UN Warns Again: Enough Of This Bloodbath In Ukraine!
By EPHRAIM NWOSU
United Nations has condemned in strong terms the reported Russian missile attack on a railway station that killed dozens of civilians in eastern Ukraine at the weekend.
While reacting to the attack, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement, that the strike-and others against civilians and civilian infastructure were -“gross violations” of international law.
According to the UN chief, the strike on the Kramatorsk railway station in eastern Ukraine, which killed and injured scores of civilians waiting to be evacuated, including many women, children and elderly was “completely unacceptable.”
The statement issued by his spokesperson went on to remind all parties of their obligations under international law to protect civilians, and of the urgency to agree on humanitarian ceasefires in order to enable the safe evacuation of, and humanitarian access to, populations trapped in conflict.
He therefore urged the feuding parties to lay down their arms and toe the part of peace in the interest of the two nations.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his appeal to all concerned to bring an immediate end to this brutal war,” part of the statement read.
In an earlier statement at the weekend, UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, Amin Awad, confirmed that many suffered terrible injuries at the railway station attack hinting that the number of fatalities could likely rise.
“It was widely reported over the last two days that the station and surrounding area had been full of civilians attempting to flee intensifying hostilities,” Mr. Awad said in the statement.
“We are extremely disturbed by the reports of children, women, elderly and people with disabilities and the most vulnerable people in the Kramatorsk area who were caught up in this attack.”
Mr. Awad stressed that the case of explosive weapons, “with wide area impact in populated areas was a clear violation of international humanitarian law. All military forces, in all conflicts, must not carry out attacks on civilians and civilian infastructure. They must do their utmost to protect civilians.”
He lamented that the situation in Kramatorsk hospitals was so pathetic and promised to do everything within their power to save casualties.
“We and our humanitarian partners are ready to do anything we can to help those who are responding to the attack and those who have survived. We have delivered first aid supplies as well as emergency food rations, water purification tablets and blankets.
“We continue to call on all the parties to this conflict to allow safe and unimpeded passage for people who wish to leave, to prevent attacks on essential transportation for civilians, and for life-saving relief supplies to reach those unable to move or evacuate.”
The UN Children’s Fund Ukraine Representative, Murat Sahin, said that the train station had been the main route out for thousands of families evacuating from Donetsk region, “which has seen some of the war’s worst destruction”, to relatively safer areas in Ukraine.
“Earlier today, UNICEF offloaded medical kits and emergency supplies at Kramatorsk”, he informed.
