Outrage as Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine cities kill at least nine civilians
The UN’s top aid official in Ukraine has condemned Russia’s overnight attacks on the Ukrainian capital and other cities, with early reports indicating that at least nine people were killed and dozens injured.
Matthias Schmale said the large-scale attack on residential areas of Kyiv was “yet another appalling violation of international humanitarian law”.
The latest Russian strikes reportedly damaged 12 buildings in the capital, causing widespread damage to homes, businesses and key services, while phones were heard ringing from the rubble.
Other Ukrainian cities targeted included Zhytomyr – due west of Kyiv – and the northeastern cities of Sumy and Kharkiv.
The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, warned once again of the mental toll on youngsters. Here’s the agency’s Toby Fricker, speaking to UN News:
“I recently met a 15-year-old girl in Sumy after an attack in the area and her future was just looking up. She was saying she was just going back to school in person classes after years of online learning and then an attack really badly damaged her school. And again, she couldn’t go. She was just enjoying being with her friends, her future was looking up a bit. That’s what she told us and now it’s uncertain again. And now she felt like she didn’t know what to do. Her hope had been extinguished once again.”
Hundreds killed in Sudan’s camps for displaced people
To Sudan, where hundreds of civilians and at least 12 humanitarian workers have been killed in artillery shelling targeting the El Fasher and Zamzam camps in Darfur.
The violence has triggered an unprecedented wave of displacement, according to UN aid agencies.
The development comes as clashes between armed militias and Government forces have continued to escalate across North Darfur in recent weeks.
A mother of three who was inside a hospital in the Zamzam camp during the shelling, told UNICEF that bombs fell on the facility.
“The sick and their mothers were killed,” she said, while those who survived left “with only our children on our backs”.
Climate change: How mountain communities are scaling new heights
Finally, climate news from Central Asia, where mountain communities are gaining recognition for their ability to withstand global warming – with a little help from the UN.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Thursday that the region’s mountain people often rely on small-scale farming and are among the world’s poorest.
To give them more opportunities, the UN agency promotes investment in organic farming, sustainable textiles and eco-tourism.
FAO chief QU Dongyu – speaking from the Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek – insisted that mountain communities “have great potential for climate-resilient development” through more sustainable food systems.
But he added that many mountain communities struggle with food insecurity as climate change, environmental damage and unsustainable use of resources make it harder to access clean water, food and fertile soils.
FAO has worked in Kyrgyzstan since 2009 to help the country withstand mounting pressure on its ecosystems. Shared goals include achieving sustainable food security and supporting sustainable land and forest management.
Daniel Johnson, UN News
Music composed and produced by Joachim Harris. All rights reserved.
Source of original article: United Nations (news.un.org). Photo credit: UN. The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views or opinion of Global Diaspora News (www.globaldiasporanews.com).
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