Braving mines and missiles to bring aid to Ukraine’s displaced population — Global Issues

Before dawn on 24 February, Kharkiv took a fierce hit. Within 24 hours, Russian troops had reached the northern suburbs, just 30 kilometres from the Ukraine-Russia border. Despite outnumbering the Ukrainian forces, the invading army was unable to enter the city.

“I am from Kharkiv, from the largest residential area in Ukraine – Saltivka, where about 400,000 people lived before the war,” says 21-year-old Tania, who has found a temporary home in Ivano-Frankivsk Region and participated in a Summer school run by the UN migration agency (IOM), for young leaders among displaced persons and members of hosted communities. 

“For two weeks, my family and I did not leave the underground metro station, even for a minute. The metro became the main bomb shelter for the locals. I did not want to leave the city, because my grandparents remained behind.  But when they came to us in Kharkiv, I decided to flee from the war.” 

According to a recent IOM survey, around 28 per cent of the estimated 6.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine fled from the Kharkiv Region. The humanitarian needs of those who chose to stay, or were unable to flee, are immense.

In May, the city received the first humanitarian convoy from IOM with much-needed items for people staying in shelters and hospitals, as well as hard-to-reach communities in areas under Ukrainian control.

“Locals need solar lamps as there is no light, mattresses and blankets as it is damp and cold in shelters, tools for minor repairs for their damaged houses, and hygiene kits,” explains Serhii, the head of Source of Revival, one of the biggest non-governmental organizations in the region and IOM’s implementing partner in the Kharkiv Region.

In the first months of the war, the Source of Revival team’s working day began at 6am and ended at 3pm, when a curfew was set and any movement around the city was forbidden. The location of the warehouses had to be changed several times due to heavy shelling, missiles, and air strikes. 

Not all drivers agreed to go to this dangerous area. The situation has since escalated, the number of casualties is growing, but no one in the team has left Kharkiv. They put on bulletproof vests and protective helmets to deliver IOM’s assistance to those in dire need.

‘There is nothing left alive’

Nadia, who is currently living on the outskirts of Kharkiv, fled her home in the city of Derhachi due to heavy shelling shortly after discovering she was pregnant in March.

“Now, there is nothing left alive in Derhachi,” she recalls. “There is also shelling here, but not as fierce as in my hometown; then, when a missile hit a nearby school, we moved once again.” 

Source of Revival brought tailored humanitarian aid from IOM directly to her temporary home as it was especially challenging for a pregnant woman to move around the unsafe city.

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The hardest part of the team’s work is delivering aid to communities that survived the Russian occupation. Although it takes time to de-mine the area after Ukrainian forces recovered it, NGOs endeavour to reach people in critical need as quickly as possible. 

“Some settlements were razed to the ground. There are many local Irpins and Buchas in our region”, a Source of Revival staff says, referring to two cities in Kyiv oblast occupied by Russia at the start of the war where evidence points to significant human rights abuses being committed against the civilians. Exploitation, kidnapping for ransom, robbery, bullying, torture, rape, and sexual abuse of women, children, the elderly, and men.

‘Everything has changed’

Humanitarian workers are helping local residents and identifying victims of conflict-related violence. All of them can go to the IOM centre for physical and psychosocial rehabilitation.

Lately, Kharkiv has been receiving increasing numbers of displaced persons fleeing neighbouring Donetsk and Luhansk regions. And, despite the security situation, even Kharkiv residents are returning to their homes with high hopes.

“They want to rebuild this place, but everything has changed”, says Serhii, whose house was damaged by shelling. “The infrastructure is damaged, houses are destroyed, there is no work, and part of the region is still occupied. Russian troops are trying to move closer to the city, so the threat remains, and chaotic shelling continues.” 

According to authorities, over 1,000 civilians in Kharkiv Region were killed in the last 181 days, including 50 children, and this figure may rise. Calm is deceptive here, and the situation can change in the blink of an eye.

In one single night, on 18 August, 21 civilians died, and 44 were injured as a result of a missile attack on a residential area. Nevertheless, as was the case 79 years ago, locals believe in their land and justice, revealing the same strength and character as their ancestors.

“I draw power from my team. I understand that most of them could leave Kharkiv, but they stayed. They are the first to put on vests, helmets and go to help others,” says Serhii.

