Edem Wosornu (OCHA) on threats to international…

"Mr. President, 

Since we briefed this Council on Tuesday, more civilians have been killed. We are here because of reports of an attack on a college dormitory housing minors and students in Starobelsk, in the Luhansk region. This attack reportedly caused scores of civilian casualties, including children. The situation is still unfolding and there is much we do not yet know. But what we do know is that the human cost of this war reveals a pattern that defies international humanitarian law. Civilians must be protected.

Mr. President, 

The toll of this war on civilians is staggering – and still rising. The statistics bear repeating. Since February of 2022, the UN has recorded nearly 16,000 civilians killed and more than 44,000 injured. The real numbers are almost certainly much higher.

Mr. President, 

On Tuesday, I briefed this Council on the toll of this armed conflict on humanitarian workers and their assets. It is deeply troubling that I must report more death and destruction. A ballistic missile struck a UNHCR-contracted warehouse in Dnipro on the night of 19 to 20 May, killing two warehouse workers and destroying more than $1 million worth of aid – including blankets and hygiene kits intended for evacuees and people sheltering in collective sites. This is the fifth hit on humanitarian workers and assets in just nine days. This must stop.

Mr. President, 

The obligation to protect civilians and civilian objects – including humanitarian workers and their assets – is binding on all parties to this conflict. Directing attacks against civilians and indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited under international law. All feasible precautions must be taken to avoid and minimize civilian harm. These obligations do not change depending on the tactics and weaponry – whether long-range missiles or the cheap, short-range drones that are now killing more civilians than any other weapon in this war – used.

Mr. President, 

Protecting civilians also means allowing them to voluntarily leave for safer areas and ensuring they have the essentials to survive. I reiterate OCHA's willingness to work with all parties to support safe, voluntary, dignified evacuations, and to ensure sustained humanitarian access to front-line communities – on both sides of the line.

Mr. President, 

My asks to this Council are not new. Use your influence to ensure respect for international humanitarian law – and that there is accountability when it is violated. Protect civilians, including children, wherever they are. Ensure rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to civilians in need across all areas of Ukraine, including those under the control of the Russian Federation. This requires the active engagement of all parties. Civilians enduring these attacks need more than statements of concern. They need concrete action that protects them from death and injury and ensures humanitarian assistance continues to reach them, wherever they are and when they need it most.

I thank you".