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Speaking in Geneva, Matthias Schmale described the anguish felt by Ukrainians as the war grinds on: \u201cAs we are not only approaching winter but also the sad 1,000-day mark since the Russian Federation\u2019s full-scale invasion in 2022, we are of course thinking of the more than 12,000 people who have been killed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo date, civilian infrastructure has been decimated with over 2,000 attacks now on healthcare facilities and two million damaged homes<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Almost four in 10 people in Ukraine need humanitarian assistance but one of the most pressing concerns is for people living in high-rise buildings who face their third consecutive freezing winter, because of \u201csystematic attacks\u201d on energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cI am told that by now, 65 per cent of Ukraine’s own energy production capacity has been destroyed<\/strong>,\u201d Mr. Schmale said. Where possible, UN aid teams and partners deliver solid fuel and warm clothing to vulnerable communities, but the situation is more precarious for the \u201chuge number\u201d of people living in apartment buildings.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can evidently not deliver a tonne of solid fuel to a high-rise building,\u201d Mr. Schmale explained, adding that collective shelters in cities and towns that provide warm meals, a shower and a hot drink were welcome, but \u201cnot enough\u201d.<\/p>\n One of the veteran humanitarian\u2019s biggest concerns is if the Russian forces target the energy sector again, as the weather turns bitterly cold.<\/p>\n \u201cIt could be a tipping point forcing further mass displacement both inside the country and outside the country<\/strong>,\u201d Mr. Schmale warned. \u201cSo, this is not just about technical solutions, it\u2019s about urging the international community to do its bit to stop this war.\u201d<\/p>\n To date, the UN, national and international NGOs and volunteer organizations have reached 7.2 million people in Ukraine with at least one type of aid, thanks to the $1.8 billion received for the humanitarian response.<\/p>\n To prepare for winter and address the emergency needs of 1.8 million people until March by delivering solid fuel, ensuring water systems continue to work and by providing cash relief, the UN and partners require $500 million.<\/p>\n But the situation is dangerous on the frontline for communities and aid workers, nine\u00a0 of whom have been killed in the line of duty this year. Humanitarian facilities have also been damaged.<\/p>\n \u201cMany people have told me on my visits that they feel civilians and civilian infrastructure and civil society are increasingly targeted by drone attacks; and drone attacks are terrible, I don\u2019t need to describe that to you,\u201d Mr. Schmale said, citing the testimonies of people describing being followed by drones.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of this is also psychological terror, because\u2026you never quite know, will they strike or are they just observing?\u201d<\/p>\n Asked to assess how the new US administration might work to alleviate suffering in Ukraine, the UN aid coordinator highlighted the Secretary-General\u2019s wish that the \u201csignificant\u201d humanitarian support of the United States would continue. \u201cThey have been by far our biggest individual country supporter,\u201d Mr. Schmale said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hope is that they understand like the present administration that there are huge humanitarian needs that need to continue to be addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nLiving without heat<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Mass displacement threat looms<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Drone terror<\/strong><\/h2>\n