside the country.
Also attacks on medical facilities, schools and other infrastructure have been recorded, which constitute blatant violations of international humanitarian law.
Mr. President,
The situation of civilians and of children in particular remains challenging. According to a recent report of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, a total of 512 children have been killed and over 1,152 injured in Ukraine since the Russian invasion started.
Credible reports indicate that the Russian forces have forcibly transferred up to 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees to Russian territory. Human rights groups say many were forced into renouncing their Ukrainian nationality. Although Russia tries to cover its actions as humanitarian evacuations, forcible transfers are a war crime under international law;
Several reports have pointed out unquestionable evidence that the Russian authorities have committed a wide range of violations, many of which amount to war crimes. They include willful killings, attacks on civilians, unlawful confinement, torture, rape, and sexual violence, as well as forced transfers and deportations of children.
Mr. President,
The World Food Program estimates that one in three Ukrainian households is food-insecure, the situation being worse in some areas of the east and south. The war continues to have far-reaching humanitarian implications way beyond Ukraine, across Europe and the globe, especially after Russia’s stopped the Black Sea Grain Initiative. By seriously impacting supplies of grain and other food staples from Ukraine, it affects many countries and regions of the world that are already facing acute levels of food insecurity.
We commend the efforts of Ukraine to continue the grain export from the Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea Humanitarian Corridor.
Colleagues,
Russia must stop the war it started without any justification; it must stop its aggression that is deliberately destroying its neighbor, and it must put an end to a dangerous adventure that continues to kill innocent people and threaten the European security architecture.
This is the only way to support peace, a just and lasting peace , based on UN Charter and the respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
Thank you!
