Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Ukraine war now apocalyptic, humanitarians warn in call for safe access
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 09 - 03 - 2022

Nearly two weeks into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and amid rising numbers of civilian casualties, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday repeated her ceasefire call, with humanitarians on the ground describing conditions as increasingly "apocalyptic".
Addressing the Human Rights Council, Bachelet said that since Russia began its offensive on 24 February, at least 1,335 civilians have been confirmed wounded or killed - 474 killed and 861 injured.
The true number is likely to be much higher, given the type of weapons employed across Ukraine by Russian forces, said the High Commissioner's Office, OHCHR.
"Most of the civilian casualties are from airstrikes and explosive weapons used by Russian forces with wide area effects, including heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems," said Liz Throssell, OHCHR spokesperson. "As a result, hundreds of residential buildings in many cities, including Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mariupol and Kyiv have been damaged and destroyed."
Amid continued shelling and use of multiple rocket launch systems on Ukrainian cities, the UN humanitarian coordinating office, OCHA, reiterated the need to urgently establish a working system to ensure safe passage to get civilians out, and aid workers in.
"You need to have clarity on the route. It needs to be a route which is safe. You need to have timing for movements," said Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson, speaking at a scheduled briefing in Geneva.
"You need to have contact numbers for those running the convoys in and out. You need to know the purpose of each movement. And you need to have a hotline in case it doesn't work."
Ongoing UN-led efforts with both sides have continued, to help facilitate safe passage for civilians and supplies, Laerke continued.
"OCHA now has a team in place since yesterday in Moscow, to liaise with the authorities there, including with the Minister of Defence, to bring the system of deconfliction forward. They met for the first time yesterday and they're meeting again today."
Nearly two weeks into the Russian invasion, the situation for millions of civilians inside Ukraine continues to worsen.
"This situation is really apocalyptic for people, it is getting worse, they are running out of essential supplies," said Ewan Watson, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "And so, our call today is really for lifesaving aid to reach these people."
He added: "We've depleted our stocks, as I said; it stands to reason that people are coming to the end of whatever supplies they had. So, when you ask if this is a matter of life or death, or if it is lifesaving? Yes. For us, it is essential that humanitarian aid gets into a city like Mariupol, and to other cities that are in the midst of conflict in Ukraine today."
The situation also remains dire for all those in need of healthcare in areas subjected to shelling, warned the UN health agency's Tarik Jasarevic, speaking from Lviv in western Ukraine.
Sixteen attacks on health facilities have now been verified by the World Health Organization (WHO), claiming nine lives and injuring 16 - some of them health workers.
"These attacks are a violation of international humanitarian law," Jasarevic said, as he echoed calls for all such attacks to stop.
"I talked to this morning to a doctor in Lviv, who was in contact with her colleagues in eastern part of the country, and they were saying that it's very difficult for patients to access healthcare facilities in these areas, not only because of security, but also because of damaged infrastructure."
Latest data from the UN migration agency (IOM) indicates no let-up in the number of people fleeing the violence across Ukraine's borders.
"More than two million people have fled Ukraine to neighbouring states as a result of the ongoing war in that country," said Paul Dillon, IOM spokesperson. "Among them are 103,000 third-country nationals from dozens of countries." — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.