40% of Ukraine's population requires humanitarian aid due to Russian invasion - UN

This was stated at a meeting of the Security Council by Lisa Doughten, Director of the Funding and Partnerships Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ukrinform reports.

According to the UN, the Russian war has left over 14 million people, or 40% of Ukraine's population, in need of humanitarian assistance.

Doughten noted that in April and May, attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine intensified, and there is continuous fighting in settlements along the northeastern border with Russia.

She also noted that as of today, 7,000 civilians have been evacuated from the border areas of the Kharkiv region, many of them cut off from access to food, medical care, electricity and gas.

According to her, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded more than 700 civilian casualties across Ukraine in April: 129 people were killed and 574 were wounded.

A UN representative reported that since March 22 of this year, the UN and its partners have witnessed five waves of attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. In April alone, 50 such incidents were recorded, with Kharkiv and several other regions being particularly affected. Millions of families across the country temporarily lost access to electricity, water, and gas, which are essential for cooking, heating, hygiene, and other vital services.

She added that attacks on railroad infrastructure in eastern and southern Ukraine have become a new practice of Russian troops. Also of concern are attacks on businesses, which limits the flow of locally produced humanitarian goods. In addition, attacks on Ukraine's port infrastructure continue.

Doughten emphasized that international donors have already committed 22% of the $3.1 billion needed to meet Ukraine's humanitarian needs this year, but the UN is calling on them to provide immediate and flexible financial support to meet the growing needs.

She emphasized that UN humanitarian organizations still do not have access to the temporarily occupied territories, where 1.5 million people need vital assistance.

• Starting from April 1, 2024, humanitarian aid will be imported to Ukraine only through an automated registration system.