Statement by Amin Awad, Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine

This war is nothing but a story of loss – loss of lives, loss of homes, loss of jobs. It has wreaked havoc in virtually all spheres of live, uprooted over 12 million Ukrainians, including millions of children, putting the future of an entire generation in peril, and risks throwing millions more into poverty. The war is also rocking global food and commodity markets, threatening to destabilize areas far beyond Ukraine.

The United Nations has expanded its presence in the country, working closely with the Ukrainian government as well as with over 300 local civil society partners and international non-governmental organizations, scaling up assistance at unprecedented speed. We are now reaching almost 9 million people with essential support.

In eastern Ukraine, heavy fighting continues with civilians trapped and cut off from food, drinking water and electricity. We continue to advocate for humanitarian access to these areas to reach civilians requiring urgent assistance.

Now it is time to redouble our efforts.

As we risk entering a protracted stage of the conflict and humanitarian needs continue to surge, we will continue to scale up and work side by side with the Ukrainian Government and its people. To do this, we rely on sustained international support and attention to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Winter is looming around the corner, potentially threatening the lives of millions. Humanitarian partners are working on an assistance plan to support the Ukrainian people during the upcoming harsh and long winter. However, the energy crisis goes beyond the capacities of humanitarians, requiring concerted efforts by States to support Ukraine in addressing urgent energy needs.

Those millions uprooted need a durable solution to end their displacement. This requires concerted efforts of all. Today, on the occasion of the launch of his Action Agenda on Internal Displacement, the SecretaryGeneral puts durable solutions first. Durable solutions cannot wait.

At the same, the Secretary General continues pursuing pathways to mitigate the global ramifications of the war’s devastating impact on food security by seeking to unblock critical grain and commodity trade.

The United Nations will continue its tireless efforts to respond. But the war must end now. We need peace in Ukraine.

For further information, please contact:

Saviano Abreu, OCHA: +380 681 334 432, WhatsApp/Signal: +254 780 530 141, deabreuisidoro@un.org

Viktoriya Hrubas, OCHA: +380 50 382 4541, viktoriya.hrubas@un.org