UKRAINE WAR
‘The UN General Assembly met on 23 March 2022 for its second emergency session on the Ukraine crisis since Russia invaded the country on 24 February, with two similar but different resolutions placed before delegates, addressing the unfolding humanitarian crisis,’ UN News reports.
The first resolution, Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine, calls out Russia’s assault on Ukraine and demands immediate withdrawal of troops from Ukraine.
South Africa has proposed a rival draft text, titled Humanitarian situation emanating out of the conflict in Ukraine, with no reference to Russia, says the Report.
On 2 March 2022, Emergency Special Session (Ukraine) passed the Resolution with the support of 141 Member States condemning Russia and demanded a ‘cessation in the use of force and withdrawal of all military from Ukraine’.
“Russia must stop this war and end this unnecessary suffering. Withdraw all forces from the entire territory of Ukraine, immediately and unconditionally,” said European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog in the General Assembly supporting the resolution.
Polish Ambassador Joanna Skoczek reminded that the humanitarian consequences are not limited to Ukraine as 2.2million refugees were reported to have fled Poland.
“We have already registered 170 nationalities on our border. The consequences of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine are being felt in almost every country around the globe. It affects Europe, it affects us all,” Polish Ambassador said.
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said that the Ukrainian text painted “a false, one-dimensional picture” of what is happening, ignoring the causes of Ukraine’s crisis and the West’s role in using the country as a pawn “in a geopolitical game against Russia” , reported UN News on 23 March 2022.
Meanwhile, convening the first meeting of the steering committee the UN Chief Antonio Guterres said that the war in Ukraine is not only a “horror unfolding before the eyes”, but also an “assault on some of the most vulnerable people and countries”across the world.
The UN Health agency, WHO warned that people’s health needs in Ukraine are getting worse and the situation particularly in the coastal city of Mariupol and others are critical because of ongoing violence.
“WHO is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and we continue to call on all sides to minimise the risk of a nuclear or chemical accident, which could have catastrophic consequences for human health,” said the WHO Chief.
