OCHA UNHCR Press conference 15 February 2023

Good morning, colleagues.

Welcome to this press conference that, as you know, is going to present us the launch of the Ukraine Regional Refugee Response Plan and the Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023.

I have the great honour and pleasure to have with us with us today Martin Griffiths, the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, an emergency relief coordinator, and Filippo Grandi, the United Nations **** Commissioner for Refugees.

Just a a couple of points at the beginning.

First of all, I know there are lots of hot issues on the agenda, lots of news, lots of subjects, but this conference is on this Ukraine appeal, so let's try and keep the subject focused if possible.

The other thing is a question of timing.

Our 2US GS have to leave absolutely at 9:45.

So we will try to be really concentrate.

I would ask you not to do follow up questions please just one question per person.

We try to accommodate as many questions as possible.

But before that, I give the floor to Martin and to Filippo for daily initial remarks.

Martin, thank you very much, Alessandra.

So thank you very much for for being here for this very important day for an extraordinarily important appeals for Filippo and I on Ukraine and the regional response.

I'll speak to the humanitarian response plan for Ukraine itself in internal, of course, Filippo will speak for the region.

We're asking today for $3.9 billion for this year's humanitarian response plan in Ukraine.

Over 11 million people are targeted by this response plan and as you probably know there are nearly 18 million people in need.

As usual with these plans, the larger number are those who have not become part of the focused priority of the plan itself.

18,000,000 out of 43,000,000 pre war population now down of course to much less 36 million selling living in Ukraine.

So 18,000,000, half of those living in Ukraine are in need and we're, we're, we're, we're targeting over 11.

We have 600 and 852 operational partners inside Ukraine.

Of course, we've built up these relationships, operational partners being particularly Ukrainian NGOs and last year's flash appeal for Ukraine, which we course launched here for $3.4 billion was 80% funded.

I'd like to draw your attention to one of the aspects of current humanitarian response in Ukraine under the leadership of Denise Brown, our Resident Humanitarian coordinator.

What the team there is prioritising and is doing is sending convoys to the front lines to meet the needs of the people on the front lines, on the Ukrainian side of the front lines, not across the line, but into areas of great danger and difficulty and priority needs.

And I think that's an extraordinary testimony to the resilience and courage of those working in Ukraine.

And yesterday, indeed, UN staff in Denipro travelled in six preloaded trucks and headed to the Donetsk region.

You know, there some 200 kilometres away, 2 villages in the worst of those war zones.

That is a very hot area of war at the moment.

People under daily shelling, daily attacks, homes bombed, freezing cold, electricity problems.

And our colleagues drove as close to the front line as they could have delivered, of course, through local partners.

And they delivered medicine, heaters, food, blankets and so forth for 1200 people.

That's something that goes on day in, day in, day out in Ukraine.

As a result of this terrible war, more than 7000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine.

But according to our estimates, in the last year, almost certainly a low estimate, 12,000 civilians have been injured, again, according to our estimates.

And no doubt a low estimate, hundreds of children, of course, shockingly among those numbers, relentless attacks, as we have known and you know well, against the energy infrastructure, civilian infrastructure, access to schools, as we have both seen, Filippo was there much more recently than me.

Is, is a devastation of a way of life.

And yet the resilience of the Ukraine people desperately seeking to return to their homes, to start their jobs, to send their children to schools is something that we want to support in these appeals.

So I urge all those generous governments and people and civil society and people like you and me around the world to give generously today.

And you can be sure that the funding will go to those who need it in Ukraine.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Martin Filippo.

Thank you.

My role here, I guess, is to highlight the other appeal that we are launching today, the refugee response plan.

But let me put it in 2 minutes in context.

First of all, the Ukraine refugee crisis, displacement crisis remains the largest in the world, clearly almost 6,000,000 estimated internally displaced people.

Plus, you know, the the refugees in Europe who have registered for temporary protection are close to 5 million, like 4.8 million.