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Urgent agreement needed to end fighting around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant — Global Issues

Recent weeks have seen an escalation in shelling in and around Europe’s largest nuclear facility. 

The Council meeting was requested by Russia, whose forces have occupied the plant since March, or shortly after the start of the war, while Ukrainian personnel continue to carry out their on-site operations. 

‘Suicidal’ threat 

Ms. DiCarlo reiterated the UN’s ongoing grave concern over the dangerous situation, recalling the Secretary-General’s appeals for common sense, reason and restraint, as well as dialogue. 

“At this moment, it is imperative that we receive the expressed commitment of the parties to stop any military activities around the plant and to enable its continued safe and secure operations. To paraphrase the Secretary-General’s blunt warning, any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia is suicidal,” she said

All military personnel and equipment must be withdrawn from the plant, and there should be no further deployment of forces or equipment to the site.

“The facility must not be used as part of any military operation, and  an agreement on a safe perimeter of demilitarization to ensure the safety of the area should be reached,” she said.

The UN has again called for the parties to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with immediate, secure, and unfettered access to the nuclear plant. 

Preparations for IAEA mission 

IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi on Tuesday renewed his request to send a mission to carry out essential safety, security and safeguard activities at the site. 

Ms. DiCarlo reported that preparations are proceeding, and the agency is in active consultation with all sides so the mission can be dispatched as soon as possible. 

“We welcome Ukraine and Russia’s recent statements indicating support for the IAEA’s aim to send a mission to the plant, which would be IAEA’s first to that site since the start of the war,” she said. 

The UN has also assessed that it has the logistics and security capacity in Ukraine to support any IAEA mission from Kyiv, provided Ukraine and Russia agree. 

“We must be clear that any potential damage to the plant, or any other nuclear facilities in Ukraine, leading to a possible nuclear incident would have catastrophic consequences, not only for the immediate vicinity, but for the region and beyond,” said Ms. DiCarlo. 

“Similarly, any damage leading to the plant being cut from the Ukrainian power grid would have catastrophic humanitarian implications, particularly with winter approaching. As the Secretary-General has made clear, the electricity produced at the Zaporizhzhia plant belongs to Ukraine.” 

Russia: ‘Healthy’ atmosphere at plant

In his deliberation, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya listed incidents of alleged Ukrainian shelling at the plant this month, accusing the country of “nuclear blackmail”.

“The fact that the Kyiv regime continues with attacks on this station is a direct consequence of criminal acquiescence on the part of its western patrons,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.

Furthermore, any potential disaster at the nuclear plant has so far been avoided “only because there’s smooth joint work between the workers of the station, fire squads, emergency people and the Russian military who are helping them every way they can,” he added.  “And this shows that there is a healthy working atmosphere at the station, and no one is oppressing anyone there.”

Support for IAEA mission

Regarding the IAEA, Mr. Nebenzya said Russia has supported efforts towards a mission to the plant “from day one” and had already agreed for a mission to take place in June.

“We expect that the IAEA trip mission will take place in the very near future and the agency experts will confirm the real situation at the station,” he said.

The Ambassador concluded his remarks by addressing the car bombing in Moscow on Saturday which killed Darya Dugina, a political commentator and the daughter of a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.

Russian authorities are investigating the incident, he said, “and preliminary conclusions are that this monstrous crime was organized by the Ukrainian special services.”

He urged the Council and the UN leadership, in his words, “to condemn yet another crime by the Kyiv regime.”

Ukraine refutes shelling claims

Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsy dismissed Russia’s claims that his country is shelling its own nuclear facility.

“Nobody who is at least conscious can imagine that Ukraine would target a nuclear power plant at tremendous risk of nuclear catastrophe and on its own territory,” he said.

Mr. Kyslytsy informed the Council that Ukraine’s Foreign Minister has responded to the IAEA regarding the mission.  

The proposal for the itinerary is in compliance with national legislation “and in general might be accepted”, he said.  However, further arrangements have to be made based on security conditions, communication of detailed route plans, and other logistical aspects.

Permanent IAEA presence

“We continue to believe that the mission’s effectiveness can be bolstered by incorporating military and political components backed by UN expertise,” he said.

