Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, OCHA Director of Coordination, on Behalf of Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Martin Griffiths - Briefing to the Security Council on Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine, 31 October

AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY

Thank you, Mr. President.

I want to thank the Security Council for this further opportunity to update on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

While much international attention is rightly concentrated on the grave events in the Middle East, it is important that we do not lose focus on other crises, particularly not one as brutal and far-reaching as that precipitated by the war in Ukraine.

Indeed, this is more so as the conflict continues to inflict unimaginable levels of suffering.

Countrywide, air strikes, artillery fire, and ground fighting continue on a daily basis. People’s lives are dominated by the constant sound of air raid sirens, as unrelenting air strikes rain down and destroy civilian objects – one day a post office terminal, another day a small café, yet another day a grocery shop. Near front lines, people’s daily routines now include picking their way around land contaminated by mines.

The dozens of people killed in the horrific attack on the village of Hroza in Kharkiv region we discussed at the start of this month joined the thousands of others killed in strikes on homes, schools, fields, and markets across Ukraine in the course of this war.

At the latest count, more than 9,900 civilians have been killed since the start of the invasion. To put this into perspective, this is equivalent to almost 16 civilians killed every day.

As these are only the figures OHCHR has so far formally verified, the actual toll is certainly higher.

The devastating toll of these relentless attacks on civilians and civilian objects does not end there.

Significant damage and destruction of critical infrastructure continues to severely impact access of the civilian population to electricity, heating, water and telecommunications. This is a particular concern as winter fast approaches, and temperatures start to drop towards minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Since the start of the invasion, the World Health Organization has also verified more than 1,300 attacks on health care. This is more than 55 per cent of all attacks against health care in the world over the same period. 111 health care workers and patients have been killed and many more injured. Just in the past 2 months, since the beginning of September, 13 health facilities have been impacted by attacks.

The damage to Ukraine’s health infrastructure comes at a time when it is needed more than ever. In some parts of the east and south, services have been decimated as not even half of hospitals or clinics remain functional.

Humanitarian organisations have not been spared, and the operating environment has become more dangerous as the war in Ukraine continues. The number of humanitarian aid workers killed has more than tripled from four in 2022 to 14 so far in 2023.

Attacks harming humanitarian assets have also increased, including the destruction of or damage to aid storage facilities and relief supplies.

I am compelled, once again, to reiterate that under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), parties must take constant care to spare all civilians – including humanitarian personnel - and civilian objects, including homes, schools, hospitals, and other essential infrastructure. Indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited.

Mr. President,

Russian strikes have also continued on port infrastructure on the Black Sea and the Danube River, with consequent impacts on the export of grain and other foodstuffs.

Ukraine has nonetheless reported a growing number of vessels entering and departing from its Black Sea ports via a temporary corridor announced in August, following the withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the Black Sea Initiative.

As we have said in this chamber many times before, at a time of staggering levels of hunger around the world, it is imperative that all sources of food supplies are safely and sustainably connected to global supply chains.

The functionality of Ukraine’s ports and the ability of cargo vessels to move through the Black Sea safely and predictably has a direct bearing on global food prices and, by extension, on global food security.

Any broader escalation of the situation in the Black Sea could have far-reaching global consequences, and we renew our appeal to this Council to do everything in its power to prevent this from happening.

Mr. President,

The scale of humanitarian needs in Ukraine more than a year and a half into this war is vast. Currently some 18 million people – more than 40 percent of the entire Ukrainian population – are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance.

Ten million people also remain displaced, either internally or as refugees in other countries.

The war is robbing Ukrainian children of education; the stability and safety they need during the critical developmental period of their lives; as well as their hopes for the future. The mental wounds of the war will undoubtedly affect children well into adulthood.

The war's gender dimensions are alarming. The crisis has further exacerbated existing gender inequalities and discrimination, with women and girls, in particular those with disabilities, older women and adolescent girls, facing heightened risks of gender-based violence and limited access to services.

It vital that resources are made available to address these gendered impacts, including for local women's organizations who play a critical role in the equitable provision of life-saving assistance.

Mr. President,

The humanitarian community continues to do everything it can to meet humanitarian needs across Ukraine.

Despite the risks, more than 500 humanitarian organizations – the majority of which are local organizations – have reached nine million people with life-saving aid in the first nine months of 2023.

This has been enabled by substantial donor contributions to the 2023 Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan – more than USD $2 billion has been received against requirements of USD $3.9 billion for this year. I thank donors for their hugely generous support.

But as winter approaches and temperatures start to drop below freezing, humanitarian needs will be magnified.

And the most vulnerable – the elderly, those with disabilities and the displaced living in collective centers – will be most at risk.

In preparation, the humanitarian community is putting into effect its Winter Response Plan. This focuses on providing support to frontline communities, those in hard-to-reach areas, and in collective centres. It includes assisting people to carry out essential household repairs. And it includes ensuring district water and heating systems are functional. The aim is to ensure that every civilian has access to somewhere both safe and warm during the winter ahead.

Mr. President,

One of the most significant challenges to our operations remains the lack of humanitarian access to the parts of Donetska, Khersonska, Luhanska and Zaporizka oblasts under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation. We are extremely concerned about the plight of civilians in these territories whom we are unable to reach at any adequate scale.

The consequences of not delivering assistance to the estimated four million people in need in these areas are dire, particularly with the winter months soon upon us.

As has been stated before, under IHL, again, 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.

It is vital that we be able to alleviate the human suffering caused by this war, regardless of where it is in Ukraine.

Mr. President,

As long as this war continues to be waged, civilians across Ukraine will suffer the horrendous humanitarian consequences.

And the humanitarian community will continue to do everything it can to assist the people of Ukraine in their hour of need.

But what the people of Ukraine need more than anything else, is for this devastating war – with its unceasing death, destruction and suffering – to be brought to an end.

Thank you, Mr. President.