STATEMENT BY
MS. SONIA U. KARIM
DEPUTY POLITICAL COORDINATOR
Thank you, Mr. President for convening this meeting.
I also thank Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab, and Kateryna Rashevska, Legal Expert at the Regional Center for Human Rightsfor their insightful briefings.
I welcome the participation of the Representative of Ukraine in this meeting.
Mr. President,
UNICEF’s reports on the war in Ukraine indicate that as at18 November 2024, at least 2,406 children have become casualties, including 659 killed and 1,747 injured. This amounts to an average of 16 children killed or injured every week or at least two child casualties each day. It is reported that “Children have been killed in their beds, in hospitals and playgrounds, leaving families devastated by the loss of young lives or life-altering injuries.” Children in the Donbas region across the east of the country have now faced more than 10 years of conflict, a good proportion of them for the entirety of their lives. These violations against children are unconscionable and unacceptable.
Millions of children across Ukraine are living in constant fear as they endure relentless hostilities, prolonged displacement and severe shortages of essential resources including clean water, electricity, and other necessities.
Sierra Leone is also deeply concerned that the relentless bombing and shelling not only accounts for 99 per cent of all child casualties, but also forces children to live in constant fear, which has had a with profound impact on their mental health and the well-being of both children and caregivers, with some 1.5 million children displaying signs of mental health conditions. The trauma affecting these children is compounded by grief from the loss of loved ones; separation from family, friends and familiar routines; and prolonged displacement from their homes. Executive Director Catherine Russell has reported that millions of children are spending an equivalent of up to 6 hours a day sheltering in basements under air raid sirens”.
In addition to the child casualties, the conflict has caused widespread damage and destruction to vital civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, hospitals and energy facilities.
Constant attacks on energy infrastructure have decimated power generation, leaving millions of families with limited electricity, heating, water and sanitation services. Approximately 1.7 million children are without safe water, and 3.4 million lack access to centralized sanitation, heightening their risk of disease amid plummeting temperatures. As Ukraine approaches its third tough winter, Sierra Leone is deeply concerned that repeated attacks on energy infrastructure will result in further disruption of essential services such as water, gas and heating.
President,
,
Over the past one thousand days, at least 1,496 educational institutions and 662 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed, according to UN data. Increased attacks and damage to energy facilities resulting in frequent and unpredictable electricity cuts have further disrupted learning for the millions of children who are enrolled in online learning.
Access to health has also been severely impacted, with 66 WHO verified attacks on health-care facilities in Ukraine from August to September. More than half of health centres are rendered non-functional in some parts of the east and south. In Donestka Oblast, the relocation of health facilities to other parts of the country has posed challenges to access health care in the region.
To make matters worse, humanitarian access to occupied territories remains fully constrained, with up to 850,000 children in occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson region beyond the reach of assistance.
Sierra Leone commends UNICEF alongside its local partners, and other humanitarian actors, for their continued response to the specific needs of the most vulnerable children close to the frontlines and those displaced from their childhood homes. The response embeds recovery efforts where feasible so that children are given the best chance possible to survive and thrive again.
President,
Sierra Leone reiterates that all parties in the conflict must respect international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL) in Ukraine and end grave violations against children. Children must be protected from harm including by taking the necessary precautions to spare them from attacks. Attacks on energy infrastructure and other civilian infrastructure on which children rely, such as health facilities, schools, social services, and heating systems must cease.
We emphasize the following recommendations, including by UNICEF, in ensuring the protection of children in this context;
Sierra Leone urges all parties to refrain from operating in and around civilian infrastructure, including water and sanitation systems, health facilities, and schools. Military operations around nuclear sites and other critical civilian infrastructure are unacceptable and contrary to international humanitarian law. Schools and hospitals should not be used by parties to conflict, even if they no longer function.
Civilians must be allowed safe and unhindered passage to safe areas, without discrimination, and their humanitarian needs met wherever they are. This includes areas in and out of Ukraine, without discrimination, while seeking to maintain family unity.
Clearance of unexploded ordinances (UXOs) and explosive remnants of war (ERWs) is a particularly important responsibility as they expose people, especially children, to hazardous risks and have indiscriminate and often long-term effects.
Humanitarian organisations must be supported to stay and deliver to save lives, notably in occupied territories. The safety of humanitarian personnel and objects should be ensured and safe, rapid, and unfettered access given to populations in need of assistance wherever they are.
Evacuations for humanitarian purposes must be a life-saving measure of last resort that is voluntary and based on a free and well-informed choice. Temporary evacuation of children, which is subject to strict conditions under IHL, should only be done with the consent of parents or legal guardians, and the monitoring and tracking of these children must be maintained. The protection of family unity and restoration of family links in the event of separation must be prioritized. It is forbidden to change the family or personal status of children.
The best interests of children separated from their families or guardians, across frontlines or international borders, must be respected and upheld. Parties should facilitate family tracing and reunification and enable the return and reintegration of unaccompanied and separated children through engagement with UNICEF and other specialized humanitarian actors.
Finally, I re-echo the words ofMunir Mammadzade, UNICEF representative to Ukraine, “no child should live in constant fear for their safety. Attacks on populated areas must stop and children in Ukraine protected wherever they are, from homes to schools and playgrounds.”
I thank you.