But we know that there's many more that have not.

So the scale of displacement is quite continues to be quite massive.

As Martin said, I've just come back actually a couple of weeks ago from spending six days in Ukraine and visiting Moldova as well.

And I was exactly in those frontline locations that Martin has mentioned, some of which he has mentioned.

I, I, I on purpose this time spent time where we together with NGOs, the UN, together with NGOs, a large number of local NGOs and community based organisation.

They're the real heroes of the of this of this situation where everybody works under unbelievably stressful circumstances.

Of course, the stressful circumstances that every Ukrainian is going through sirens going to the bunker, but much worse than that, civilian infrastructure constantly being hit and destroyed.

I've seen, you know, kindergarten flattened and old people living in Cellars because of the danger of bombing.

So it's a pretty, no, we, we are after one year, I think we're becoming a little bit used to this.

We shouldn't because it's quite appalling what the Russian invasion is doing to the country.

So anyway, in this context, 2 things before I go quickly to the refugee component, 1 is that I launched when I was in Kiev together with the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of reconstruction, a platform called Ukraine is Home.

Why say this?

Because for a number of reasons, 1 is that much as humanitarian assistance is of paramount importance and President Zelensky told me personally how much he appreciated also the courage of UN and other staff that are delivering that assistance.

He also insists very much that we need to support recovery.

And indeed, what is amazing in Ukraine is that people, you know, after one week, after their apartment is ******* to pieces, they not only go to get, you know, some money or which of course they need, but they want to reconstruct, to rebuild to the extent that they can.

So we need to support that recovery.

And that's why we launched this platform, which is called Ukraine's Home, which is basically a database, a digital database of destroyed infrastructure, housing infrastructure, not more than that for now, and available materials in the country.

And where all those who want to contribute, because there's a plethora of of donors and can, can, they can use this platform to coordinate under the government leadership, this assistance.

This is important because it it shows also how the government really has stepped up even further its ability to coordinate.

So whatever we're asking today is to support this effort led by the government.

And second Point President was very clear on this.

They want refugees eventually to return.

Refugees are hesitating to return, I think because of all that we see every day about destruction.

But you know, the intention is very firm.

The intention of the people is to return and the intention of the government is to create conditions for return as quickly as possible and we fully support that.

There's no forcible return.

Don't get me wrong, this is all very well planned, but it's well, well, very well organised.

Just to just to add, of course the refugee component of what we launched today is $1.7 billion for this year.

It is very complementary to what is being done.

That's why we're launching the two appeals together.

It concerns 10 countries in our, in this case the refugee component 240 partners.

So the total is almost 1000 partners that we're working with in the in the region.

The focus is, as you can imagine of all this operation is the priority, health and nutrition, education, very important livelihoods, temporary protection, which has now been adopted also by Moldova just when I was there, actually gives a great framework to support to refugees.

It allows them to have access to services to an extent to jobs.

There are difficulties and challenges, but by and large it's working well.

Our, you know, we're not creating parallel assistance.

We're trying to support governments, include refugees in their social and economic structures and systems.

May I just make a special mention of Moldova?

I think there's still a priority refugee hosting country, although the numbers are not big, 100,000, they're a small country, they're doing a fantastic job.

I was there for a couple of days.

They are under a lot of different pressures.

You've all followed the political transition that they've just gone through and they deserve, they continue to deserve assistance.

So anyway, joining Martin very much in saying that, you know, we were relatively well funded last year.

I think the the, the refugee appeal was funded in excess of 70%, not total, but quite good.

We count on that generosity to last.

Of course, this is not the only crisis in the world.

There's many others that deserve.

I'm just back from Ethiopia, Burundi, who talks about Burundi?

Sorry, but this is the reality and people need their need support as much as anywhere else.

But we know that there is still a lot of interest.

So we hope that interest for Ukraine translates into good financial support from governments and other sources.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Philippe.

Thanks, Martin.

Let's open the floor to question.

And as usual, I will start with the room.