“Considering the scale of the current challenges and threats, we also urged the IAEA to consider a permanent presence of its experts at the ZNPP until the competent Ukrainian authorities regain full control over this nuclear facility.”

The Ambassador underlined the importance of the mission taking place at the request of Ukraine.

“The occupiers have trained some of the hostages in what they should say and what they shouldn’t show to the IAEA. That is why it is really important to conduct the mission in a way that would allow the international community to see the real situation and not a Russian theatrical show.”
 

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A light in the darkness for Ukrainians under fire — Global Issues

In a dark, overcrowded cellar in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 40-year-old Natalia is hiding from almost constant air raids nearby. Together with her son, niece, uncle and mother, she lives in one of the most dangerous areas of the city. Sleeping on a cold floor alongside dozens of others, sometimes she does not see the sky for several days.

“We were under very fierce shelling. We had nowhere to run, so we went down to the shelter,” she explains. “We have experienced a lot of things here – births, caring for pregnant women, children, and a person suffering a heart attack.”

The second largest city in Ukraine, Kharkiv remains under attack by the Russian Federation. As the death and injury toll in this region increases daily, assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is being delivered to help those living in shelters that were not initially designed to accommodate people.

Beyond the necessities like food and medicine, they are desperate for news from their families. Solar lamps provided by IOM are helping displaced Ukrainians charge their mobile phones, enabling them to hear their loved ones’ voices once again.

Delivering aid to a besieged city

In Chernihiv, the country’s northernmost regional capital, 70 per cent of the city lacked electricity due to infrastructure damage caused by heavy shelling from late February to early April. Almost half of the city’s 300,000 population left and hundreds of civilians were killed, according to local authorities. Even now, chaotic shelling puts the lives of people in the region at risk. 

“It was very scary to live in the darkness, but the worst thing was the lack of communication with relatives. People turned on their phones just for a while and rationed the charge as their treasure,” explains Olga, a staffer of the IOM partner NGO “Ukrainian Prism” that has been delivering the solar lamps and other aid to the most affected areas.

“We transported the first batch of solar lamps from IOM in rubber boats across the frosty Desna River, along with the most important cargo for the residents of Chernihiv, when the city was still besieged,” recalls Olga.

An unprecedented operation

From the onset of the war, IOM has been delivering much-needed assistance to affected areas of Ukraine, including mattresses, blankets, kitchen and hygiene sets, containers, and tools for minor repairs. Such items are provided through the humanitarian supply chain that ensures continued delivery of necessary goods like food, shelter, blankets, medicines, and others during a disaster.

When the war broke out in February, a massive supply chain operation, unprecedented in its size and scale, was set up by IOM, establishing a complex cross-border operation to bring life-saving items to the most conflict-affected regions of Ukraine. These items have been tailored to meet the urgent needs of people and correspond to the environment in which war-affected communities are living.

IOM’s local partner, the charitable foundation “Source of Revival” is doing everything possible to help people who remain in Kharkiv as well as those staying in hard-to-reach cities and villages of the region. Because of the shelling, they often travel to deliver humanitarian aid in bulletproof vests and protective helmets.

Solar lamps have become one of the most sought-after items. “The lamps are a real help for us – we can charge phones and use them for lighting,” says Kateryna, a mother of two.

Over time, humanitarian aid began to reach locals, supporting them on their way to recovery, but trauma is still fresh in their minds. “The village suffered a lot”, recalls Kateryna. “Airstrikes, tanks, shelling… We survived the most terrible moments: executions of civilians, violence, and death.”

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UN chief ends Europe trip with visit to ‘vessels of hope’ — Global Issues

Mr. Guterres flew into Istanbul on Saturday morning from Chisinau, Moldova – where he was hosted for a working dinner with President Maia Sandu the previous evening – and boarded a pilot boat in the Sea of Marmara, where he sailed next to the M/V Brave Commander, the World Food Programme (WFP) ship which picked up more than 23,000 of wheat in the port of Yuzhny/Pivdennyi, before making her way to deliver the precious cargo to the Horn of Africa, to help people on the verge of famine. 

The Secretary-Genera, along with a group of inspectors from the Black Sea Grain Initiative UN Joint Coordination Centre for the Initiative (JCC), also boarded the vessel SSI INVINCIBLE II. The ship is on its way to Chornomorsk in Ukraine to load close to 50,000 tonnes of grain – the largest shipment to leave Ukraine since the start of the war. 

