Indrika Ratwatte (OCHA) on the situation in Ukraine…

Mr. President, Excellencies, since this Council last met two and a half weeks ago,civilians have again been killed and injured. Homes reduced to rubble. Electricityand water cut. United Nations warehouses and other humanitarian facilitiesdamaged, destroying aid meant for civilians. And still, every day, humanitarianorganisations continue to respond across Ukraine.
In Odesa and Mykolaiv, where homes, busses and energy infrastructure have beenstruck.
In Kharkiv, Dnipro, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia where repeated aerial attacks continueto disrupt daily life.
In Kyiv, where families are once again clearing debris from apartment buildingsafter last week's attacks.
And in communities closer to the front line, including Donetsk and Kherson, whereshelling and drone attacks remain a daily reality.
We must not allow such repeated attacks to make this suffering seem routine.
We also remain concerned by reports of civilian harm in the Russian Federation,even if the United Nations cannot verify them independently. Long-range droneattacks have reportedly continued to cause civilian casualties and damageinfrastructure. For example, on 17-18 July, Russian authorities reported attacksincluding strikes on the Wildberries logistics centres in the Moscow and Tambovregions that killed eight civilians and caused injuries to 86 others.
Different cities. Different attacks. The same result: civilians paying the price.This must never become normal.
Mr. President, each round of attacks brings renewed harm to civilians. Morefamilies grieve. More homes are damaged. More essential services are cut. Morecommunities are forced to put recovery on hold.
For many communities, this is now the fourth summer spent under the shadow ofcontinued hostilities, while fearful about the winter to come. For others, thesuffering has lasted even longer.
Mr. President, as the tactics and scope of this conflict shift, so too must the way inwhich humanitarian organisations work. Every morning begins with the samequestion: how can we reach people safely?
The question is becoming harder to answer. Aid supplies are moved. Warehousesare relocated. Convoy routes reviewed. The work changes – but the purpose doesnot.
Even as humanitarian organisations respond to today's emergencies, they arealready preparing for winter. They are pre-positioning supplies, supporting repairsto homes and critical infrastructure. Last week, they launched the annual WinterResponse Plan because communities already battered by war cannot be left to faceanother winter without support.
Mr. President, humanitarian actors remain determined to reach people in needdespite this difficult and changing environment. They continue to deliver food,emergency shelter, cash assistance, health care and psychosocial support tomillions of people. Local responders continue to reach communities underextraordinarily difficult conditions.
Amidst these challenges, practical humanitarian arrangements can save lives - theycan support safe and voluntary evacuation of civilians and allow life-saving aid toreach civilians in need. OCHA remains committed to pursuing such practicalarrangements.
Mr. President, four and a half years since the escalation of hostilities, the dangerscivilians face and the way humanitarian organisations work have changed. But theobligations of parties under international humanitarian law remain unchanged andunequivocal.
Wherever the parties take their military operations, civilians, includinghumanitarians, must be protected. The infrastructure civilians depend on must bespared. Humanitarian relief must be allowed to reach all civilians in need. Theparties must honour the protective purpose of international humanitarian law.
Mr. President, we will keep adapting because civilians need us to. We will replacedestroyed supplies. We will continue working alongside local responders andhelping civilians. But our determination should not be confused with acceptance.Humanitarian organizations find ways to keep working because this is their job,but that does not make these conditions acceptable.
Nor should the extraordinary determination of civilians be mistaken for anunlimited ability to endure suffering. Humanitarian organisations will keep doingeverything they can. But they cannot compensate for failures to uphold theprotective aim of international humanitarian law.
The responsibility to spare civilians and meet their essential needs rests with theparties to the conflict. Those with influence over them have a responsibility aswell. International humanitarian law is not optional.
Thank you.