UKRAINE / AMIN AWAD HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR

STORY: UKRAINE / AMIN AWAD HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR
TRT: 3:57
SOURCE: Ukraine Media Center
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 21 APRIL 2022, LVIV, UKRAINE
SHOTLIST:
1. Med shot, split screen
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Amin Awad, Crisis Coordinator, Ukraine:
"I want to begin by echoing the words of the Secretary-General that this war must end, we must stop the destruction, the misery and the movement of people inside the country and outside and end the displacement. The past two months have seen suffering devastation and a massive scale of loss of life.
Let me share with you some of the sobering statistics.
At least 15.7 million people in Ukraine now need urgent humanitarian assistance and protection.
As of today, over 5 million people fled looking Ukraine to seek safety in other countries, and another 7.1 million are being internally displaced across the country.
This represents about 25 percent of the total population of Ukraine. This is a big number. Destruction of civilian infrastructures at massive scale, since the war started, we see that more than 140 health facilities have come under attack, severe damage left about 6 million people without regular access to water and also an average of 22 schools a day have come under attack in a way or another.
In my report, the uncertainty or the fate of the civilian population is of concern to us. The people living in the... continue to confront tremendous challenges with reported shortages of water, food, medicine, and other amenities. In Mykolaiv, people have been without water for several days. And that's the case in many other villages in the east.
Across the Oblast, especially in Donetsk, Luhanska, Khakvska, Kyivska and Chernivska, devastation of urban center and destruction of civilian infrastructure have made life unbearable for millions of people, severely disrupting critical services including health care and access to water
We're concerned about the impact on civilian infrastructure, and we consider it as a clear violation of international humanitarian law, and civilian must be protected and allowed safe passage. We as humanitarians face tremendous challenges in carrying out our daily work. On many occasions, we're prevented from reaching areas where people are in desperate need of assistance. I appeal to safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance and allowing civilians to also come out to safety.
We have seen people returning, but a lot of them are returning to nothing. With over 12 million people displaced, the resolutions to displacement cannot wait. People are returning to empty places, empty villages. Going home after having been forced to flee is one of the most normal humanitarian desires. I can understand that longing for home by many displaced Ukrainians, and the United Nations along with our humanitarian partners must be ready to support the.. resolution from the start. That means putting the last first, as we are continuing to look to provide humanitarian assistance but look at the short-term development durable solution needs.
In closing, I'd like to echo the Secretary General call for restraint and humanitarian pause to allow for safe passage of civilians and for the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to people in need. And I also underscore the need to put aside divisions and focus on covering the interests of all and end this senseless war."
3. Med shot, split screen

STORYLINE:

Over the past two months, Ukraine has seen “suffering, devastation, and destruction on a massive scale”, the UN Crisis Coordinator for the country told journalists on Thursday, and echoed the Secretary-General in saying, “we must stop the bloodshed and destruction”.

“At least 15.7 million people in Ukraine are now in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection…over five million people fled Ukraine to seek safety in other countries and another 7.1 million have been internally displaced across the country,” said Assistant Secretary-General Amin Awad during a press conference in Lviv, west Ukraine.

“This represents more than 25 per cent of the entire population of Ukraine”.

Since the war started, civilian infrastructure has taken a huge hit with more than 136 health facilities and an average of 22 schools a day coming under attack.
Moreover, damaged water systems have left six million people without regular access.

“The world is shocked by what is happening in Ukraine,” said Mr. Awad, calling “deeply disturbing” the treatment of war prisoners and that the fate of civilians in Mariupol remains unknown.

Meanwhile, people living in occupied Kherson are short on food and medicines; Mykolaiv has been without water for seven days; and the devastation of urban centres and civilian infrastructure across the oblasts – especially in Donetska, Luhanska, Khakvska, Kyivska and Chernivska – have disrupted critical services for millions, including water and health care.

The UN Crisis Coordinator reminded that attacking noncombatants or civilian infrastructure is “a clear violation of international humanitarian law,” calling for it to stop and for civilians to be protected and allowed safe passage.

At the same time, he said, humanitarians face tremendous challenges that often prevent them from delivering assistance to areas where people are in desperate need.
“I appeal for safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance,” said the UN official.

Awad also pointed out that some of the over 12 million people who have been displaced are now returning home.

“As United Nations, and together with our humanitarian and development partners, we must be ready to support their durable solution from the start”.

He underscored the Secretary-General’s call for a humanitarian pause and the need to “put aside divisions and focus on converging interests to end this senseless war”.

On the same briefing, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Osnat Lubrani, announced an additional $50 million from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund to support NGOs and UN agencies in the country.

With this new disbursement, OCHA’s humanitarian funds will have allocated over $158 million for life-saving operations in Ukraine since 24 February.

To date, 68 percent of the initial $1.1 billion that was requested in the initial Flash Appeal has been funded.