Beirut: The UN warned Monday that continued hostilities in Ukraine are inflicting mounting harm on civilians, damaging critical infrastructure and threatening wider global food and energy security.
According to Anadolu Agency, Indrika Ratwatte, acting assistant-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and deputy emergency relief coordinator, informed the Security Council that civilians have been killed and injured, homes reduced to rubble, and essential services like electricity and water cut. He also reported damage to United Nations warehouses and humanitarian facilities, resulting in the destruction of aid intended for civilians.
Ratwatte emphasized that while humanitarian organizations continue to respond across Ukraine amid worsening conditions, their ability to operate should not be mistaken as acceptance of the ongoing situation. He highlighted the continued suffering of communities, with many spending yet another summer under the threat of conflict and facing an uncertain winter ahead. Ratwatte also underscored that despite changes in the conflict dynamics, the obligations under international humanitarian law remain unchanged, with a call for all parties to protect civilians and meet their essential needs.
Kayoko Gotoh, director of the Europe and Central Asia Division for the UN Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, reported over 170 civilian deaths and 1,028 injuries in Ukraine since the last Council briefing on July 9 due to intensified Russian aerial attacks. She noted that in July alone, at least 56 civilians were killed and 232 injured in Kyiv. Gotoh also provided figures from the UN human rights office, verifying at least 16,431 civilian deaths in Ukraine since the onset of Russia's war, including 803 children, with 48,613 others injured, among them 2,960 children.
Additionally, Gotoh highlighted a significant increase in civilian casualties within Russia, with local authorities reporting 1,846 casualties in the first half of the year, marking a 121% rise from the same period in 2025. She warned of the potential global repercussions, including threats to food and energy supplies due to attacks on ports and cargo ships, urging immediate diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.