SECURITY COUNCIL/UKRAINE
As you will have seen, this morning, the Security Council held a meeting on Ukraine. In his remarks, the Secretary-General stressed that the purposes and principles embedded in the UN Charter are at the core of who we are, and they reflect the driving mission of our United Nations.
He said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law. He noted that life is a living hell for the people of Ukraine, with an estimated 17.6 million people requiring humanitarian assistance and protection.
The Secretary-General said that the guns are talking now, but in the end we all know that the path of diplomacy and accountability is the road to a just and sustainable peace.
The Secretary-General stressed that we must prevent further escalation, and that we must encourage every meaningful effort to end the bloodshed and, at long last, give peace a chance.
UKRAINE
Just to give you an update from the ground. Our humanitarian colleagues in Ukraine note that exactly one year since Russia’s full-scale invasion, nearly half of the people in Ukraine – that’s almost 18 million people in Ukraine – need humanitarian aid and protection. That’s a six-fold increase from just one year ago.
Since the start of the full-scale war we, along with our humanitarian partners in Ukraine, have made every effort to ramp up operations to provide life-saving support to those who need it most. In 2022, thousands of humanitarian convoys delivered vital supplies to people in all regions of Ukraine, including more than 50 inter-agency convoys that reached more than half a million people in areas close to the front line.
Over the past year, the humanitarian community has reached nearly 16 million people with aid and protection services. That includes water, medicines, heating appliances, and other supplies – as well as support for home repairs.
The response also included the largest humanitarian cash assistance programme in history. Some 6 million people received cash assistance totalling $1.2 billion.
Last year, our humanitarian flash appeal was nearly 80 per cent funded. But as the war entered a second year, we are calling for $3.9 billion to provide aid to more than 11 million people. So far, this year’s appeal is just over 14 per cent funded.
ARMENIA/AZERBAIJAN
I have a statement on the recent Orders of the International Court of Justice in the proceedings between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Secretary-General takes note of the Orders of the International Court of Justice, issued on 22 February, in the proceedings between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Secretary-General welcomes the trust that the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have placed in the International Court of Justice by asking it to resolve their differences.
He recalls that decisions of the International Court of Justice are binding and trusts that the Parties will implement its Orders, including the Order related to measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.
The Secretary-General expresses the hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue working to improve their bilateral relations and strongly encourages a constructive dialogue.
SECRETARY-GENERAL
A travel announcement to share with you. The Secretary-General will be in Geneva in Switzerland on 27 February, to deliver remarks at the High-level segment of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council.
In those remarks, the Secretary-General is expected to highlight that, as we mark the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ 75th anniversary, human rights are under assault from all sides. He will call on the international community to revitalize the Universal Declaration and ensure its full implementation to face the new challenges of today and tomorrow.
In the afternoon, he will deliver remarks at the Opening of the Yemen Pledging conference and he will call on Member States to stand behind and support the people of Yemen.
He will also hold a number of bilateral meetings while in Geneva.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
Meanwhile our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, continues her engagements in Stockholm today. She met with Carin Jämtin, the Director General of the Swedish government agency for development cooperation. The aim is to discuss partnership with the UN development system and ways to accelerate action towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
During her discussion with Johan Forssell, the Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, they discussed issues related to important common priorities such as the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, the Swedish presidency of the European Union, and the conflict in Ukraine as it reached one year.
Across all issues, they shone a light on the importance for international unity and strong multilateralism to respond to the world’s most pressing needs.
The Deputy Secretary-General also met a group of young tech entrepreneurs who are part of a joint UNICEF-Sweden-Rwanda initiative on youth and innovation.
At the end of her trip, Ms. Mohammed shared ideas to catalyze action for the 2030 Agenda in her meeting with HRH The Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria.
TÜRKIYE/SYRIA
Turning to the aftermath of the earthquake in Syria. Today we had 33 trucks go through a number of crossings. As a total since 9 February about 368 trucks with humanitarian goods have crossed from Türkiye into northwest Syria.
We and our partners are carrying out assessments in parts of northern Syria impacted by the earthquakes. Priorities include scaling up the shelter response, winterization and cash support.
We also need more funding for humanitarian assistance. The three-month flash appeal for Syria is now 38 per cent funded. We’ve received about $151 million of the $400 million we’ve asked for.
And our flash appeal for Türkiye which is for $1 billion, is currently just over 7 per cent funded. So far, we have received no money to fund key sectors, including temporary settlement support, multi-purpose cash and early recovery, and debris removal.
Meanwhile, we continue to coordinate rapid assessments in parts of Türkiye most impacted by the earthquakes to determine the specific requirements of people in need of humanitarian aid.
As of today, the World Food Programme (WFP) is providing emergency food assistance to an estimated 2.3 million quake-affected people in both affected countries. WFP has also provided food assistance in Türkiye, through hot meals and family food packages to nearly one million quake-impacted people. And in Syria, they have assisted 1.3 million people in both government and non-government-controlled areas: in Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and Tartous.
TROPICAL CYCLONE FREDDY
Cylone Freddy which killed at least 7 people after making landfall in Madagascar. In that country, we and our partners are supporting the Government in getting aid to those impacted, including food, water, education and medical supplies. The World Food Programme has provided more than 25,000 hot meals to displaced people. And before the cyclone made landfall, UNICEF had pre-positioned school kits for about 30,000 children.
Our colleagues estimate at least 79,000 people have been impacted and these numbers could rise as the assessments are ongoing.
NOON BRIEFING GUEST ON MONDAY
On Monday, we will have as our guest, Ross Smith, the World Food Programme’s Deputy Country Director for Syria. He will brief you on the food situation in Syria.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Today we are now up to 58 Member States paid-up in full. The country that paid up is home to one of the shortest rivers in the world. The river is called Vrelo, otherwise meaning Year, and it’s only 365 meters long. It’s Serbia. We thank our friends in Serbia.
