UKRAINE/HUMANITARIAN 
Our colleagues on the ground in Ukraine tell us that the needs in Ukraine are growing and spreading by the hour. They warn that while the scale and scope of displacement is not yet clear, we do expect that more than 10 million people may flee their homes if violence continues, including 4 million people who may cross borders to neighbouring countries.  
In a statement, the Humanitarian Coordinator, Osnat Lubrani, reiterated the message that we are committed to scaling up our support for people across Ukraine, particularly women, children, elderly and those with disabilities, who desperately need relief and protection as well as shelter.  
While we have relocated some of our essential staff outside Kyiv so that we can keep delivering assistance with the minimum of disruption, and, at the same time some staff, some of our humanitarian staff are remaining in the capital of Ukraine.
Our colleagues in Ukraine have mobilized staff and supplies both to help people fleeing cross borders to safety and to support others inside the country. And I also want to add that we do have staff as well in the eastern part of the Ukraine along the line of contact. And our humanitarian colleagues are of course stressing that to scale up our operations, we need safe, unimpeded access to all conflict areas.  
And of course you will have seen the appeal by Dr. Tedros, the head of the World Health Organization for humanitarian corridors.

UKRAINE/HUMAN RIGHTS 
According to the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, between 4 a.m. on 24 February, when the Russian Federation’s military action against Ukraine started, and midnight on 2 March, local time, our Ukraine Human Rights Office recorded 802 civilian casualties in Ukraine and that’s 249 killed and 553 injured. And the UN Human Right monitors are continuing to operate will continue to operate across the country to the full extent of their capacity.

UKRAINE/SECRETARY-GENERAL
And I just want to mention something because we have seen some reports of basically outright racism in this context and I want to say that the Secretary-General is shocked by the numerous reports of racism, harassment and discrimination that people of different races have been subjected to as they tried to leave Ukraine, as well as in neighbouring countries, as they seek refuge from the conflict.  
The Secretary-General very much appreciates the generosity of those governments bordering Ukraine. He calls on all governments in the region to crack down on any manifestation of racism and xenophobia. It is vital that they ensure that all people, regardless of ethnicity, religion or culture, are afforded the same treatment and protection. 

UKRAINE/REFUGEES 
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who is currently in the region, said that in just seven days, one million people have now fled Ukraine, uprooted by what he calls a senseless war. And that is about over a little of 2 per cent of the population of the country.
He noted that hour by hour, minute by minute, more people are fleeing the terrifying reality of violence, and that countless people have been displaced inside Ukraine as well.
Also in a statement, the International Organization for Migration Director General, António Vitorino, said that he is alarmed by verified credible reports of discrimination, violence and xenophobia against third country nationals attempting to flee the country. He stressed that neighbouring States need to ensure that all those fleeing Ukraine are granted unhindered access to territory, regardless of status and in accordance with International Law.  

UKRAINE/HUMAN RIGHTS
Also speaking on Ukraine today was the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and she spoke in Geneva during the urgent debate organized in the Human Rights Council on Ukraine. She said that the Russian Federation’s military attack on Ukraine opened a new and dangerous chapter in world history, noting that the attack is generating massive impact on the human rights of millions of people across Ukraine and that elevated threat levels of nuclear weapons underline the gravity of risks to all of humanity. 

MOLDOVA 
The UN Refugee Agency in Moldova received its first humanitarian airlift for refugees fleeing Ukraine. About a quarter of the 8,000 thermal blankets received went to the border crossing point in southern Moldova, where distributions began to refugee families with children and other vulnerable people. Thousands of people were waiting for entry to the country outside, under freezing temperatures and snow.  
Our colleagues say that more support is on the way, including sleeping bags, more blankets, tents, hygiene and baby kits, solar lamps and other necessary relief items.  
Over 136,000 refugees have entered Moldova so far, according to UNHCR. And we are of course continuing to support the needs of women and children, with UNICEF and UNFPA providing water, health, and hygiene kits. 
 
CARICOM-SICA SUMMIT
The Secretary-General this morning took part virtually in the opening session of the fourth Summit of the Caribbean Community and the Central American Integration System, otherwise known as CARICOM-SICA, which is taking place in Belize. 
He spoke live via a video link and told leaders at the summit that today’s challenges demand solidarity and now is the time for action across four fronts. These are: achieving vaccine equity, reforming the global financial system, taking climate action and building peace and security across both regions. 
The Secretary-General added that he is particularly grateful to the region for its steadfast advocacy for the people of Haiti, where nearly five million people need humanitarian assistance.  
While we respond to the immediate needs, we will continue encouraging and supporting Haitian-led solutions to end the political crisis, craft a new constitution, and plan timely elections in a secure and peaceful environment, he said. 

RWANDA 
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is on her way back to New York this evening after wrapping up her travels to Rwanda.   
This morning, she spoke at the opening of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. She told delegates that the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 of the African Union - together with the Secretary-General’s report on Our Common Agenda – remain our blueprints to successfully confront the challenges we face. 
She laid out five key priorities for the way forward: end the acute phase of the pandemic and build resilience against the next outbreak; scale up and speed up investments in the protection of people and ecosystems at the frontlines of the climate crisis; supercharge just transitions in energy, food systems and digital connectivity; and to recover the huge learning losses of the pandemic by advancing education and lifelong learning; and to accelerate gender equality and economic transformation.   
She also met with President Kagame of Rwanda before coming back here. 

