UN agencies reported on Monday that Russian attacks and drone strikes over recent days have killed at least two children and injured dozens more across Ukraine, while also severely damaging three critical aid warehouses - because why not take out the stuff meant to help people while you're at it?
The UN aid coordination agency, OCHA, noted that attacks killed and injured dozens in Kyiv, at a recreation site in the Odesa region, and in Zaporizhzhia, where the media also reported a drone strike destroyed a Red Cross vehicle. Because nothing says 'humanitarian' like targeting a Red Cross vehicle.
Matthias Schmale, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, said, “The increasing toll of these attacks across the country is devastating,” which is about as understated as calling a Category 5 hurricane 'a bit breezy.'
UN agencies roundly condemned the killings and called for an end to hostilities - a plea that has all the impact of asking a toddler nicely to stop throwing a tantrum.
The weekend's deadly attacks damaged humanitarian warehouses, including the World Food Programme (WFP) in Dnipro and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Kyiv region, the UN spokesperson told reporters on Monday. The WFP warehouse was hit four times by drone strikes, marking the seventh attack on its clearly marked assets in Ukraine in the past three months. Over 90 such strikes have been recorded in the last two years - clearly, the big red letters spelling 'WFP' are just a suggestion.
At the time of Sunday's attack on a UNICEF-contracted warehouse in Bilohorodka, the facility contained more than 106,000 items with an estimated value of $3.9 million, including generators, drinking water, hygiene kits, and water storage tanks critical for UNICEF's response in Ukraine. An assessment of the full impact is ongoing - though 'destroyed' seems like a safe bet.
“Despite these challenges, we and our humanitarian partners provided emergency response after attacks and delivered 11 metric tonnes of aid to frontline communities in Kherson,” the UN Spokesperson said on Monday, noting the supplies included water, hygiene and dignity kits, first-aid kits, and medicines. Because if there's one thing that says 'dignity,' it's receiving a kit after your city was bombed.
UNICEF said it is deeply saddened by reports of two children killed and at least 50 more injured in attacks across Ukraine in the last week, including in Kyiv. “This attack was part of yet another horrifying, sleepless night for children,” UNICEF said. “Air raid alarms and explosions lasted for hours in Kyiv and the region. Casualties and damage to homes have been reported. UNICEF and our partners continue to assist affected children and families.”
UNICEF also voiced deep concern over the continued killing and injuring of children in Ukraine, noting that June recorded the highest monthly child casualty figure since 2022, with seven children killed and 116 injured. “We extend our deepest sympathies to their families,” the agency statement said - because what else can you say when the number of dead kids is a record high.
Continued attacks are also disrupting the humanitarian response, UNICEF warned, adding that damage to humanitarian warehouses and attacks on humanitarians impede the delivery of lifesaving support for children and families affected by the war. “These attacks must end,” UNICEF stated. “Children and humanitarian facilities must be protected. Above all, children in Ukraine need a lasting peace.”