On Wednesday, a Russian resolution that acknowledged Ukraine’s rising humanitarian needs while omitting to address the Russian invasion got rejected by the United Nations Security Council.
The resolution draft needed nine votes in the 15-member council to pass, with no veto from any of the other four permanent members. However, Russia received only China’s support, with the other 13 council members abstaining to vote.
The U.N. informed:
“About 10 million Ukrainians — a quarter of its population — have been forced to flee their homes and are now displaced in the country or among the 3.6 million refugees, she said, and 12 million need aid and 5.6 million children are unable to go to school.”
About the Resolution Draft
The Resolution draft was introduced by Russia on the 15th of March.The draft resolution stated: “Demands that civilians, including humanitarian personnel and persons in vulnerable situations, including women and children are fully protected, calls for a negotiated ceasefire for enabling safe, rapid, voluntary and unhindered evacuation of civilians, and underscores the need for the parties concerned to agree on humanitarian pauses to this end.”
Vassily Nebenzia Russia’s U.N. ambassador assured the council that, “The resolution (Russian Draft) is not politicized just like other Security Council humanitarian resolutions.”The Russian ambassador, however, categorically rejected a U.S. claim that his country had no right to submit such a resolution.
While the day before, France and Mexico had jointly sponsored a resolution in the Security Council blaming the emerging humanitarian crisis on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was, however, vetoed by Russia.
Russia’s Nebenzia told the assembly that:
“…by considering the Ukraine-backed French-Mexican resolution, the council was engaged in another political anti-Russian show, set this time in an allegedly humanitarian context.”
World’s Response
UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward said,“Russia‘s draft called for all parties to respect international humanitarian law. It ignored that Russia is committing war crimes. Russia’s draft called for the protection of civilians, including women and children. But it omitted that Russia is bombing maternity hospitals, schools and homes.”
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield
“Russia is the aggressor, the attacker, the invader – the sole party in Ukraine engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine – and they want us to pass a resolution that does not acknowledge their culpability.”
Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsy urged all nations:
“Stand against Russia’s war on Ukraine to vote for the U.N. resolution on the humanitarian consequences of its aggression, saying this would send a powerful mesage aimed at helping people caught in the conflict and ending Moscow’s military action.”
Edited by-Subbuthai Padma
Published by Iram Rizvi