Joined by the Turkish Minister of Defence, Hulusi Akar, the Secretary-General toured the Joint Coordination Center. He met the Russian and Ukrainian delegations to the JCC separately, and then for an official session of the JCC, where he thanked all of the participants for their professionalism and humanity in ensuring that this initiative is a success for people around the world. 

Pivotal role of Türkiye

In a press conference with Minister Akar, the Secretary-General thanked the government of Türkiye for their pivotal role in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. 

The collaborative work of the teams sitting around the table at the JCC embodies what we can achieve with political will, top operational expertise, and collective effort, Mr. Guterres told journalists. 

He described the ships that he had just seen in the Marmara Sea and Istanbul is only the more visible part of the solution. The other part of this package deal, he said, is the unimpeded access to the global markets of Russian food and fertilizer, which are not subject to sanctions. 

“Without fertilizer in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023,” said Mr. Guterres. “Getting more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia is critical to further calm commodity markets and lower prices for consumers.”

UN Photo/Mark Garten

UN Secretary-General makes remarks at the Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ukraine’s contribution to human rights

The Secretary-General’s trip began on Wednesday, 17 August , when he arrived in Lviv, Ukraine, having travelled from New York via Warsaw, Poland. 

Prior to a trilateral meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and President of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, the Secretary-General briefly visited the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. 

He was greeted, and given a tour, by Volodymyr Melnyk, the rector of the university, which is considered a centre for the study of human rights. 

Mr. Melnyk explained the important contributions to the world’s science, international law and diplomacy made by the university and its scholars. One of the graduates of the School of International Law, Louis Son, is co-author of the UN Charter and Raphael Lemkin, another graduate, coined the term genocide.

Students from this University were later judges in the International Criminal Court or nominated to Nobel Prizes, including Jan Karski, the famous Polish diplomat who alerted the world to the on-going holocaust during World War II. 

Speaking to reporters afterwards, the Secretary-General noted the links between the United Nations and the university adding that today “more and more the contribution of civil society and the contribution of academia are essential in the development of modern democracies.”

‘Full solidarity with the Ukrainian people’

In his remarks to the press after the trilateral meeting, the Secretary-General, reiterated that the United Nations will go on working in full solidarity with the Ukrainian people to mobilize all of its capacities and resources – alongside national partners – to continue to provide humanitarian support to people in need wherever it is required. 

He also underscored that the positive momentum on the food front reflects a victory for diplomacy and multilateralism. Getting food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia in larger quantities is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices. “It is essential to provide relief to the most vulnerable people and countries,” he added. 

The Secretary-General said he had discussed the investigation of the tragic incident in a detention facility in Olenivka, eastern Ukraine, on 29 July, in which more than 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in a blast.

Mr. Guterres announced that he is appointing General Carlos dos Santos Cruz of Brazil to lead a fact-finding mission into the killings. In order for the mission to work, he told the press, it needs to have the necessary assurances to guarantee secure access to the site and any other relevant locations. To put it simply, the Secretary-General said, a fact-finding mission must be free to find the facts.

The UN chief is on his way back to New York.
 



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‘Open wallets’ and ‘hearts’ for developing countries to purchase Ukrainian grain — Global Issues

Ships carrying grain have been leaving there under a recent UN-brokered agreement, and Mr. Guterres said Odesa was a symbol of what countries can achieve when they work together for the common good. 

Speaking to journalists, the UN chief revealed that it was a moving experience to be at the port, where he witnessed wheat being loaded onto a ship. 

“It’s obviously a reason for joy,” he said.  “But it is also emotional because of the sadness I feel looking into this wonderful harbour and looking into these terminals practically empty with the possibility that this harbour has to develop; that Ukraine and the whole region being cut off because of the war”. 

Vessels of hope 

The Odesa port had been paralyzed for months due to the war, which meant that “a critical transportation line from a global breadbasket was cut”, he said. 

Things are changing under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the deal to unblock grain and fertilizer exports, signed barely a month ago by Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye and the UN.   

Since then, 25 ships have departed from Odesa and other Ukrainian ports, and more are on the way, said Mr. Guterres, speaking alongside Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov. 

