UN: Nearly 13 million in Ukraine need aid; UN condolences after journalists killed

The United Nations reported that nearly 13,000,000 people in Ukraine require humanitarian assistance and that more than 10,000,000 Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, including roughly 3,700,000 who are internally displaced, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Masuya told Security Council members, the UN spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Masuya described March 7 as one of the deadliest days this year after strikes that killed 21 civilians and wounded many more. The spokesperson added that recent funding cuts have forced reprioritization of Ukraine response efforts that will be announced in coming weeks.

From the ground, the UN said an interagency convoy delivered 6 metric tons of medical, hygiene and other critical supplies on a frontline mission to communities in Donetsk, reaching about 1,500 residents. The briefing said homes and critical civilian infrastructure in affected communities have been damaged and that electricity, water and gas supplies have been disrupted.

On press reports that several journalists were killed in the fighting, the spokesperson said the UN sends condolences to the families and colleagues of the journalists and reiterated that journalists must be allowed to work without being targeted. Asked about investigations, the spokesperson said the UN does not have an investigative mandate unless invited with the proper mandate to do so.

Why it matters: the scale of displacement and humanitarian need in Ukraine — and reported cuts to funding — affect planning and prioritization for humanitarian partners working inside and outside the country.