Warning that attacks on energy facilities in Ukraine are creating “new needs” for the population, the director of the UN humanitarian agency warned this Tuesday (6), fearing further displacement of people before warming in the middle of winter.
“The continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since October have created a new level of need that affects the entire country and exacerbates the needs caused by the war,” Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council.
“The scale of the destruction in electricity and heating infrastructure requires more support from the international community to the Ukrainian government beyond what humanitarian organizations can provide.”
According to Griffiths, “millions of people” were deprived of heat, electricity and water at a time when temperatures could drop below -20C. “The survival of civilians in Ukraine today is under threat,” he said.
With 14 million people displaced by the war (6.5 million in Ukraine and 7.8 million refugees in other European countries) under these circumstances, “we see the risk of further displacement,” Griffiths warned.
France’s ambassador to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière, said Russia “is now using winter as a weapon of war”.
Last week, the UN humanitarian agency launched an unprecedented call for 2023 to meet the growing humanitarian needs worldwide due to conflict and climate change in Ukraine.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.