In a strongly-worded statement, the United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, Denise Brown, condemned the recent attacks on nearly half of the areas in Ukraine over the past 24 hours. Local authorities reported that vital grain storage facilities, crucial to farmers and global food security, were shelled.
Brown further revealed that in the Sumy region, a school was damaged, and teachers were among the casualties, as stated by the national authorities. Relief organization workers have testified that civilians in the Kherson region endured hours of relentless strikes. These attacks demolished one of the hospitals, forcing humanitarian organizations to suspend vital aid and take refuge during the day, all these incidents occurring just yesterday.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and the integrity of its territory within its internationally recognized borders. Speaking via a video message to a summit held in Kyiv titled “Crimean Peninsula Platform,” Guterres emphasized, “It’s of utmost importance that no state’s territory becomes subject to acquisition by another state due to threats or the use of force.”
Guterres continued, “The United Nations remains guided by relevant General Assembly resolutions, particularly the resolution concerning the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In alignment with these resolutions, the UN stands committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and the integrity of its territory, including its recognized international borders and territorial waters.”
The attacks on Ukraine’s grain storage facilities not only risk a humanitarian crisis in the country but also threaten to disrupt global food supply chains, which could lead to price hikes and food shortages in various parts of the world.