The ships have transported over 600,000 tonnes of grain and food products, namely wheat, corn, sunflower oil, and soybeans.   

“But each ship is also a vessel of hope,” he said.  “Hope for Ukrainian farmers finally rewarded for their harvest – with storage being freed up for more. Hope for seafarers and the larger shipping community, knowing that it is once again possible to sail through the Black Sea safely and efficiently.  And, most of all, hope for the world’s most vulnerable people and countries”.  

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Support for developing countries 

The UN chief issued a special call to rich nations on behalf of vulnerable people everywhere who are bearing the brunt of the global food crisis.  

 “As these ports open, I appeal for wealthier countries to also open their wallets and their hearts. After all, the movement of grains doesn’t mean much to countries that cannot afford it,” he said.   

 “It is time for massive and generous support so developing countries can purchase the food from this and other ports – and people can buy it.   Developing countries need access to financing now.  They need debt relief now.  They need resources to invest in their people now”. 

The Secretary-General also called for more action to ensure full global access to Ukrainian food products, and Russian food and fertilizer, through the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

While no one ever expected the agreement would equal “smooth sailing”, it is unprecedented both in scope and scale, he said, adding that there is still a long way to go. 

Mr. Guterres explained that getting more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices.   

 “But let’s not forget that what we see here in Odesa is only the more visible part of the solution.  The other part that is also important, that we have been defending, relates to the unimpeded access to the global markets of Russian food and fertilizer, which are not subject to sanctions”.  

It is important that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market, because “without fertilizer in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023″, he warned. 

The Secretary-General underlined his deep commitment to these objectives, which he said will only happen if all parties cooperate

Peace for Ukraine 

He stressed the need to continue efforts towards improving global food supply and stabilizing markets, and to work for peace in line with the UN Charter and international law. 

 “Today, Odesa is more than just a shipping centre.  This port is a symbol of what the world can do when we commit to working together for the common good,” he said. 

The Ukrainian people has been suffering so much. They have witnessed so many deaths, so much destruction that it is legitimate to aspire for peace. But again, I repeat peace in line with the UN Charter, peace in line with international law.  That is the best way to mark World Humanitarian Day and help set the course for a more just and peaceful world for all”. 

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UN chief pays second call on Ukraine, will visit grain-exporting Black Sea Port — Global Issues

“Tomorrow, he will join President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine,” UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq told a regular press briefing in New York.

“He will go on to visit Odesa and then Istanbul in the following days,” he added.

Checking the grain

During his visit, the UN chief will stop by one of the three Ukrainian ports involved in the framework of the Black Sea Initiative to export wheat grain.

Prior to the start of the conflict in February, Ukraine was exporting up to six million tonnes of grain a month. 

However, the war triggered grain shortages that have left African countries among the most heavily impacted.

Yesterday as the first humanitarian boat under the Initiative left for the Horn of Africa, the head of the World Food Programme (WFP), David Beasley, had said that getting the Black Sea Ports open is “the single most important thing we can do right now”.  

“It will take more than grain ships out of Ukraine to stop world hunger, but with Ukrainian grain back on global markets we have a chance to stop this global food crisis from spiraling even further,” he stated. 

Travel ahead

Prior to returning to New York, Mr. Guterres will make a stop in Istanbul, Turkey, to visit the Joint Coordinating Centre, the mechanism that supports implementation of the UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative on grain exports. 

This is the second call that Mr. Guterres has made on Ukraine after the Russian invasion that began on 24 February. 

The Secretary General first flew to the country at the end of April when he visited the devastated outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, and met with President Zelensky and other high-ranking officials of the country. 

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Vessel to collect first humanitarian wheat shipment under Ukraine grain deal — Global Issues

This will be the first shipment of humanitarian food assistance under the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed last month by Ukraine, Russia and Türkiye. 

WFP said the development marks “another important step in efforts to reintegrate Ukrainian food into global markets and get it to countries worst affected by the global food crisis through both commercial and humanitarian avenues.” 

The MV Brave Commander is expected to berth shortly at Yuzhny, located on the Black Sea. 

Supporting drought response 

The ship departed the Turkish capital, Istanbul, on Wednesday after clearing inspection by the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC), the mechanism that supports implementation of the UN-brokered agreement on resuming grain exports from Ukraine. 

