Ukraine: Statement on the Humanitarian Situation

Thank you Mr. President,

I thank USG Martin Griffiths and High Commissioner Filippo Grandi for their briefings. I also welcome the participation of the distinguished Permanent Representative of Ukraine.

Mr. President,

The humanitarian suffering in Ukraine is unnecessary and uncalled for. Kenya offers condolences to the families who have lost loved ones to the conflict in the last few days.

We regret the mounting casualties, the hundreds of thousands internally displaced and who are exiting Ukraine as refugees, and the growing damage to civilian objects and infrastructure.

Mr. President,

We commend the UN for swiftly stepping in to provide humanitarian assistance. We also commend Ukraine's neighbours for opening their borders to 520,000 refugees.

We give a special thank you to Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia for working with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enable Kenyan citizens in Ukraine visa-free entry.

Mr President,

In the unfolding emergency there have been disturbing reports about the racist treatment of Africans, and people of African descent, seeking to flee Ukraine to safety. The media is covering these appalling incidents, and several states have confirmed that their citizens suffering such treatment.

We strongly condemn this racism, and believe that it is damaging of the spirit of solidarity that is so urgently needed today. The mistreatment of African peoples on Europe's borders needs to cease immediately, whether to the Africans fleeing Ukraine or crossing the Mediterranean. And we also need to be able to understand that there are actors who want to magnify this story for cynical reasons that have nothing to do with the wellbeing and safety of Africans.

Mr President,

We are here to discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. But if we are truly to hold to humanitarian principles, then we must broaden our view.

The extensive unilateral economic sanctions that have been announced against the Russian Federation are almost certain to have serious humanitarian consequences. Their effect, in total, may even amount to a form of blockade.

It is our contention that the peaceful means to settle conflicts advocated by the UN Charter do not include acts that may constitute collective punishment. We must also add caution that such considerable sanctions, rather than opening the path to peace may lead to an escalation, and broadening, of the conflict.

The only way out of this increasingly dangerous crisis is for the prioritisation of diplomacy to limit all military manoeuvres to open the path to negotiation for peace.

It is still not too late to turn toward the good offices of the Secretary General, regional organisations, and bilateral efforts to de-escalate this dangerous crisis. Whether the conflict ends now, or later with even more disastrous results, it will still require an appetite to negotiate a stable security order.

At this moment, statesmanship is required, and we urge all leaders of involved states to embrace.

As I close Mr. President, I reiterate Kenya's recognition of the inviolable rights of Ukraine to its sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.

I thank you.