Over the past few days, the Ukrainians “have suffered some of the most intense shelling in the nine months of war,” he told the Security Council the UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, who warned that the impact of these attacks “can only worsen during the coming winter months.”
“Russian missiles have rained down on Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, Lviv, Poltava and other locations, destroying or damaging homes and severely disrupting critical services,” Rosemary DiCarlo described.
Referring to figures from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human RightsDiCarlo put the number of civilian casualties at 16,631, with 6,557 people killed and 10,074 wounded since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
The US diplomat recalled once again that attacks “directed against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited by international humanitarian law,” and indicated that she does not see an end to the conflict.
“As long as it continues, the risks of potentially catastrophic consequences will continue to exist. Yesterday’s incident in Polandnear the Ukrainian border, it was a terrifying reminder of the urgent need to avoid a new escalation”, he warned.
The electrical network works at 60%
Among the effects on civil infrastructures, he highlighted that the bombings damaged about 40% of Ukrainian power generation capacity and that the most affected city is the capital of the country, Kyiv, where most of the enclave suffers daily power cuts of twelve hours.
“As the Ukrainian government focuses on repairing damaged infrastructure, the United Nations has made it a priority to ensure that the most vulnerable receive supplies and services during the winter. More than 185,000 people have already received basic supplies”, he explained.
Similarly, humanitarian agencies delivered or are distributing some 525 generators to hospitals, community buildings and clinics.
More than 400 deceased minors
In the section on violations of fundamental guarantees, he expressed his concern “for the rights, safety and protection of the youngest Ukrainians.”
“More than 400 children have died, and many more have been injured, lost family members or forced to leave their homes. According to the government website “Children of War”, 279 children were reported missing as of November 12,” he noted.
He added that the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine continues “its accountability work for alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law with ongoing investigations inside and outside Ukraine,” and that he plans to visit the country again before the end of the year.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs welcomed the ongoing prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, including the most recent on November 11, and urged the parties to continue releasing them.
