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CONTINUITY: OCHA and UNHCR Ukraine Humanitarian Response - 15 January 2024
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Edited News , Press Conferences | UNHCR , OCHA
OCHA and UNHCR - Press Conference: Ukraine Response Plans Launch - 15 January 2024
STORY: Ukraine Humanitarian and refugee plan 2024
TRT: 2 min 55s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 15 January 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley, UN Geneva with snow
- Wide shot: speakers at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator: “14.6 million people, 40 per cent of the population in Ukraine, will need humanitarian aid. 4 million people are internally displaced. That's in addition to those who are externally displaced.”
- Medium shot, speakers at the podium with journalists in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator: “It's been as bad as it could be this last month, hasn’t it? And that's really been quite shocking. The number of attacks, the broad range across the whole of the country from Russia has been absolutely unrelenting.”
- Medium shot: Journalists in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator: “3.3 million people living in the middle of war zones, of daily bombardment, of uncertainty about where the day will end. And that's really a shockingly high number even these days.”
- Wide shot: Journalists in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Martin Griffiths, UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator: “In Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, families live in damaged houses with no piped water, gas or electricity in the freezing cold. Constant bombardments forced older people to spend their days in basements, children terrified, traumatized, still have lived for the last three years under these circumstances, trapped indoors and many, many, many, many of them with no schooling.”
- Medium shot, speakers at the podium with journalists in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees: “The total displacement today, I'll focus on that, is about 10 million people. If you add the almost 4 million estimated to be displaced inside Ukraine and the over 6 million, these are estimated to be refugees worldwide.”
- Close up, journalist listening
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees: “Of the people outside, especially those in Europe that are just over 5 million, so the bulk, some people do go back and forth. But the return has not been in very huge numbers. IOM (International Organization of Migration) estimates about 900,000 people have returned. This is an estimate because it's very, very difficult to count because of the pendulum movement.”
- Wide shot: Journalists in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees: “The number of refugees in working age who are employed – Ukrainians- depending on the country, ranges from 40 to 60 per cent. So, there's an extra push to be made in terms of inclusion.”
- Close up: Journalist taking photos
- Close up: Journalist listening
- Wide shot: camerawoman filming and technicians in control room
- Close up: OCHA spokesperson listening
- Medium shot: Journalists in press room
STORYLINE
The UN and humanitarian partners launched on Monday a combined US$ 4.2 billion appeal to donors to bring aid to some 10.8 million people in the war-affected communities in Ukraine but also to Ukrainian refugees and their host communities in the region throughout 2024.
A recent wave of attacks underscores the devastating civilian cost of the war, while a bitter winter is ratcheting up the urgent need for life-saving humanitarian aid.
“14.6 million people, 40 per cent of the population in Ukraine, will need humanitarian aid”, said Martin Griffiths, the UN top aid Coordinator when briefing journalist at the UN in Geneva. “4 million people are internally displaced. That's in addition to those who are externally displaced.”
The UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator added that “it's been as bad as it could be this last month […] and that's really been quite shocking. The number of attacks, the broad range across the whole of the country from Russia has been absolutely unrelenting.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates the response inside Ukraine. This Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requests $3.1 billion for 2024 and targets 8.5 million people.
According to Mr. Griffiths, “3.3 million people [are] living in the middle of war zones, of daily bombardment, of uncertainty about where the day will end. And that's really a shockingly high number even these days.”
The current humanitarian situation is likely to further deteriorate this year if hostilities persist and attacks targeting energy and other critical infrastructure increase during the ongoing winter, said OCHA.
“In Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, families live in damaged houses with no piped water, gas or electricity in the freezing cold,” said Mr. Griffiths. “Constant bombardments forced older people to spend their days in basements. Children terrified, traumatized, still have lived for the last three years under these circumstances, trapped indoors and many, many, many, many of them with no schooling.”
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, coordinates the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP), which requests $1.1 billion and targets 2.3 million refugees and host communities this year.
The full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sparked the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War.
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that “the total displacement, […] is about 10 million people. If you add the almost 4 million estimated to be displaced inside Ukraine and the over 6 million, these are estimated to be refugees worldwide.”
He added that “of the people outside, especially those in Europe that are just over 5 million. So the bulk, some people do go back and forth, but the return has not been in very huge numbers. IOM (International Organization of Migration) estimates about 900,000 people have returned. This is an estimate because it's very, very difficult to count because of the pendulum movement.”
Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries also need increased and sustained support, said UNHCR. Despite efforts for inclusion, only half of school-age refugee children are enrolled in schools in host countries, while a quarter of refugees in need struggle to access health care.
According to Mr. Grandi, “the number of refugees in working age who are employed Ukrainians, depending on the country, ranges from 40 to 60 per cent. So, there's an extra push to be made in terms of inclusion.”
Despite extreme access challenges, especially to areas occupied by the Russian Federation, aid workers reached nearly 11 million people in Ukraine in 2023, with the support of the international donor community. Humanitarian organizations made every effort to increase assistance in the front-line communities.
-ends-
Teleprompter
OK, So let's start.
Good morning.
Welcome to all those who are here and I'm very happy to see you in person after these weeks of virtual discussions with you.