So who raised his hand?

I'll start with Laurent.

Laurent Sierra de Swiss News Agency.

Yeah, and also Swiss News Agency.

I'd like to make the connection with what you just said by Commissioner.

So there are many crazies abroad as well.

And we know the importance of Ukraine also to respond to the other crisis.

So Master Griffiths, I'd like we're getting closer to the renewal of these agreements on Green Deal and on on fertilisers.

So where where do we stand on that?

Are you confident they're going to be renewed?

Thank you.

Oh, OK, we're good.

Can you close your lines?

Yeah, I don't know the the, the Black Sea Grain Initiative, as you know, Lahore is up for renewal on the 18th of March.

I think it is.

I remember saying before the last rollover that I expressed some confidence that it would, would, would take place.

I think we're in slightly more difficult territory at the moment.

But the fact is that I think this will be conclusive and persuasive.

I hope so that the Global South and international food security needs that operation to continue.

And now what close to to 1920 million tonnes come across the Black Sea.

We don't need it stopped in the middle of March.

And I hope and I hope and believe actually or that it will be, it will be extended and that is because it is an obvious case for international humanitarian security.

Thank you, AP good morning.

Thank you.

I just wanted to try to put this into perspective going back to the appeal.

Two quick questions.

Very well.

One is just about the appeal.

Could you put it into perspective in terms of the size of this compared to others?

I mean, it's presumably it's there's a superlative in there somewhere.

And so you just mentioned about you're in, you said you're in more difficult territory about the Blacks and grain initiative.

Could you elaborate on that?

What do you mean by more difficult territory?

Thank you.

Yeah.

On the second question, I think what we're what we're seeing is the need for export.

You know the two, there were two deals signed on the 22nd of July in Istanbul.

There's a memorandum of understanding between the UN and the Russian Federation on the removing impediments to, to the export of Russian fertilisers and, and, and, and food stuffs.

And then the Black Sea Grey initiative.

And both obviously operate in tandem.

And the, the first one is much more complicated in many ways, as you know, to make it work than the second.

And it's important that it does work.

It's important that we get Russian fertilisers out.

You know, we have well food programme.

David Beasley has stressed again and again that actually fertiliser getting out at the moment is of the highest priority.

And it's, there's a lot more to be done on that front that that's where we need to, to.

And indeed, under Rebecca Greenspan's leadership here, a huge amount of work is being done.

But in fact, both, both agreements have their own value and virtue.

And I would argue for the humanitarian imperative of each and separately sides of this one.

It's a very big one.

It's not the biggest, but it's a very big appeal for good reason.

And Filippo will speak to, to that in a minute.

There are others which are slightly bigger from, from HR humanitarian response plan.

For example, Afghanistan is bigger, for example, Yemen is slightly bigger and I think Syria is also.

But this is a major, major operation and to and to, to be remembered for both of us.

It started on the first day.

We were not and very carefully not in the business of planning for what might happen on the 24th of February of last year.

Many agencies, UN and others did not operate in Ukraine, although there was a history of eight years, of course, of operating down in the Donbass and and then linking up refugee responses.

Philippo say was it was something that had to be done day Novo and it it and and I'm glad and I wanted to just to add what Philippo just said.

Very, very pleased to have the relationship we have now with the with the Ukrainian government, which is solid and which is an an amazing achievement.

The Ukrainian government to maintain a level of servicing and response to needs in the middle of this extraordinary war.

It's quite it's kind of an unsung story.

So we we're you know, huge respect to them.

Nina Larsen AFP I'm sorry, sorry.

I I, I was busy with the water and I didn't listen to the no, no, just to say to say that I agree.

I think it is large because also the needs are enormous and look at only I look from our perspective, as I said, 1415 million people out of their homes.

You don't have this in, in other places, but I think, you know, it's not out of proportion in the sense that there are other appeals that are as big.

The problem is not the, the comparative size, the the problem is the comparative or the comparative inequality.