ETHIOPIA  
An update on the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia, where the northern part of the country remains extremely concerning for our humanitarian colleagues.  
In the Afar region, people continue to be displaced by ongoing fighting adding to growing needs.  
During the past week, some 18,000 people received food assistance in areas affected by the conflict, and some health services, water trucking and household items have been provided to those recently displaced.  
But there is still a need to scale up assistance.  
In the Tigray region, deliveries of aid and fuel by road through Afar remain suspended. From 17 to 23 February, no distribution of food aid was reported, as supplies and fuel have nearly run out.  
Some limited aid supplies do continue to be flown into Tigray. During the past week, nutrition supplies to treat severe acute malnutrition in young children were flown in – that’s the first time that a shipment arrived since mid-December. 
Overall, more than 7 million people have been assisted in the current round of food distribution, which began in late December.   

SOMALIA 
Turning to Somalia, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator there, Adam Abdelmoula, expressed his concerns about the impact on civilians of recent hostilities in Diinsoor, in South West State. Over 17,400 people, many of them women and children, have been forced to flee their homes in the last three weeks. 
Our humanitarian colleagues report that those impacted by violence are also facing the consequences of an ongoing drought emergency in this area. In the South West State, almost 136,000 people are facing emergency levels of food insecurity.  
The Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks nearly $1.5 billion to assist 5.5 million people of the most vulnerable, is only 3.3 per cent funded. 

LIBYA 
In a statement we issued last night, the Secretary-General expressed his concern at the ongoing situation in Libya which he is following very closely, specially reports that the 1 March vote in the Libyan House of Representatives fell short of the expected standards of transparency and procedures and included acts of intimidation prior to the session.    
The Secretary-General reiterates the importance of preserving the unity and the hard-won stability achieved since the signing of the Libyan ceasefire agreement in October of 2020. He stressed the need to fulfill the aspirations of more than 2.8 million Libyans who registered to vote and they wanted to choose their leaders through credible, transparent and inclusive elections on the basis of a sound and legal framework.    
The Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, Stephanie Williams, is in Tripoli and remains in touch with the parties. She intends to invite as soon as possible a joint committee from the House of Representatives and the High State Council to come together in order to establish a consensual constitutional basis that would lead to national elections as soon as possible. 
 
MYANMAR 
Moving on to Asia, quick update from Myanmar where in the face of increasing humanitarian needs this year, the World Food Programme is substantially scaling up its assistance with plans to target at least four million people across the country. This is despite immense challenges in security, humanitarian access, funding, and the pandemic. 
Currently, one out of four people now faces food insecurity in the country. 
In Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar’s biggest cities, WFP is completing new rounds of food and nutrition assistance, reaching up to 1.7 million vulnerable people. 
WFP also delivered life-saving food to 57,000 newly displaced people over the last year in seven states and regions in the country. This is in addition to the regular food and cash distributions for 360,000 men, women and children in the border areas of Rakhine, Kachin, and northern Shan. 
 
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
COVID update from Papua New Guinea, where our team continues to support authorities as the country experiences a fourth wave of transmission. The country has reported to WHO 41,000 infections, including 638 deaths. Authorities have received nearly 1.3 million COVID-19 vaccines, of which nearly 300,000 got to Papua New Guinea via COVAX. We thank donors including Australia, China, New Zealand and the United States for donating vaccines. Our team is working to boost vaccine uptake. To date, less than 5 per cent of the population 18 and above has been fully vaccinated and only one third of health workers have been fully vaccinated. 
Through the EU-UN Spotlight initiative, our team and local authorities are protecting women and girls from violence, a key challenge during this pandemic. 

WORLD WILDLIFE DAY 
Today is World Wildlife Day. This year’s theme is "Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration", as a way to draw attention to the conservation status of some of the most critically endangered species. 
In his message, the Secretary-General said that all around the world, wildlife is in peril. A quarter of species facing the threat of extinction, in large part because we have destroyed nearly half of the ecosystems in which they live.

THE WEEKND 
The World Food Programme’s new initiative in partnership with its Goodwill Ambassador, Abel Tesfaye, better known to most of you as “The Weeknd”, WFP is launching a new fund that will direct support to hunger emergencies around the world, with a specific focus on Ethiopia, where an estimated 9.4 million people require urgent humanitarian and food assistance.  
The Weeknd has made an initial donation of $500,000 to the fund. He is also donating one dollar from each ticket sold for his upcoming North America tour.
  
UNEP@50 
And lastly, we wish a very happy birthday – 50th birthday – to our friends at UNEP, the UN Environment Programme. They were founded in 1972 following the UN Conference on the Human Environment and was conceived to monitor the state of the environment. No better birthday gift than the plastics treaty that the Assembly adopted.