16 children become victims of Russian war in Ukraine every week - Zarivna at UN Security Council
At least 16 children are killed or injured every week as a result of the Russian war in Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform's own correspondent in New York, this was stated on Wednesday at a meeting of the UN Security Council by Daria Zarivna, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA.
“Often death finds them thousands of kilometers away from the front line,” she said, citing several examples of children killed in different regions of Ukraine.
Zarivna noted that the army of the UN Security Council permanent member Russia has been on the “list of shame” of gross violators of children's rights for two years in a row and should remain on this list.
“We are facing enormous suffering and gross violations of children's rights. It's not just murder, it's torture, sexual violence, destruction of family life, homes, schools and security,” she said.
According to her, “we don't even know the full extent of this tragedy.”
The advisor to the head of the OP said that almost 4,000 educational institutions in Ukraine were damaged by Russian shelling. One in ten was completely destroyed. More than 1,600 medical facilities have also been damaged or completely destroyed.
Zarivna reminded that Ukraine is looking for almost 20,000 children illegally taken to Russia. “However, the real number may be many times higher,” she added.
The Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine noted that Ukraine and Canada have created the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. “41 countries and the Council of Europe have joined our cause. Working together, we have returned 1022 children,” she emphasized.
The Montreal Conference adopted a vital “Montreal Commitment” aimed at returning all captured and deported Ukrainians, especially Ukrainian children, Zarivna said, calling on countries to join this initiative.
“Russia understands only the language of force. Therefore, we reserve the right to defend ourselves in any legal way. And we are making every effort to put an end to this war,” she emphasized.
As Ukrinform reported, on Wednesday, the UN Security Council discussed Russia's crimes against Ukrainian children.
Zarivna demonstrated to the members of the Security Council how Russia forges documents about Ukrainian children to destroy their identity.
In June, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres placed Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, on the “list of shame” for the second time in his annual report on Children and Armed Conflict.
Photo: OP