In response, if I may say that other operations, I was in Ethiopia last year, we barely reached 50% funding, not to mention the Burundi, just to mention the last two I was.

So this is really the challenge more than the big size of this because and when we say, I want to make it very clear because I've been asked this question, when we say that, you know, other crises need attention does not mean that this does not need attention.

All these need attention.

It's not our fault if there are many crises, right?

We're picking up the pieces most of the time.

So please at least support us.

So Nina.

Nina, thank you.

So on on the funding issue, you mentioned that you've been generously funded, but still it's only it was 80% funded for the humanitarian appeal and, and around 70 I think for the refugee appeal.

So this was the, you know, the crisis last year that everyone was focused on and still you didn't get fully funded.

What kind of prospects do you think there will be this year when there are obviously other big crisis that are are perhaps overshadowing a little bit what's going on in Ukraine and what will the impact be if you are not fully funded?

Thank you.

Yeah, I let me answer.

I think at least from our perspective, of course, remember last year's appeal we launched at the very beginning of the crisis, we estimated some of the needs.

I think in the end being funded 7075%, and I think the UNHR component is actually higher than that, allowed us to meet most of the refugee needs in the sense that remember also that this was assistance complementary to what say the European Union is already doing directly.

Each government is doing this massive assistance.

So I think of course it's always nice to be 100% funded, but compared to other crises, we could cope with that with those funding, but it needs to be kept up.

And now our estimates our the needs we put out both inside I think and outside are much more accurate.

So now it is important really to get a higher percentage of funding because this is what we actually need.

We've taken into account what others are doing bilaterally.

So it's more precise.

In fact, it's a little less than last year what we're appealing on the refugee side because we took better into better account bilateral and other assistance provided by governments.

Thank you very much.

Jeremy launch Radio France.

Hi, thank you.

Another question on the on the, on the figures, $5.6 billion, we know that Russia is scaling up its operation in the East.

I'd like to know how much this 5.6 billion is actually up to date.

Do you expect, should we expect that in a couple of months?

It will be higher.

I mean, how long will it last?

This 5.6 billion Filipogram both inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries, we have contingency plans of various kinds in case there are more needs.

So it's all built into into the into the planning related to this appeals.

Of course, if God forbid, the military evolution developments would be even worse than it already is, we will have to reconsider.

But I think that this Martin, correct me if I'm wrong, but this this appeals that we're launching take into account the likelihood of the protract protracted hostilities that do affect civilians and civilian infrastructure at the pace and scale that we have seen in the past few months.

OK, So I don't see other hands up in the room.

Let me go.

Who?

Oh, John, John Zaracostas, Franz Wan Katre.

Thank you.

I'm asking this for The Lancet.

Mr Griffiths, in many of your appeals, it's not across the board how much is funded by component, whether it's shelter or protection or health.

In the case of Ukraine, which segments received the best contribution and which were less?

We've seen this in many crises.

1 segment gets 80%, like food and health might get 30.

Yeah, sorry, I do not have the figures today, but we can provide them to you.

But it's a very good point.

And I mean, we often talk about this protection, which is, God knows, you know, the most important human need under these circumstances in all of these appeals is very, is almost always the least well funded.

I mean, the, the, the example for me, which I remember vividly was from northern Ethiopia, where Filippo has just been in, in a year ago, in the early days of the Tigray conflict and where there'd been terrible crimes against women in particular.

And I think our protection sector was funded to 5% of its.

So it's not to as exactly Philippe's point, it's not that we undermine the needs of these other sectors, but we'd like to see more of that.

But I don't know we'll find the figures for last year.

Can I add the point because this is a very important question.

Having said this, what we really all want is as funding, as flexible as possible so that we can decide together with the Ukrainian government and all the other governments where the priorities are because they're shifting.

You know, we may have a strong focus on housing at the moment, or shelter repair or cash, but this may shift according to this very volatile situation.

