Ukraine: $1.7 billion appeal launched to help refugee exodus and host countries

The United Nations and humanitarian partners on Tuesday launched a $1.7 billion flash appeal to urgently help people displaced by the Russian military offensive inside Ukraine and beyond its borders.

The escalating conflict has triggered an immediate and steep rise in humanitarian needs as essential supplies and services have been disrupted, while civilians flee the fighting.

Speaking in Geneva, UN emergency relief chief Martin Griffiths explained that the appeal has two components: “a three-month flash appeal for the situation inside the country, and a regional response plan for the situation beyond Ukraine's borders. The flash appeal for response inside Ukraine, which I'm responsible for coordinating, will need $1.1 billion in funding for three months to help six million of the most vulnerable in Ukraine for that three months.”

Also briefing journalists, High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi appealed for “$550 million for the refugee agency and 12 partner agencies”. Noting that 520,000 people were estimated to have been displaced by the Ukraine crisis just last night, Mr. Grandi said that this had already risen sharply, in the space of just a few hours: “677,000 refugees have now fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in the past six days,” he said. “That is 150,000 more, in less than 24 hours.”

The UN estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than four million refugees may need protection and assistance in neighboring countries in the coming months.

Reacting to reports that third-country refugees have been ill-treated at border crossings and inside Ukraine as they try to seek shelter, the UN refugee chief insisted that “there should be absolutely no discrimination between Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians. Europeans and non-Europeans. Everybody is fleeing from the same risks.”

While the European Union is discussing the possibility of giving temporary protection status to refugees from Ukraine, the tragedy is “likely to introduce a new dimension to the many years of debate on asylum status, responsibility sharing and so forth”, said Mr. Grandi.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has already received more than $40 million in private contributions from individuals or companies, an “unprecedented” feat, he added. “I've never seen it and I think it's positive.”

Ends

STORY: UN Emergency appeals for Ukraine and neighbouring countries – OCHA and UNHCR

TRT: 3 mins 24s

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 01 March 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

1. Exterior wide shot, UN flag alley UN Geneva.
2. Wide shot, press room UN Geneva, podium speakers, seated, with TV screen to the side.
3. SOUNDBITE (English): Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA): “Today, we are launching a humanitarian appeal for the Ukraine crisis with two components: a three-month flash appeal for the situation inside the country, which I have been coordinating, and a regional response plan for the situation beyond Ukraine's borders.”
4. Close-up, journalists in profile, masked, with Filippo Grandi on TV screen to rear.
5. SOUNDBITE (English): Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA): “The flash appeal for response inside Ukraine, which I'm responsible for coordinating, will need $1.1 billion in funding for three months, to help six million of the most vulnerable in Ukraine for that three-month. And of those six million, we calculate over a million will be internally displaced.”
6. Medium shot, podium speakers in profile.
7. SOUNDBITE (English): Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “We have a fairly good picture of the initial needs for the first few months: $550 million, this is what we're appealing for today. This is UNHCR and 12 partner agencies.”
8. Close-up, participant checking mobile phone.
9. SOUNDBITE (English): Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “The numbers that we are beginning to see are extremely worrying. Last night, at the Security Council, I reported 520,000 refugees. Now, less than 24 hours before (later) the latest figure I just got it is 677,000. So, another 150,000 added in less than 24 hours.”
10. Wide shot, press conference room.
11. SOUNDBITE (English): Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “I don't have the detailed breakdown of the 677 (677,000 refugees), but about half are in Poland. This is the country that is clearly, as we predicted, receiving most refugees. About 90,000, probably a little bit more, forgive me if the figures are a bit fluid, have gone to Hungary; almost 60,000 to Moldova, almost 50,000 to Slovakia and almost - or I would say by now - 40,000, in Romania.”
12. Close-up, TV camera operator standing by camera, podium speakers to rear.
13. SOUNDBITE (English): Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “There should be absolutely no discrimination between Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians, Europeans and non-Europeans. Everybody is fleeing from the same risks.”
14. Wide shot, press conference room.
15. SOUNDBITE (English): Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “The tragedy, the enormous wave of refugees from Ukraine is likely to introduce a new dimension to the many years of debate on asylum status, responsibility sharing and so forth”.
16. Cutaway
17. SOUNDBITE (English): Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “UNHCR has already received more than $40 million in private contributions from individuals or companies. This is unprecedented. I've never seen it and I think it's positive.”
18. Medium shot, participants, seated.
19. Medium shot, participants, seated.
20. Medium shot, podium speakers.
21. Medium shot, TV and video journalists.