Follow live the latest news about the war in Ukraine
July 18 () –
The UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, has assured that life in Ukraine “is still hell” after more than 500 days of war, in which almost 10,000 civilians have died and another 16,000 have been injured.
DiCarlo has assured the UN Security Council that there are some 6.3 million Ukrainian refugees whose voluntary return is not possible because the country has become one of the most heavily mined in the world, which is why the UN is helping to remove more than half a million landmines and unexploded ordnance pieces
In addition, it has denounced the continuous arbitrary detentions of civilians and the violations of rights such as forced disappearances, torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence.
“We call for an end to the arbitrary detention of civilians and for the immediate and safe release of all arbitrarily detained individuals. Victims must have effective remedies,” DiCarlo has requested.
According to UN reports, Ukraine became the country with the most children killed and maimed in 2022, with 537 dead and 1,117 injured.
“These are only confirmed figures. It is likely that the real number of victims is considerably higher,” said DiCarlo, who affirms that “no place is safe” in the country due to the bombing of civilian infrastructure, something “indefensible” and ” strictly prohibited” by International Law.
Regarding the Zaporozja nuclear power plant, he has cited experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency who heard explosions a short distance from the plant, and has described as “inadmissible” any threat both to use nuclear weapons and to endanger security of nuclear power plants.
Despite the fact that the UN has provided aid to more than five million people this 2023, the areas controlled by Russia continue to lack humanitarian access, which deprives some 3.7 million people of it.
On the other hand, it has warned about the deterioration of food security due to Russia’s refusal to continue with the grain agreement.
“The war threatens to undermine the very structures that prevented a third world conflagration and helped us resolve multiple conflicts over the past 80 years. The longer this war lasts, the more dangerous its consequences, including the possibility of broader conflict,” the deputy secretary has finished.