So the appeal is, please, flexible, flexible, flexible and earmarked as the UN language goes.

Thank you very much.

Let me go to the platform.

There are other questions online.

So we have online Yuri Aprelev Rianovosti.

Yuri.

Yes, good morning and thank you for the briefing.

My question is that millions of Ukrainian refugees have found refuge in Russia.

Why grant no funding to this country when even according to UNH Share figures, Russia is the country that welcomes the most refugees?

I was myself in Donetsk in February and I spoke with many of those refugees whom you never mentioned.

Why are you not going to help refugees that are in Russia?

Philippe Grand It is absolutely not true that we never mentioned them.

We mentioned them all the time.

They are in our statistics, bearing in mind that those statistics that we provide not just for the Russian Federation but for all host countries are provided by governments, not by UNHCR.

So they are, you know, we, we, there's a disclaimer there.

We put forward statistics provided by the government.

The Russian Federation has its own statistics related to Ukrainian, Ukrainians on its territory regarding assistance.

This appeal is for 10 countries that have asked and with which we have agreed to include them in the appeal.

It doesn't include the Russian Federation or for that matters many other countries that look at Turkey for example, they also host 10s of thousands, but those are supported through other means.

You know, we have also an earmark funding that our core funding that is used.

And last point, in the Russian Federation, most of the support given to or the activities related to Ukrainian refugees are handled by the government itself.

And UNHCR has very little material assistance, that is that is provided, hence very limited budget in that respect.

Thank you very much.

We still have a oh, yeah, sorry, Yuri, just a second, please.

I said no follow up.

So let me see if there are other questions.

Otherwise I'll come back to you.

Any other question from journalists who have not asked questions yet?

I don't see other hands up or on the platform.

So I'll let Yuri ask his follow up question.

Yuri, so if I understand well what you said, is it true to say that right now the UN agencies are not founding refugees in Russia?

Is it true?

I didn't say that.

I said that we have some activities that are agreed upon like in every country with the government of the country.

And those are funded not through this appeal.

They're funded through other funding sources.

Thank you.

I see Jamie has a follow up now.

We can do follow-ups this time.

We've got 3 more minutes.

Sorry.

Just to follow up on your question, what has been the level of cooperation with Russia?

I mean, are you surprised that they're not seeking more funds from this?

Is there?

Are you, can you just give us a bit of a because as he mentioned, there are a number of people that are in Russia.

Some people say that they're not always refugees that that, that some of them are taken against their will into Russia.

So what do you have to say about that aspect of things?

I have to say what we have said many times to the Russian Federation that we stand ready to do more if it's needed for any Ukrainian that is in need in Russia, including whatever type of support we may wish to give to them.

So that offer is on the table and is available.

Thank you, John.

Yeah, another follow up.

Yes, hi.

Following up on the answer by Mr Grandy, an earmarked funding, what amount was an earmarked in the last appeal for both the humanitarian and the regional appeal.

And as with the exception of the Nordic countries, some of the major powers always insist on earmarked funding unfortunately.

Yeah, sorry.

You know we're talking about here different levels of earmarking if we talk about global, no, but I need to put it in context.

You know, there are some countries, Sweden for example, the champion of flexible money or in general the Nordics, as you said, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, these are very good countries.

Most of what they provide an organisation like mine.

I'm speaking for you and I share here it not most, but a big chunk is an earmarked for any place that we want.

So we can use it in Ukraine, but in Burundi as well.

That's the best.

Then you go down to a a situation like Ukraine.

Even within that you can have more or less earmarking.

I was answering to your previous question.

Some donors will say this is only for shelter or this is only for health.

So we favour those who say at least use it for Ukrainians wherever the UN has needs.

Now, the percentage of that Ukraine flexibility, I need to get it to you.

I'm not sure, but we can get it to you.

Thank you very much.

Thanks everyone.

I would like really to thank very much Martin Griffiths and Filippo Grandi for briefing the press before going to Member States and thank you very much.

Have a nice day.