The UN on Thursday strongly denounced Russia‘s continued assaults on Ukraine, citing elevated civilian casualties.
“We are appalled by the increase in civilian casualties as a result of these relentless attacks,” Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, stated at a UN Security Council assembly.
Noting Russia’s continued assaults on Ukraine as a “blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law,” Jenca stated “Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns have become a daily destructive pattern. These include intense and systematic targeting of Ukrainian energy infrastructure across the country.”
Citing the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHA), Jenca stated March witnessed a 20% enhance in civilian deaths and accidents in comparison with the earlier month, with no less than 126 civilians killed and 478 injured.
“It is particularly disturbing that at least 57 children were killed or injured in March alone, doubling the number from February,” he added.
Jenca stated, “10,810 civilians killed, including 600 children, and 20,556 civilians injured, among which 1,357 were children” since February 2022, in response to OCHA information.
Noting that Russia’s struggle on Ukraine took a dire flip when Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya nuclear energy plant, Europe’s largest, got here underneath assault whereas underneath Russian army occupation, Jenca stated, “According to the director of general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, these attacks represent a serious threat to nuclear safety and security.”
The UN official careworn that nobody stands to achieve from concentrating on nuclear services, emphasizing the possibly catastrophic penalties of such actions.
“Instead, the consequences of a nuclear accident, whether intentional or not, could be catastrophic,” warned Jenca.
Edem Wosornu, director of operations and advocacy division on the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), additionally instructed the Security Council that Ukraine is enduring a number of the worst assaults because the struggle started.
“Not a day passes without air strikes shattering the lives of yet more families across the country,” she stated.
Wosornu famous that the battle has displaced an estimated 10 million individuals, whereas greater than 1,700 assaults on well being care services and personnel have severely hampered medical companies.
She additionally famous that greater than 1,000 academic services have been broken, disrupting the schooling of tens of millions of youngsters.
At least 17 humanitarian employees had been killed, and greater than 14.6 million individuals, together with 56% ladies and women, require pressing humanitarian help, Wosornu reported.
“More than 14.6 million people, about 40% of Ukraine’s population, require some form of humanitarian assistance, 56% of whom are women and girls,” she added.
Source: www.anews.com.tr