“Too little attention is being paid to this looming humanitarian catastrophe. Communities are exhausted from the conflict and need humanitarian aid and peaceful solutions instead of weapons. We call on our international partners to support humanitarian aid in Ukraine, which has so far been funded at 9%, to meet existing needs and prepare for emergency aid.
“The freezing seniors I met near the front line told me they were struggling to survive in their secluded, war-torn villages. Tens of thousands have endured almost daily bombings and lives without or without access to water, electricity and essential services for years. They are horrified by the possibility of a return to full-scale war and feel forgotten in the midst of high-level political games revolving around them.
“While my organization and our humanitarian partners are ready to meet the increased needs, the international community must ensure that no effort is spared to find diplomatic solutions to the current situation. Otherwise, we will see more human rights violations, more suffering, massive forced relocations and the deterioration of already serious humanitarian needs. “
Facts and figures:
- The number of civilian casualties in the conflict has exceeded 3,000, and more than 7,000 have been injured since 2014. 50,000 houses are damaged or destroyed.
- Of the 2.9 million people in need in 2022, 1.3 million will be in government control and 1.6 million in non-government control.
- The UN Humanitarian Aid Plan $ 190 million is required for 2022 to help 1.8 million people. By the end of February 2022, Ukraine’s complaint had been funded at 9 percent with $ 17.6 million. Ukraine’s humanitarian action has historically been underfunded.
- Ukraine is the “oldest” humanitarian crisis in the world, with about 30 percent of those in need being elderly.
- The UN estimates that there are 854,000 internally displaced persons in Ukraine.
- Eastern Ukraine is divided by a 427-kilometer-long front line with seven border crossings. Since March 2020, movement across this line has been significantly restricted. As a result, the number of exceedances has fallen by more than 90 percent – from more than 1.2 million a month before the Covid-19 pandemic to less than 100,000 a month.
- Ukraine is one of them most mine-contaminated areas in the world. It ranks fifth in the world in terms of civilian casualties caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war, and in the top three in vehicle mine accidents. Landmines and explosives have caused almost 70 percent of civilian casualties from July 2020.
- The NRC has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and has helped more than 700,000 people with food, shelter, water, sanitation and legal assistance.
From the Norwegian Refugee Council
This is the opinion view “View”. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Helsinki Times. This column has not been revised and HT is not responsible for any inaccurate or misleading statements in this article.
Source: The Nordic Page