UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The United Nations (UN) announced on Thursday it is immediately allocating USD20 million to scale up UN humanitarian operations in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the announcement saying the UN and its humanitarian partners “are committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need… regardless of who or where they are”.
“With deaths rising, we are seeing images of fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine,” the UN chief said. “People – everyday innocent people – always pay the highest price.”
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said the USD20 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund will support emergency operations along the contact line in eastern Donetsk and Luhansk and in other areas of the country, and will “help with health care, shelter, food, and water and sanitation to the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict”.
The executive director of the UN World Food Program David Beasley expressed deep concern at the potential impact of the conflict on access to food for civilians in conflict areas.
