As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its 100th day, the United Nations (UN)has called for an immediate end to a war that “has and will have no winner”.

Amin Awad, Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, in a statement on Friday, June 3, 2022, said “We have witnessed destruction and devastation across cities, towns and villages”, emphasizing that “The war must end now”.

Since Moscow launched what it called a “special military operation” on Thursday, February 24, 2022, an estimate by the UN suggested that it has provided immediate humanitarian aid to some eight million people across the country, including people living in besieged cities in the East of Ukraine. The international body (UN) added that more than 15.7 million people remain in need of humanitarian support, with hundreds of thousands not having access to water and electricity, while millions are food insecure.

“This war has taken an unacceptable toll on people and engulfed virtually all aspects of civilian life”, Mr. Awad said, adding that “In just over three months, nearly 14 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes – a scale and speed of displacement not witnessed in history”.

A woman reacts outside a damaged apartment building after an attack in the city of Sloviansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas

Effect of the Invasion

The UN estimated that more than three million children suspended their education as schools, hospitals and shelters have been engulfed in the conflict. Mr. Awad intimated that “Our tireless efforts to respond to the war’s devastating impact will continue, robustly and steadfast. But above all, we need peace”.

The UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine also sounded the alarm on the global effect of the war in a country that caters close to about 15 to 20 percent of the world’s food needs. Ukraine’s Black Sea ports remain blocked, preventing the export of some 20 million tonnes of grain. UN officials have called on Russia to reopen the ports to avoid a global food crisis and the international community raised the possibility of a relaxation of sanctions against Moscow in return for unblocking the ports.

Hopes of Opening Exports

Speaking at an online UN News Briefing from Geneva, Mr. Awad said there is an agreement “in principle” on the need for a deal on allowing exports, but added that more talks were needed.

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, that he is hopeful of easing the food crisis prompted by the war in Ukraine, but cautioned that any agreement to unblock shipments of commodities such as grain is still some way off. On the other hand, Moscow blamed Western sanctions for disrupting exports and fuelling a global food crisis with surging prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertiliser.