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UKRAINE As you know the General Assembly meeting is still going on. On the ground our humanitarian colleagues tell us that they have facilitated 12 inter-agency convoys over the past two weeks to front-line communities in the east and south of the country. They've delivered food, water, shelter, winter materials and other necessities for more than 150,000 people. This includes two convoys on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to Borova and Velykyi Burluk towns in the eastern Kharkiv region, close to the Russian-Ukrainian border. We, along with our partners, are also committed to staying of course and delivering, as we approach the one-year mark since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. However, we continue to need safe and unimpeded access to all parts of Ukraine so that we can reach more people, more frequently. Lack of access in areas not under the control of the Government of Ukraine is limiting our ability to assist people and assess their needs. For its part, the UN Refugee Agency today noted that twelve months since the start of this phase of the war, more than 13 million people remain uprooted from their homes, including 8 million refugees across Europe and more than 5 million displaced people within Ukraine. The reports shows that their prospects for return in the near future are clouded by continued hostilities, insecurity and destruction in their home regions. For its part the International Labour Organization also released a report today on Ukraine. ILO estimates that employment in October 2022 in the country was 15.5 per cent below the 2021, pre-war levels. That's a drop of 2.4 million jobs. And you saw that yesterday afternoon the Secretary-General delivered remarks at the opening of the special emergency session of the General Assembly and noting that the one-year mark of Russia's invasion of Ukraine stands as a grim milestone – for the people of Ukraine and for the international community. He will speak in the Security Council tomorrow and we will share those remarks as soon as we can.
TÜRKIYE/SYRIA Turning to our response to the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, 53 trucks crossed from southern Türkiye into northwest Syria today, carrying aid from the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency. WFP provided food commodities, with IOM sending shelter, hygiene and other items. UNHCR also provided supplies for more than 5,000 people. Of the 53 trucks that crossed today, 47 went through Bab al-Hawa, and six through Bab al-Salam. That brings us to a total of 335 trucks or lorries that have gone in since 9 February from Türkiye into northwest Syria. As of today, the three-month flash appeal for Syria for nearly $400 million is 27 per cent funded. Meanwhile, regarding Türkiye, the UN's Resident Coordinator for Türkiye, Alvaro Rodriguez, traveled to areas affected by the earthquakes today to see the humanitarian response. He also met with authorities and first responders. In Kahramanmaras, Mr. Rodriguez visited a tent city where 5,000 men, women and children have been taking refuge. He said he was struck by the scale of the devastation but praised the response by the Government, the international community and Turkish citizens. In Turkoglu, he spoke to Syrian families displaced by the earthquake. Mr. Rodriguez also met with UN Disaster Assessment teams. Those Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams remain active in southern Türkiye to support the coordination of urban search-and-rescue operations and assist in the needs assessments. A liaison team in Ankara is also working with Turkish authorities, who as you know are leading the response. The UN and our partners continue to provide assistance to the Government's earthquake response efforts. As of today, our three-month flash appeal for Türkiye for $1 billion is just over 4 per cent funded.
MIDDLE EAST Tor Wennesland, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, visited Gaza today, one day after the violence that we saw in Nablus. Mr. Wennesland is continuing his engagement with all concerned parties to deescalate the situation. He continues to urge all sides to refrain from steps that could further enflame an already volatile situation.
For further details please see SOURCE below.
Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
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