New York, 26 May 2022 (TDI): The use of explosives in populated areas has resulted in ninety percent of civilian casualties. Worldwide conflicts have resulted in widespread civilian death and injury.
Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of the Coordination Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was sharing the details of the UN report on protecting civilians in armed conflict.
The Director delivered these remarks on Wednesday while briefing the UN Security Council about civilian fatalities due to conflicts worldwide.
Conflicts occur due to a lack of good governance because of the massive socio-economic crisis. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, OHCHR has recorded 8089 casualties in Ukraine.
Impacts of war and conflicts on land and civilians result in massive destruction of infrastructure and termination of essential utilities such as water, sanitation, electricity, and healthcare services.
It deprives thousands of children of tuition and leads them to forced recruitment and other dangers. It also poses significant damage to natural habitats.
“In the first nine months of last year, over 900 schools in Afghanistan were destroyed, damaged or closed and their rehabilitation hindered by explosive hazards,” Ramesh Rajasingham stated.
Meanwhile, UNHCR has reported that the Ukraine war and conflicts in other parts of the world have pushed people to flee conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations over 100 million over the weekend.
He shared that by 2021, 84 million people have been displaced, of which 51 million are internally displaced due to conflicts in different parts of the world. He also shared the dismal of disabled people left behind when civilians are forced to leave their homes.
Health Impacts
While highlighting the impacts of conflicts, Rajasingham said that one in five people in conflict zones suffered from depression, PTSD, and depression.
He highlighted the attacks on healthcare providers worldwide and noted that such attacks, along with the impacts of the pandemic, have intensified human suffering.
“Nearly three billion people are still waiting for their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, many of them in conflict situations where health systems are weak and public trust is low,” Director OCHA told the Council.
Humanitarian Challenges and Civilians Fatalities
Parties to conflicts are facing an acute shortage of food due to disruption of the supply chain due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Also, he shared the impact of non-state armed military groups on humanitarian negotiations and supplies during his address.
According to the statistics, attacks on hospitals, homes, schools, and shelters have displaced 12 million people, and thousands of civilians are still trapped without access to any necessities.
