UN gives $20 million to scale up Ukraine humanitarian aid

The United Nations announces it is immediately allocating $20 million to scale up UN humanitarian operations in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres makes the announcement saying the UN and its humanitarian partners “are committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need … regardless of who or where they are.”

“With deaths rising, we are seeing images of fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine,” the UN chief says. “People — everyday innocent people — always pay the highest price.”

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths says the $20 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund will support emergency operations along the contact line in eastern Donetsk and Luhansk and in other areas of the country, and will “help with health care, shelter, food, and water and sanitation to the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict.”