Country: Ukraine Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. New York, 19 May 2026 As delivered Mr. President, Humanitarian workers in Ukraine came under repeated attack last week. As mentioned by my [Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)] colleague [Ms. Kayoko Gotoh, Officer-in-charge for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas], two separate convoys, clearly marked as being part of the United Nations, were hit while carrying life-saving assistance to civilians in need. Both missions had been notified well in advance through established channels. On May 12th, a WFP truck that had delivered food to front-line communities was hit by a drone in the Dnipro region, injuring the driver. On May 14th, a United Nations vehicle on a humanitarian mission was struck by a drone in Kherson city. My OCHA colleagues and UNDSS colleagues were on that convoy. Twenty minutes later, our colleagues were struck again. These brazen incidents are not isolated. In the same week, other humanitarian missions were hit, injuring humanitarian workers and damaging assets. On May 14th, a World Central Kitchen van delivering hot meals to civilians was hit, damaging the vehicle. On May 15th, a Ukrainian NGO delivering food to a collective site was hit, injuring two people, one of whom remains in critical condition. Between January and April of this year, three humanitarian workers were killed and ten others injured. These attacks are intensifying, making the delivery of humanitarian assistance increasingly difficult, if not impossible in some areas. Humanitarian workers in Ukraine are taking immense risks to save lives. However, the weapons being deployed – cheap, deadly – are rapidly changing what it means to deliver life-saving assistance. Humanitarian workers and assets must be respected. This entails taking active steps to spare them. Attacking them directly is strictly prohibited and can amount to war crimes. We call on all parties to urgently assess these incidents, so they do not happen again. Mr. President, Excellencies, These attacks happened as violence against civilians is increasing across the country. Drones have struck public buses in Kherson, killing people on their way to work. In Poltava, first responders who came to put out a fire at a gas facility were killed alongside the workers they were trying to help. Short-range drones killed more civilians in April alone than in any month since February 2022. On May 14th, as you have just heard from DPPA Kayoko Gotoh, the population of Kyiv faced deadly, large-scale attacks that killed and injured scores of civilians, including children as you have. We commend the work of national first responders to continue to rescue civilians. Mr. President, The rules of war are binding on all parties to armed conflict and aim to limit human suffering and spare those who are not fighting. When clearly marked humanitarian convoys, civilians going about their daily lives, and first responders rushing to help are killed and injured again and again. This shows a pattern that defies international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian objects must be respected. Mr. President, Despite the dangers, we continue to deliver aid wherever access allows. Since February 2022, the United Nations and our partners have carried out 250 humanitarian convoys to front-line communities. In April alone, the World Food Programme provided to nearly 160,000 people with food across seven front-line regions. Mr. President, I remain deeply concerned about the situation for civilians in and around front-line communities. Whatever side of the line they may be, every day is a matter of life and death. Over a single weekend this month, 930 civilians – including more than 180 children – were evacuated from front-line areas in Donetsk with humanitarian support. OCHA can work with the parties on arrangements to support voluntary, dignified, safe evacuations and ensure safe and regular humanitarian access to front-line communities. Mr. President, Humanitarian needs continue to grow, even as diplomatic efforts continue. We are reaching only a fraction of the 10.8 million people who need humanitarian assistance. We have received some $845 million of the US$2.3 billion – $1.7 billion is still needed. Funding is not simply about keeping operations going. It determines whether civilians trapped near the front-line receive medical care, it determines whether families displaced by fighting can stabilize their lives, and whether it determines humanitarian organizations can remain present where needs are greatest. Mr. President, My asks to this Council are not new. First, use your influence to ensure that international humanitarian law is respected. Wars have rules. They are unequivocal. This means ensuring the protection of civilians, including by allowing them to voluntarily leave for safer areas. This means ensuring rapid, unimpeded humanitarian access to civilians in need wherever they are. We need the active engagement of parties to facilitate this. Without immediate action, it will become even harder to deliver aid and civilian suffering will deepen. Second, provide timely funding. Delays in funding forces impossible choices about who receives assistance and who does not. Mr. President, Civilians across Ukraine cannot wait for a political breakthrough to be protected and to have their basic needs met. Protection, humanitarian access and funding remain essential while efforts toward a just and lasting peace continue. I thank you.