By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed recent diplomatic talks involved Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia, called an agreement on freedom of navigation and security in the Black Sea a crucial step for global food security.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric in a statement issued in New York said the UN chief’s good offices remain available to support all efforts towards a lasting peace in Ukraine.
“Reaching an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure will be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains, reflecting the importance of trade routes from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to global markets,” Mr. Dujarric said.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his hope that such efforts will pave the way for a durable ceasefire and contribute to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions and in full respect of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
Top relief coordinator warned the Security Council members that the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues to worsen with 13 million people in need of assistance but funds are dwindling.
UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya added that critical aid programmes are at risk due to recent funding cuts.
She noted that the funding cuts are having dire consequences, particularly for women and girls.
UN agencies warned that at least 640,000 could lose access to protection against gender-based violence, psychosocial support and safe spaces.
“Recent funding cuts have led to a reprioritization of Ukraine response efforts that will be announced in the coming weeks. Continued financial support will be essential to maintain operations,” Ms. Msuya said.
The $2.6 billion Ukraine humanitarian needs and response plan for 2025, which aims to reach 6 million people in need, is only 17 per cent funded.
Ms. Msuya also highlighted the impact of the fighting on civilians.
“Since 1 March, not a day has passed without an attack harming civilians,” she said, noting civilian deaths and injuries, and damage to infrastructure across northern, central, eastern and southern Ukraine.
“In frontline communities, civilians are confronted with relentless shelling and face impossible choices: flee under dangerous conditions, leaving behind everything they own, or stay and risk injury, death and limited access to essential services,” she warned.
UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has verified 12,881 civilian deaths since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the actual toll is feared to be much higher.
Ms. Msuya said that humanitarians facing difficulty delivering aid stated that an estimated 1.5 million people in Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya are in urgent need of assistance, but aid workers are unable to reach them “at any adequate scale”.
Humanitarian workers are increasingly coming under attack, she said.
Since 2025, 7 aid workers have been injured and humanitarian assets damaged in several locations, further hampering relief efforts.
The destruction of energy infrastructure is compounding the crisis, she noted.
Ms. Msuya said despite recent announcements of a ceasefire on energy targets, past attacks have left millions without reliable access to electricity, heating and water as cold weather persists.
She outlined three key asks for the international community: adherence to international humanitarian law to protect civilians, sustained funding to keep aid operations running and renewed efforts to push for a lasting end to the conflict.
Ms. Msuya underlined that the war must end and humanitarian needs must be central to discussions on a pause in fighting or longer-term agreement.
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