Humanitarians seek USD 2.25 billion for Ukraine response

Kiev [Ukraine], April 26 (ANI): Humanitarians have launched a renewed appeal for war-ravaged Ukraine calling for USD 2.25 billion to provide assistance and protection to nearly nine million people, the United Nations announced on Monday.
The figure is more than double the initial appeal published just days after Russia invaded the country on February 24, UN News reported.
"Two months on, needs have continued to rise, while the humanitarian response has expanded significantly in scale and scope - enabled by the rapid funding allocated against the initial Flash Appeal - prompting a revision and extension of the Ukraine Flash Appeal until August 2022," they wrote.
The conflict has caused the world's fastest-growing displacement crisis since the Second World War, uprooting nearly 13 million people.
More than seven million are internally displaced while 5.2 million have crossed into neighbouring countries, such as Poland, and beyond.
The massive devastation of urban centres and the destruction of civilian infrastructure have severely disrupted healthcare and other critical services.
Last week, the UN Office in Ukraine reported that some 136 attacks on health care facilities have been recorded since the start of the war, representing nearly 70 per cent of worldwide attacks on the sector so far this year.
It is organized under five main strategies, which include delivering aid in the hardest-to-reach areas. UN-led convoys have so far delivered supplies on five occasions, and more are planned in the coming weeks and months.
The plan further calls for providing assistance as close as possible to people in need, including supporting organizations working in areas under threat and ensuring supplies are available in the event pipelines are cut off.
Humanitarians are also scaling up cash transfers to displaced people, with the number of people reached rising from just under 18,500 to more than 263,000 in the past three weeks alone.
The appeal places people, gender equality and protection at the centre of the response, and includes measures aimed at enhancing accountability and preventing sexual exploitation and abuse.
Humanitarians also will ensure their work is principled, realistic and feasible, as well as suitable and accessible for all gender and age groups.
The revised plan comes ahead of the UN Secretary-General's meetings this week with both the Foreign Ministers and Presidents of Ukraine and Russia.
UN chief Antonio Guterres is travelling to Moscow, after having met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday. (ANI)