The JCC will monitor the movement of commercial vessels transporting grain, foodstuffs and fertilizer from Yuzhny and two other key Ukrainian ports: Odesa and Chornomorsk.    

WFP has purchased the wheat for its operations in Ethiopia, supporting drought response in the Horn of Africa where the threat of famine looms.     

The UN agency recently warned of the dire food security situation across the region, following four consecutive failed rainy seasons. 

The Horn of Africa is just one of many areas around the world where the near complete halt of Ukrainian grain and food on the global market has made life even harder for the families already struggling with rising hunger.     

A record 345 million people in 82 countries are now facing acute food insecurity, WFP said. Up to 50 million in 45 countries are at risk of being pushed into famine without humanitarian support. 

UNOCHA/Levent Kulu

The M/V Fulmar S, the first commercial emtpy grain vessel from Istanbul to Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, awaits JCC authorized movement, pending inspection.

Off to a good start

The Brave Commander will discharge the wheat in Djibouti after clearing the JCC protocols in Istanbul on the outbound trip. 

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed on 22 July and so far, 12 vessels have been authorized to depart the Ukrainian ports, the senior UN official at the JCC told journalists this week. 

Frederick Kenney, UN Interim Coordinator, said while there is still much work ahead, “we are off with a very good start”. 

UN Coordinator appointed

On Friday,  Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Amir Mahmoud Abdulla as the UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Mr. Abdulla is the former Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of WFP, overseeing its humanitarian operations around the world.  

He succeeds Mr. Kenney, who was on loan from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

 

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Children with disabilities disproportionately impacted by war in Ukraine — Global Issues

“The terrible tragedy of war highlights historic policy choices made in the past that badly affect children with disabilities,” the Special Rapporteurs said.

The independent experts flagged that “Ukraine faces the daunting task of reinventing many of its social and economic systems when this war is finally brought to an end”.

Raising the alarm

The experts raised the alarm over inadequate services for children with disabilities and the impact that the armed conflict is having on key services, both within Ukraine as well as the immediate region.

Highlighting that thousands of children with disabilities have been sent back to their places of origin without first determining whether the environments are safe, they warned that this practice may endanger the youth, including by instances of abuse and trafficking.

Moreover, mass returns have left many children untreated for physical and mental health conditions.

“We fully understand the exigencies of war and the immediacy of the hard choices to be made. But this is not a situation that can be allowed indefinitely,” they upheld.

Children who stayed

Citing their displacement from one facility to another, the experts observed that the chilcren who had remained in institutions are experiencing a decline in their health and well-being.

And adding to the already known problems of neglect, abuse, physical restrictions, and access to basic services – including education and healthcare – a lack of information on their whereabouts is preventing families from restoring contact.

“Cross institutionalization cannot be a strategy for the future,” warned the Special Rapporteurs.

Third country recipients

Another concern raised by the experts is that Ukraine seems to require third countries receiving children with disabilities to place them in facilities – even States that have successfully moved away from institutionalization for their own citizens.

“Third countries have a heavy responsibility to assist Ukraine imagine a better future for its citizens with disabilities which include its children,” they said.

Building forward

It is our earnest hope that Ukraine will commit itself to a better future for persons with disabilities — UN Special Rapporteurs

The UN experts expressed hope that when reconstruction and future development for Ukraine is being funded, investments will be made to build community support that will enable children with disabilities to flourish with their families and in family-like situations as opposed to institutions.

“It is our earnest hope that Ukraine will commit itself to a better future for persons with disabilities, especially children,” the experts said.

“For our part, we stand ready to provide our advice, solidarity and support to Ukraine on this matter”.

In closing the experts strongly reiterated their “many previous calls” on Russia to “immediately end its aggression against Ukraine” and pledged to assist Ukraine “build a better future for its citizens with disabilities”. 

The experts

Click here for the names of those who participated in the statement.

Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not paid for their work.

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Rights experts denounce withdrawal from key environmental agreement — Global Issues

The Aarhus Convention, adopted in 1998, also requires that individuals exercising these rights are not persecuted, penalized or harassed for doing so. 

Belarus’s President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed a decree on 18 July effectively ending the country’s participation.  Withdrawal is scheduled to take effect on 24 October, in line with article 21 of the Convention. 

