Ms. Joyce Msuya, Assistant-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator: Briefing to the Security Council on Ukraine, 9 October 2023

Thank you, Mr. President. Last Thursday’s attack on the village of Hroza in the Kupiansk District of the Kharkiv Region was one of the deadliest since the escalation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 593 days ago.

We have all seen the brutal and tragic images coming from a small community which is 40 kilometres from the front line. In total, 52 civilians were killed and more were injured. Many homes were damaged or destroyed. Entire families were wiped out.

Until last Thursday, Hroza was home to around 300 civilians. Considering the high number of casualties, everybody in this small community has been affected.

This is exactly what the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, heard from residents when she visited the community on Friday, less than 24 hours after the callous attack.

Since the attack, the UN and humanitarian organizations have been on the scene, alongside local authorities, to ensure people receive some support in the face of these atrocious attacks. Aid workers have provided immediate assistance, including psycho-social support to survivors.

Emergency repair materials have been delivered to those whose homes were damaged; and medical, maternity, reproductive health, hygiene and household items have been supplied. People are also being registered for cash assistance.

Mr. President, yet again, civilians are paying a devastatingly high price for this horrendous war. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of 8 October, 27,768 civilian casualties have now been recorded across Ukraine, including the deaths of 560 children. And we know that the true toll is likely far greater.

I echo the Secretary-General’s strong condemnation of this attack, and his demand that all attacks against civilians immediately stop.

I also join him in stressing, once again, that under International Humanitarian Law, attacks that are directed at civilians or civilian objects or that are indiscriminate are strictly prohibited. Parties must take constant care to spare all civilians and civilian objects, including homes, schools, hospitals, and other essential infrastructure, as well as humanitarian facilities and assets.

Mr. President, it is not just civilians who are paying the price. Attacks against humanitarian workers, as well as humanitarian facilities and assets, have risen dramatically since the escalation of hostilities in 2022.

The number of humanitarians who have been reportedly killed in the line of duty has almost tripled, from 4 in 2022 to 11 so far this year.

This is despite the fact that humanitarian organizations continue to notify both parties of their movements and of the facilities they use, so they can factor them into military operations and avoid harming or impeding humanitarian personnel.

And Mr. President, the war also continues to send shockwaves way beyond Ukraine’s borders. Russian strikes against Ukraine’s port infrastructure and grain storage facilities on the Black Sea and the Danube River continue, as do threats against merchant shipping in the Black Sea.

Food exports from the Russian Federation and Ukraine passing through the Black Sea remain critical to global food security and the stabilization of global food prices.

In a world of intensifying food insecurity, all sources of food must be safely and sustainably connected with global supply chains.

Ukraine’s Black Sea ports must be able to operate at their full capacity, and safe navigation must be assured for inbound and outbound traffic, especially for food.

The attacks on ports we continue to see – the latest incident was last Friday – as well as the threats to shipping – are therefore entirely unacceptable and must stop.

Mr. President, as long as the war persists, humanitarian needs in Ukraine will endure and will continue to rise.

Winter is yet again upon the people of Ukraine. Temperatures have already started to drop and will soon be below freezing across most of the country.

As the Council recalls, last year, attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including on power stations and heating plants, left millions of civilians without access to heat, electricity, and water in the harsh winter months. It is disturbing to see that similar attacks have already been reported over the past weeks.

Women and girls, in particular, continue to be disproportionately affected by the conflict. They continue to face pervasive levels of gender-based violence and exacerbated risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. There is a growing need for sexual and reproductive health services in response.

Mr. President, despite these vast challenges and threats, the humanitarian community remains committed to making every effort to get civilians the support they need, for as long as it takes.

In the first eight months of 2023, some 8.3 million people received humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. And ahead of winter, our Winter Response Plan and preparedness efforts are proceeding at full speed.

The support we received from donors has been crucial to ensuring that our humanitarian work in Ukraine can continue. Thanks to your generosity, the humanitarian response plan for Ukraine is so far almost 52 per cent funded.

Almost 500 humanitarian partners – the majority of which are local organizations, including grassroots women’s organizations – will continue to provide life-critical aid including protection services. They aim to reach 11.1 million people in 2023.

I have deep appreciation of their bravery, endurance and commitment to the response in extremely challenging circumstances. However, there is much more to do.

The international community must do more to advocate for humanitarian access for all those who need aid across Ukraine. This includes the nearly 4 million people who live in areas under the military control of the Russian Federation and who we are unable to reach.

More than anything, the people of Ukraine need concerted action to make this devastating war – with its unceasing death, destruction and suffering – come to an end.

Thank you, Mr. President.