OHCHR report reveals long-term war impact stays ‘for generations’ in Ukraine

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 23rd Feb. UN human rights chief Volker Türk in a new report launched on Thursday stated that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has exacted a “horrific human cost”, inflicting immense suffering on millions of civilians that will be felt “for generations”.

The statement said “Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine, which is about to enter its third year with no end in sight, continues to cause serious and widespread human rights violations, destroying lives and livelihoods,”.

It noted the war marks two years since Moscow’s all out assault, but10 years since Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has verified 30,457 civilian casualties since 24 February 2022, including 10,582 killed and 19,875 injured, with the actual numbers likely to be significantly higher.

It said millions have been displaced, thousands have lost their homes, and hundreds of medical and educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed, significantly impacting people’s rights to health and education.

Mr Turk said “The long-term impact of this war in Ukraine will be felt for generations.”

OHCHR has documented widespread torture, ill-treatment and arbitrary detention of civilians by Russian armed forces in past 2 years.

Summary executions, enforced disappearances and repression of the right to freedom of expression and assembly have also been documented in occupied territory, the report said.

The report based on interviews with over 550 former Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees by the monitoring mission have indicated the commission of serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by Russian armed forces, including summary execution and widespread torture.

It stressed that since 24 February 2022, the dire human rights situation in occupied Crimea has worsened, with a crackdown on those criticizing the occupation.

UN Human Rights Office will release a report on the decade-long Russian occupation next week.

“The ongoing Russian assault does not exempt Ukrainian forces from their own obligations to respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” Mr. Turk said said.

The Office has documented a number of violations committed by Ukrainian military and security forces, albeit a fraction of the scope of those perpetrated by Russian forces, he said.

He noted that the Office is continuously engaging with Ukrainian authorities to address these issues.

Mr. Turk renewed his call on Russia to cease its continuing armed attack on Ukraine immediately, he emphasized the urgency of achieving a just peace and appealed again to Moscow to allow OHCHR full access.

International Organization for Migration said in a statement that over 14.6 million people 40 per cent of Ukraine’s population remain in need of some form of humanitarian assistance in 2024 and 2.2 million refugees require assistance in neighboring countries.

IOM Director General Amy Pope said “The destruction is widespread, loss of life and suffering continues.”

The agency noted that over 14 million people one third of Ukraine’s population have fled their homes since the full-scale invasion. Families have been separated, children left homeless, and communities destroyed.

Some 3.7 million people are displaced within Ukraine, while 6.5 million are refugees globally.

Over 4.5 million have returned home to date from either abroad or displacement within the country.

IOM has supported 6.5 million people in the country and across 11 neighboring countries, providing critical and life-saving aid to those most in need.

“The needs are enormous, however, so much more needs to be done,”  Ms. Pope said.

Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Russia also called for accountability and solidarity with all the victims of the war, including Russian activists Alexei Navalny death.

Mariana Katzarova said in a statement that the war has devastated millions of Ukrainians and intensified repression of civil and political rights within Russia itself and “unleashed a war against Russians at home”,

Ms. Katzarova and other UN Special Rapporteurs called on Moscow for an independent investigation and the immediate release of all political prisoners in Russia.

She added that Russian authorities have violently and arbitrarily detained hundreds of peaceful citizens for laying flowers in honor of Navalny in more than 39 cities across Russia.

“I call on the international community to stand in solidarity with all the victims of the war against Ukraine, including the brave Russian human rights defenders, journalists and activists who continue to courageously oppose the war despite facing intimidation, persecution, lengthy imprisonment, and even death,” she concluded.