Strengthening rights, ensuring compliance 

In denouncing the move, the UN experts noted that the Aarhus Convention has had considerable success in strengthening access rights, sustainable development and environmental democracy. 

They said it is a leading example among international instruments on implementing human rights obligations relating to environmental protection, specifically the rights to information, public participation and justice. 

“Key to the Aarhus Convention’s success has been the work of its Compliance Committee, including the ability of members of the public to bring cases of alleged non-compliance with the Convention before the Committee,” they added. 

Persecution and harassment 

The Compliance Committee as a non-confrontational, non-judicial and consultative mechanism, according to the experts, and its findings have considerably furthered implementation of the Convention. 

They recalled that since 2014, the Committee has closely scrutinized the conduct of Belarus in respect of persecution, penalization and harassment of environmental rights defenders. Members also worked to assist the country in addressing non-compliance. 

Despite this, the Committee found that Belarus had not yet addressed its recommendations, and expressed grave concern that the situation for environmental human rights defenders there was rapidly deteriorating. 

Shortly thereafter, the Committee found that the August 2021 liquidation of an environmental non-government organization was a further incident of persecution, penalization and harassment.  

Given the gravity of the situation, the remaining States party to the Convention moved to suspend the special rights and privileges accorded to Belarus. 

Step up commitment 

The UN experts stated that countries dissatisfied with the outcome of cases, decided by the Compliance Committee, should not withdraw from the Convention. Instead, they should strengthen their commitment to human rights, sustainable development and environmental democracy. 

“Countries should take concrete measures to secure effective enjoyment of the rights to information, public participation and justice, and this includes securing a safe and enabling environment for environmental human rights defenders and all other representatives of civil society,” said the experts. 

“Protecting environmental human rights defenders from violations committed by both State and non-state actors is crucial to the protection of the environment and the human rights that depend on it”. 

About UN experts 

The seven experts who issued the statement were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, located in Geneva. 

These Special Rapporteurs have been given mandates to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues, such as the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change. 

Experts serve in their individual capacity and are neither UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.  

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Dozens missing after migrant boat sinks in Aegean Sea – UNHCR — Global Issues

“Very sad news from the Aegean: Dozens of people are missing after a boat sank off the island of Rhodes this morning (Wednesday),” UNHCR’s office in Greece said in a tweet.

News media reported that the vessel sank at dawn after setting sail from southern Türkiye yesterday, heading for Italy.

29 rescued

A major search and rescue operation is underway,” said UNHCR.

According to news reports, the Greek Coast Guard said that an air and sea rescue operation saved 29 people, all men, from the waters between Rhodes and Crete.

The media also cited the Greek authorities in reporting that the rescued are from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

The wrecked boat had sailed from Antalya, located on the southern coast of neighbouring Türkiye.

Still searching

News media quoted a Greek Coast Guard press official who said that those rescued affirmed that the voyage began with 80 people on board – so up to 50 are still missing.  

UNHCR confirmed the number of missing.

Deadly route

Since the beginning of the year, UNHCR has said that more than 60 people have died in the eastern Mediterranean.

Aegean Sea crossings between the Greek islands and Turkish coasts are often perilous – taking the lives of many migrants and refugees who travel on makeshift boats with hopes of arriving in Europe.

Since January, 64 people have died in the eastern Mediterranean, and 111 in 2021, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The last shipwreck in the Aegean Sea, which took place on 19 June, took the lives of eight people off the island of Mykonos, according to the IOM.

Every more deadly crossing

While the number of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe is lower than in 2015, the journeys have become increasingly more deadly.

Throughout last year, the UN counted 3,231 migrants and refugees dead or missing in the Mediterranean Sea, and 945 people so far this year.

Successful voyages

At the same time, 70,325 migrants did manage to reach Europe, of which 65,548 individual crossings were reported in the Mediterranean, according to UNHCR.

Since the beginning of the year, Italy received the largest number of arrivals – 43,740, followed by Spain – nearly 17,000, Greece – 7,261, and Cyprus – 2,268.

Last year there were 123,300 arrivals, and in 2020, 95,800. Previously, 123,700 crossed the Mediterranean in 2019, and 141,500 in 2018.



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