That’s according to UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director Regina De Dominicis who stated in an announcement on Monday that bombardment was “particularly unrelenting” within the east and south of the nation.

The UNICEF official stated the previous week supplied a regarding pattern with a rise in ballistic missiles and mass drone assaults, together with widespread focused assaults on Kyiv’s infrastructure.

“These attacks have caused injuries among children, sent an intensified wave of fear and dread through already deeply distressed communities, and left millions of children across Ukraine without sustained access to electricity, heating and water, exposing them to additional serious harm as temperatures plummet”, she stated.

“Children and families most at risk are those who already have the least access to basic, life-depending resources to start with, and who have already endured immense hardship”, she added. “These children and their families have nothing to fall back on.”

Winter temperatures recurrently go as little as -20°C.

“Children simply cannot withstand these conditions without energy”, she warned.

Blackouts

“Blackouts and power cuts make it extremely challenging for health facilities to provide critical services, another dire situation given the rise in cases of pneumonia, seasonal influenza and waterborne diseases among children across Ukraine.”

Around 1,800 kids have been killed or injured for the reason that escalation of the warfare in Ukraine in February 2022.

“UNICEF is providing generators and other equipment to support the Government of Ukraine in keeping water supply, heating, health and education facilities running”, stated Ms. De Dominicis. “In the hardest hit areas, UNICEF is providing winter clothing sets for children along with blankets for their families. We are also reaching families with cash assistance.”

Russia: Rights skilled slams Navalny’s ‘enforced disappearance’

Jailed Russian opposition determine Alexey Navalny ought to be instantly launched and “provided remedies and reparations for all the harm suffered” in accordance with worldwide regulation, a UN-appointed independent rights expert said on Monday.

Mr. Navalny’s whereabouts have been unknown for over 10 days, which in keeping with Mariana Katzarova, the UN Special Rapporteur on the state of affairs of human rights in Russia, quantities to enforced disappearance.

“I am greatly concerned that the Russian authorities will not disclose Mr. Navalny’s whereabouts and wellbeing for such a prolonged period of time,” she stated.

A Friday court docket listening to on the violations of Mr. Navalny’s human rights in detention didn’t happen and Mr. Navalny’s attorneys have been reportedly instructed by the court docket that their consumer is not held within the Vladimir area.

Ms. Katzarova cited considerations about Mr. Navalny’s “persistent” ill-treatment in detention and lack of entry to sufficient medical care since January 2021.

On 4 August 2023 he was sentenced to a further 19 years on “extremism” expenses, a time period which, in keeping with the unbiased skilled, “has no basis in international law”.

Following sentencing Mr. Navalny was being ready to be transferred to a harsher regime penal colony. Three of his attorneys have been arrested in October.

Human Rights Council-appointed unbiased specialists, together with Special Rapporteurs, serve of their particular person capability and obtain no wage for his or her work, nor are they UN workers members.

Nuclear disarmament youth chief programme will get underway

The 100 younger individuals chosen to serve on the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Youth Leader Fund for a World with out Nuclear Weapons, met collectively for the primary time on Monday.

Representing over 60 nations and chosen from over 2,000 candidates from world wide, “they will spend the next year learning about nuclear disarmament and developing their skills to become changemakers for a world without nuclear weapons – the most destructive weapons on earth”, stated the UN disarmament affairs workplace (UNODA) in a information launch.

As a part of this revolutionary coaching programme, made doable by the beneficiant assist of Japan and applied by UNODA – with assist from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research – they’ll participate in interactive on-line studying, engagement with specialists from the sector and an immersive research tour to Japan, together with participation in a youth-led convention.

As the programme kicked off on Monday, the longer term changemakers heard from the Prime Minister of Japan Mr. Fumio Kishida, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Prime Minister Kishida, a local of Hiroshima, has been a powerful advocate for preserving alive the teachings of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – which wrought large dying, struggling and devastation.

“No matter how difficult the path to a world without nuclear weapons may be, we should not stop our steps. Now is the time when we need the power of young people like you, the bearers of our future”, he instructed the group.

Safeguarding ‘our common future’

In his message, Mr. Guterres inspired the individuals to faucet into their vitality, revolutionary concepts, and creativity to assist usher in a brand new period of a world freed from nuclear weapons.

“In the name of our common future – in the name of humanity – let us spare no effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons, once and for all”, he stated.

In latest years, the Secretary-General has made a significant push to empower youth, recognizing their function as the last word pressure for change and noting they’ve grow to be a powerful and highly effective pressure in assist of disarmament.