The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, has strongly denounced a wave of Russian attacks that began Thursday night and lasted through Friday on populated areas across the country. At least 30 civilians were reportedly killed, with more than 150 others injured. Ukrainian authorities said the death toll will likely increase further as rescue operations continue.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the people of Ukraine have suffered, over the past hours, one of the largest waves of airstrikes since the escalation of the war nearly two years ago, adding to the immense civilian toll in the country.
“I condemn, in the strongest terms, Russia's heinous wave of attacks on populated areas of Ukraine over the past few hours, which has left a path of destruction, death and human suffering,” Brown said in a statement Friday.
Russia launched a wave of drone and missile attacks on several Ukrainian cities Friday. The strikes also damaged homes, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, a metro station, a shopping mall and energy infrastructure, killing and injuring civilians in almost every region of the country.
OCHA reported Friday the vast aerial assault has forced millions to seek refuge in shelters during a winter night and left a path of destruction and death in most of Ukraine’s regions. According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the massive assault struck densely populated areas in many cities and towns, including Kyiv, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Sumy, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia.
“Right now, families and emergency services are trying to pull people out of the debris left by the destruction. For the Ukrainian people, this is another unacceptable example of the horrifying reality they are faced with, and which made 2023 another year of enormous suffering”, Brown said.
“The Russian Federation continues the pattern of disregard for its obligations under international humanitarian law,” she added, noting that indiscriminate attacks and the intentional targeting of civilians and civilian objects are strictly forbidden.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed his shock Friday “by yet another full-scale set of coordinated missile and drone attacks by the Russian Federation across Ukraine”.
“International humanitarian law explicitly prohibits attacks deliberately targeting civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate attacks, under any circumstances”, Türk said.
“I call again on the Russian Federation to cease its attacks on Ukraine immediately, and to strictly respect all the rules of international law relating to the conduct of hostilities.”
In response to the strikes, humanitarian agencies have mobilized emergency support for affected people in Dnipro, Lviv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and other cities. Alongside local authorities, they are providing construction materials for emergency repairs, medical and psychological assistance, tents with heating and hot meals for people who are unable to access their homes due to the destruction, amid harsh winter conditions.
The human rights and humanitarian situation in Ukraine deteriorated rapidly in 2022, after Russia’s invasion escalated eight years of conflict in the east into a full-scale war. The devastation and destruction have been staggering, with some 40 percent of Ukraine’s population in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. At least 17.6 million people in Ukraine required humanitarian aid this year. Among them were 3.2 million children.
In 2024, some 14.6 million people in the country will be in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
The war in Ukraine has further escalated in 2023, with hostilities ravaging communities in the east, south and north and taking a heavy toll on civilians living close to the front line. The war also has had a devastating impact on the mental health and well-being of children, including millions who had to flee for safety, whether internally or outside.
The conflict has forced many to flee Ukraine, resulting in a humanitarian crisis of a scale not witnessed in Europe for decades. As of December, at least 9.9 million people are displaced by the war. More than 6.3 million refugees have sought refuge in foreign countries. At least 3.6 million people are displaced within Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created one of the largest humanitarian crises globally. Violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law occurring in the course of the ongoing armed attack are widespread. Millions of civilians fear for their lives. People in Ukraine continue to be killed, wounded and deeply traumatized by the violence.
Further information
Full text: The Russian Federation continues the pattern of disregard for its obligations under International Humanitarian Law - Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown condemns wave of attacks on Ukrainian populated cities, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, press release, published December 29, 2023
https://ukraine.un.org/en/256929-russian-federation-continues-pattern-disregard-its-obligations-under-international
Full text: Comment by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker TĂĽrk on attacks in Ukraine, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, press release, published December 29, 2023
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/12/comment-un-high-commissioner-human-rights-volker-turk-attacks-ukraine
Full text: Ukraine Humanitarian Response 2023 Winter Attacks: Humanitarian Impact of Intensified Strikes and Hostilities – Flash Update #2 (29 Dec 2023), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), report, published December 29, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-humanitarian-response-2023-winter-attacks-humanitarian-impact-intensified-strikes-and-hostilities-flash-update-2-29-dec-2023