Russia has caused ‘humanitarian tragedy’ in Ukraine, Polish UN envoy says
Poland’s permanent representative to the United Nations has condemned Russia for causing “a tragedy” and “an enormous humanitarian crisis” in Ukraine, and called on the international community to step up pressure on the Kremlin to end the war.
Poland’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Krzysztof Szczerski, on Friday told the UN Security Council that Russia had caused “a tragedy” and “an enormous humanitarian crisis” in Ukraine, and called on the international community to step up pressure on the Kremlin to end the war.PAP/EPA/Jason Szenes
Krzysztof Szczerski made the appeal at a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine on Friday night, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
’Russia bears full responsibility for destruction and loss of life’ in Ukraine
The Polish envoy told the gathering: “This whole tragedy, this enormous humanitarian crisis is purely man-made. It is Russia who started the aggression, and only Russia bears the full responsibility for all the destruction and loss of life it has caused.”
Szczerski condemned Russia’s current wave of “mass air strikes against civilian infrastructure,” which continued on Saturday, and stressed that the shelling of civilians was a war crime, officials told reporters.
Poland’s ambassador to the UN added that “civilians are protected by international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions,” according to officials.
’Int’l community must increase pressure on Russia to end the war’
Szczerski urged: “Poland appeals to the members of this Council and the whole international community to increase pressure on Russia to end this war.”
He added: “Russia must stop the aggression, withdraw its troops, and abide by the rules of the UN Charter that equally apply to all.”
“That will enable us all to start peacebuilding and to restore the shattered lives and livelihoods of Ukrainian people. And we are ready to do so,” the Polish diplomat said.
Szczerski urged: “Give peace a chance.”
18 million Ukrainians need emergency aid: UN
Meanwhile, Denise Brown, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, told the Security Council that more than 40 percent of the entire Ukrainian population, almost 18 million people, were now in need of humanitarian assistance, as a result of Russia’s war of aggression.
““The sheer depth of the humanitarian catastrophe [in Ukraine] is staggering,” Brown warned, as cited by the PAP news agency.
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Source: PAP, press.un.org
