Ukraine: Statement on the Humanitarian Situation
Kenya's national statement, delivered by Ms. Jayne Toroitich, Political Coordinator
Thank you, Madam President,
I thank Under-Secretary General, Mr. Martin Griffiths for his briefing.
Madam President,
We are concerned by the persisting humanitarian suffering in Ukraine. In addition to the growing casualties of this war, too many people in Ukraine have been forced to live precariously, moving from location to location, in inadequate structures or without access to heating.
As attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure continue and winter approaches, the situation will only get worse and Ukrainian refugees, and the internally displaced will continue to surge.
Civilians and objects indispensable to the survival of civilian populations, including residential homes, health facilities, and shelters, as well as power and water infrastructure should not be targeted. With the bombardments in Ukraine also damaging an estimated 40 per cent of the country's power-generation capacity, the coming brutal winter could prove particularly dangerous, especially for vulnerable people.
In this regard, Kenya reiterates its calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Madam President,
The risk of this conflict, including using weapons of mass destruction, suggests the ultimate inability of a clear military victory at a cost acceptable to humanity. War has only zero-sum outcomes, and military action may, at best, offer only temporary relief.
There can be no military solution to this war.
Kenya cannot contemplate the continued insecurity in Ukraine and the impact it can have on broader security in Europe. Global security is intertwined. Instability in Europe, beyond threatening lives and economies, also disrupts the ability of the region to play a constructive role in solving the most pressing challenges globally.
Kenya therefore reiterates its call for the parties to prioritise the available diplomatic tools to spare the people of Ukraine from further suffering. Such diplomatic engagement should also lead to the design of a European security order that offers lasting security, not a generation of new wars in Europe or elsewhere.
As I conclude, Madam President, I offer Kenya's condolences to the families who have lost loved ones to this war and solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Kenya reaffirms its respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
I thank you.