Edited News | OHCHR , WHO , UNITED NATIONS
STORYLINE
Ukraine: UN’s Bachelet condemns ‘horrors’ against civilians
Nearly two months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Friday condemned the “horrors” committed against civilians, while the World Health Organization warned that it feared the worst in devastated areas in the east and south of the country.
In an appeal to all parties to the conflict to respect internationally agreed rules of war, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement that “international humanitarian law has not merely been ignored but seemingly tossed aside”.
Russian armed forces had “indiscriminately shelled and bombed populated areas,” she added, “killing civilians and wrecking hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure, actions that may amount to war crimes.”
Delivering the High Commissioner’s statement, UN rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani warned that there was deep concern about the current new phase of the war, amid a massive military build-up and clashes in the east of the country.
“There already has been a bloodbath,” Ms. Shamdasani said. “We’re talking about 2,343 – at least 2,343 civilians - who have been killed and we’re talking about the summary execution of more than 300 civilians. We are very concerned, we’re very worried about what’s coming next.”
Evidence is mounting that war crimes have been committed, for the most part by Russian forces, the OHCHR spokesperson maintained.
“These include indiscriminate shelling and bombing of populated areas, summary execution of civilians. As I said though, the vast majority of violations by far are attributable to the Russian forces, so if we just look at the civilian casualties, 92.3 per cent of what we have managed to record were recorded in Government-controlled territories, so attributable to the Russian armed forces.”
During a mission to Bucha on 9 April, UN human rights officers documented the unlawful killing, including by summary execution, of some 50 civilians.
“Almost every resident in Bucha our colleagues spoke to told us about the death of a relative, a neighbour or even a stranger,” Ms. Shamdasani said, quoting the High Commissioner. “We know much more needs to be done to uncover what happened there and we also know Bucha is not an isolated incident.”
During its investigations, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU)
has received more than 300 allegations of killings of civilians in towns in the regions of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy, all under the control of Russian armed forces in late February and early March.
Underscoring that the true death toll is almost certainly much higher than what has been confirmed to date, Ms. Shamdasani added that “the scale of summary executions of civilians in areas previously occupied by Russian forces” was also emerging.
“The preservation of evidence and decent treatment of mortal remains must be ensured, as well as the psychological and other relief for victims and their relatives.”
The desperate situation for civilians caught up in the fighting continues to alarm humanitarian agencies and their partners, including the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
To date, the agency has still been blocked from reaching some of the hardest-hit areas in the east where it reported on Friday that the health system “has all but collapsed”.
In Luhansk oblast, “nearly all health facilities and hospitals …are either damaged or destroyed”, said WHO spokesperson Bhanu Bhatnagar, speaking from Lviv in western Ukraine: “It’s absolutely essential that a safe passage is created quickly, we need a cessation of fighting for at least two days in order to move vital supplies in, but also to assess the health needs. We anticipate the worst.”
Ends
STORY: Ukraine Update – OHCHR, WHO
TRT: 1 min 52s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 22 April 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP
As diplomatic efforts continue to end fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN development agency (UNDP) issued an appeal on Friday on behalf of people uprooted by the violence to help them rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
The very real risk of famine continues to stalk Sudan’s communities impacted by war, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday, in an appeal for more funding to support immediate needs and boost longer-term recovery across the country.
1
1
Edited News | UNOG
What can each one of us do to save the planet, asks Yann Arthus-Bertrand on World Environment Day
The last documentary film of legendary nature photographer, documentary director and environmental activist “Nature: The Call for Reconciliation” looks for an answer.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza, are unconscionable. For a third day running, people were killed around an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This morning, we have received information that dozens more people were killed and injured,” Jeremy Laurence UN Human Rights spokesperson said at the biweekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
Gaza ‘hungriest place on earth’ with aid stymied – UN humanitarians
Starving Gazans continue to be deprived of aid as international relief efforts are being severely constrained by the Israeli authorities, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNRWA
As a controversial United States and Israel-backed aid distribution plan gets underway in Gaza, the UN called on Tuesday for an “immediate surge” of its own pre-positioned supplies to help prevent starvation.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani today urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject a bill that was recently endorsed by parliament allowing trials of civilians in military courts. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces Amendment Bill 2025, which was passed on 20 May and now awaits presidential signature to become law, among others broadens the jurisdiction of military courts, authorising them to try a wide range of offences against civilians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan at the bi-weekly briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Syria: ‘Staggering’ needs amid insecurity, health care crisis - UN humanitarians
Millions of people in Syria continue to face mortal danger from unexploded munitions, disease and malnutrition and urgent support is required, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , OCHA , WHO
UN life-saving aid allowed to trickle into Gaza as civilian needs mount
Amid calls for more humanitarian trucks to enter the food and medicine-deprived Palestinian enclave of Gaza, UN humanitarians have received permission from Israel for “around 100” more aid trucks to cross into the Strip after only five were let in yesterday, But the scale of relief efforts allowed remains entirely insufficient to meet the urgent needs of people there, humanitarian workers say.
1
1
1
Edited News
A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITU
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) commemorated 160 years dedicated to connecting the world on Saturday, 17 May in Geneva, Switzerland, during the annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.