UN chief says people caught up in crisis across globe cannot pay price for war in Ukraine

As the war in Ukraine continues to escalate despite global efforts to stop the Russian invasion, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday stated that people caught up in crisis all across the globe cannot afford to pay the price for Russia-Ukraine's conflict. He further urged that all nations must keep their markets open, resist unreasonable and needless export restrictions, and provide reserves to countries in danger of starvation.

Taking to Twitter, the UN chief said, “This is not the time for protectionism.” Healso stated that nearly 323 million people may experience extreme food insecurity this year due to the crisis in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine, according to UN Secretary-General, is "one of the greatest challenges ever to the international order" since it has impacted billions of people throughout the world. 

Guterres on Russia-Ukraine war

In a UN Security Council (UNSC) address, Guterres said, “Our analysis indicates that 74 developing countries, with a total population of 1.2 billion people, are particularly vulnerable to spiking food, energy and fertiliser costs," Anadolu Agency reported. The UN head went on to say that the world is facing a 'full-fledged invasion' in violation of the United Nations Charter, with many goals, including redrawing the globally recognised boundaries between Russia and Ukraine. 

According to Guterres, the war has interrupted supply networks and raised transportation costs, placing an even greater strain on the poor countries.  

Russia's assault on Ukraine, which began on February 24, has sparked a worldwide outcry, with the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among others, imposing harsh sanctions on Moscow. 

Earlier, Guterres had claimed that the globe is witnessing the worst levels of violence since World War II. He said during a United Nations conference on the global body's role of peace-building that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has undermined the pillars of the international order, which is now overflowing across borders and generating a slew of disasters for poor nations.  

169 children have lost their lives since the commencement of the war

Meanwhile, since Moscow is relentlessly bombarding Ukrainian cities, Iryna Venediktova, Ukraine's Prosecutor General, alleged that roughly 169 children have died and 306 have been wounded since the invasion began, according to the Kyiv Independent. The Office, on the other hand, claims that the number of children slain in the fighting is likely to be higher. 

Apart from this, the United Nations said on April 7 that 1,611 people have lost their lives and 2,227 more have been wounded since the war began. 

(Image: AP)