UN will stand by people of Ukraine amid rising tensions in East

UN aid agencies insisted on Tuesday that they will continue to support the people of Eastern Ukraine, following Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk separatist regions.

Condemning the move by Russia, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement that he considered it a “violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent” with the UN Charter.

During Tuesday’s press briefing in Geneva, the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, said that there had been reports of increasing hostilities in areas controlled by de facto authorities in recent days. “That is a stark reminder of the reality that children, women, and men in eastern Ukraine have faced for the last eight years. We call on everybody, on all parties to protect civilians and protect the civilian infrastructure in this very volatile situation”, stressed OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.

“We are there and will continue to support the people in this region,” he added, pointing out that on Friday 18 February, a convoy had delivered supplies into non-government-controlled areas in the region. “So, the humanitarian response continues.”

But lack of funding is an issue and Mr. Laerke urged “the international donor community to help resource the mechanisms that are already in place for a coordinated UN humanitarian response”.

According to the UN’s 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan for Ukraine some 144,000 internally displaced persons live in government-controlled areas on Donetsk, Luhansk and other areas. The most vulnerable include older people, who represent 32 per cent of the people targeted for assistance in 2022, and the children of vulnerable families, who make up 14 per cent.

Also on Tuesday, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said that it was monitoring the “highly volatile and unpredictable situation” and stood ready to help in case any new humanitarian needs arise. Although the agency is not aware of any increased movements of population yet, there is a pre-existing displacement crisis caused by earlier conflict in Eastern Ukraine, UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo added - a likely reference to the 1.5 million people who’ve been forced to leave their homes since the onset of conflict in 2014.

“We’ve got a strong presence within the country,” she said. “We've been there for many years. So, the situation does remain unpredictable. But we do stand ready to support efforts by governments and other stakeholders to protect refugees and find solutions for people who are displaced in case there are any movements.”

The development follows media reports that two Ukrainian soldiers were killed by shelling overnight and 12 more were injured.

At a meeting of the Security Council on Monday night in New York, the UN’s political chief Rosemary DiCarlo warned that the risk of major conflict in Ukraine “is real and needs to be prevented at all costs”.

Ms DiCarlo told the Council that Russia’s move to recognize Donetsk and Luhansk’s independence was “in violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” and risked having regional and global repercussions. Calling on all sides to cease hostilities, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also expressed concerns that the escalation in military action increases risk of serious human rights violations.

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SHOTLIST

1. Exterior wide shot, United Nations Palace of Nations, Geneva. UN flag flying.
2. Wide shot, press room UN Geneva, podium speakers on the left with TV screen showing participants on the right.
3. SOUNDBITE (English): Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): “We have seen reported increases in hostilities that is for sure. And that is a stark reminder of the reality that children, women and men in eastern Ukraine have faced for the last eight years. We call on everybody on all parties to protect civilians and protect civilian infrastructure in this very volatile situation.”
4. Wide shot, press room UN Geneva, podium speakers in the middle with TV screens on both of their left and right sides.
5. SOUNDBITE (English): Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): “On Friday the 18th, there was a convoy that delivered supplies into non-government-controlled areas. In the region, so the humanitarian response continues.”
6. Medium shot, masked participants listening and taking notes.
7. SOUNDBITE (English): Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): “There is an issue of lack of funding. So, we urge that the donor community to help resource the mechanisms that are already in place for the collective UN coordinated humanitarian response.”
8. Medium shot, TV screen showing podium speakers in foreground, participant under the studio light to rear.
9. SOUNDBITE (English): Shabia Mantoo, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “We've got a strong presence within the country. We've been there for many years and also in the region as well. So, the situation does remain unpredictable, but we do stand ready to support efforts by governments and other stakeholders to protect refugees and find solutions for people who are displaced in case there are any movements.”
10. Medium shot, from behind-panel showing podium and participants.
11. Medium shot, masked participants listening.
12. Medium-wide shot, masked participants listening to the press briefing.
13. Close-up, masked participant raising her head while listening carefully.