UN: Civilian casualties rise sharply in Ukraine

17 January 07:40

In 2024, the number of civilians killed or injured in the war in Ukraine increased by 30% compared to the previous year. This was stated during a meeting of the UN Security Council by UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Komersant ukrainskyi reports citing Ukrinform.

“Of particular concern is the increase in the number of victims among children. In the first three quarters of 2024, more children were killed and injured than in 2023,” said DiCarlo.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, DiCarlo said, at least 12,456 people have been killed since the beginning of the full-scale war, including 669 children. There are 28,382 wounded, including 1,833 children.

In the first nine months of last year alone, more than 580 educational and medical institutions were damaged or destroyed.

“I would like to reiterate that we unequivocally condemn all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure,” the Deputy Secretary General emphasized.

She added that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 10 humanitarian workers have been killed in the line of duty and 41 have been wounded.

“There are reports that DPRK servicemen have been captured in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. Reports of North Korean troops fighting on the side of Russian troops continue to raise serious concerns about the further internationalization of this already dangerous conflict,” said DiCarlo.

According to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Ukraine released on Thursday, about 12.7 million people are in need of support, she added.

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DiCarlo pointed to the “plight of many thousands of Ukrainian civilians living in the territories of Ukraine currently occupied by the Russian Federation”. According to her, the needs of the residents of these areas are assessed as serious, but access to them is limited.

The Under-Secretary-General drew attention to Russia’s intensified shelling of Ukraine’s energy facilities.

“The UN continues to work with the Ukrainian government to restore energy production capacity by creating opportunities in the green energy sector,” she said.

Once again, DiCarlo expressed concern over reports of executions of Ukrainian prisoners by Russian forces. The OHCHR’s December report cited at least 19 cases since August, when 62 people were killed.

“OHCHR has also found that the Russian Federation has widespread and systematic use of torture against Ukrainian prisoners of war,” said the UN Under-Secretary-General. At the same time, she noted that individual cases of Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine are being investigated by the authorities.

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Дзвенислава Карплюк
Editor