The increasing deployment of drones targeting civilians and humanitarian workers represents a significant challenge to aid operations in Ukraine, as highlighted by Tom Fletcher, the United Nations\u2019 humanitarian chief. In a recent interview with The Associated Press following his visit to Kherson, Fletcher shared insights on the struggles faced by local communities living under the persistent threat posed by Russian drones. <\/p>\n
He characterised his observations in Kherson, which is divided by the Dnipro River\u2014a current front line\u2014as \u201cquite chilling.\u201d On the eastern bank, Russian forces are in control, while Ukrainian forces maintain their position on the western bank. From across the river, both kamikaze and surveillance drones frequently seek out and attack civilians, vehicles, and public transportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really gives us an insight into the dangers ahead of us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The ongoing threat is hindering humanitarian organisations from reaching those in need. Fletcher spoke after attending a memorial for two humanitarian workers who lost their lives while performing their duties.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrones are a real threat not just to civilians but to the humanitarians who are here to protect them,\u201d Fletcher said.<\/p>\n
He stated that international humanitarian law protects aid workers, yet marked humanitarian vehicles continue to be targeted. \u201cThis does limit our operations,\u201d he explained. Local organisations are especially vulnerable, as more than two-thirds of the operations funded by Ukraine\u2019s humanitarian fund are carried out by these groups, according to Fletcher.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re the ones who are saying most loudly to us, we\u2019re not protected,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fletcher announced that the UN needs over $2 billion for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine this year, especially with winter approaching. Damage to infrastructure could leave millions vulnerable. Currently, 92 million people worldwide require urgent assistance due to various crises. The UN aims to raise $23 billion, having secured about $11 billion thus far. While Ukraine is better funded than other crises, it still faces significant needs, and raising funds has become increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in a more transactional world, I would say a more selfish world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fletcher stated that the UN must now show it is using limited taxpayer money efficiently and strategically.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to show governments that we are spending their taxpayers\u2019 money sensibly, wisely, in a prioritised way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A recent assessment released by the UN highlights a troubling situation, revealing that 907 aid workers were victims of violence last year, and over 1,000 have lost their lives in the past three years. Fletcher stated that he could not assure his colleagues that those responsible for these acts would face accountability, citing the international community\u2019s inadequate response. He emphasised that accountability must extend beyond merely identifying the individual who executed the attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see investigations into the people who fired the weapon or flew the drone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The increasing deployment of drones targeting civilians and humanitarian workers represents a significant challenge to aid operations in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30967,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[2266,1922,11096,1039,4583,11097,26,11098],"class_list":["post-30966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-civilians","tag-humanitarian-aid","tag-humanitarian-workers","tag-kherson","tag-russian-drones","tag-tom-fletcher","tag-ukraine","tag-un-humanitarian-aid"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}