We start again this morning with hybrid press events and we do it with with the two important UN officials that are here to tell you about the joint launch of the Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and Regional Refugee Response Plan for 2024.
I'm named Martin Griffiths, Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator and Filippo Grandi, UN **** Commissioner for Refugees.
As usual, we will hear from our speakers for introductory remarks and then we will open the floor to question here and on the platform where I see there are about 25 participants.
So I'll start with the USG Griffiths.
OK, thanks a lot.
Thank you, very.
All right.
I thought it was going to be better without actually.
We'll see.
We'll judge at the end of it.
Thank you for being here, Sir.
Brighton Early.
Good to be here with Filippo because we're launching as, as you said, two response plans today to support the people of Ukraine through 2024.
One is for those who fled the war and, and our refugees, which Filippo will speak to, and then the humanitarian plan for those in need who remain in the country.
And this is a normal process, as you know, in places where there are large refugee outflows and where there are connections between the two plans.
It's important that they synergise and you can see that they are complementary.
Ukraine.
You remember Ukraine, Yes, it's been quite a while since we've seen much about it.
I think a year ago would have been all Ukraine and now for the last many weeks we've heard very little about it.
So I'm very glad we've got this opportunity today to to talk about it and to launch it this morning.
Next month we'll enter a third year, an unexpected in my view at least third year of full blown war and occupation.
It started of course, 10 years ago in the east of the country, but the escalation in 2022 rushed in a whole new level of death, destruction and despair and of course of outflow of refugees.
40% of the population will need humanitarian assistance this year.
That's 14.6 million people.
40% of the population in Ukraine will need humanitarian aid.
4 million people are internally displaced.
That's in addition to those who are externally displaced, which Filippo will talk about.
Almost as many as those who are internally displaced.
4 million around the country, places of some safety.
3.3 million live in frontline communities in the east and South where the war goes on under relentless bombardment.
3.3 million people living in the middle of war zones of daily bombardment, of uncertainty about where the day will end.
And that's really a shockingly **** number.
Even these days, no place in Ukraine is untouched by the war and the wave of attacks that began just before the New year, as we saw witness to this, to the devastating civilian cost of the war.
Add to that the harsh winter which is sweeping across Ukraine and ratcheting up people's need for life saving support, heating, proper shelter, warmer clothes and a sufficient calorie intake.
Because of the winter, in the small towns and villages on the front lines, people have exhausted their own meagre resources and rely on aid coming in through the convoys of our partners to survive.
In Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, families live in damaged houses with no pipe, water, gas or electricity.
In the freezing cold, constant bombardments force older people to spend their days in basements.
Children, terrified, traumatised, still have lived for the last three years under these circumstances, trapped in doors and many, many, many, many of them with no schooling.
Across Ukraine, homes, schools and hospitals are repeatedly hit.
Basic services are not spared.
Water, gas and power systems, indeed the very fabric of society, how we live.
Employment, schools, care centres, shopping, safety of access to those places daily is under ******.
But it's worth taking a moment to remember this.
Ukrainians refuse to buckle under this extraordinary onslaught and they refuse to resign.
People step up for each other.
Community spirit remains ****.
They volunteer to help deliver a leaf to those who can't move.
Some warm shelter, care for children.
No less than 60% of our 500 humanitarian partners are Ukrainian organisations.
SO500 humanitarian organisations operating inside Ukraine, delivering aid inside Ukraine.
More than half of them are Ukrainian organisations.
A testament really to the community spirit and the patriotic spirit of many people in that country.
We aim to reach more than eight and a half million people this year with water and hygiene services, materials to repair homes, winter clothes and supplies, the things that I've already referred to.
The plan for eight and a half million focuses, as you know from the maths, on the most vulnerable.
Those who are close to the front line are the top priority, and everyday convoys are sent out to reach those in danger, as are the convoys in danger.
Aid will be delivered across the country to areas we can reach via these comprehensive programmes on these convoys, in partnership with local NGOs, the local partners I referred to and complementing the Ukrainian Government's own efforts And our relationship with the Ukrainian government remains steady, strong, supportive, and we act under their guidance, under their leadership and often under their direction.
We are asking donors for $3.1 billion in funding for 2024.
More will be needed to support those who Filippo will refer to.
No one wants to depend on assistance from outsiders to cover life's basic needs.
This is true across the world, whether in Gaza or Sudan or Syria or elsewhere.
No one wants to depend on such assistance.
But there is no choice for those millions, 14.6 million who need assistance, eight and a half million which we whom we are targeting, they need your help.
They need your funding because humanitarian aid remains the lifeline without which they will perish.
As the war continues unabated, without signs that I'm aware of, of coming to some conclusion, and amid everything else happening across the globe, we must stay the course of the people of Ukraine.
And it is a very sad reminder that today we're begging for attention for Ukraine, when for so many days and weeks and months of previous years, we've had much greater attention to Ukraine.
And we've begged for attention for people, places elsewhere, places which still needed like Sudan and so forth.
But today we begged for attention for the people of Ukraine, and we will be having a launch here right after this meeting.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, USG Griffiths, **** Commissioner Randy.
Thank you.
Good morning, everybody.
I think the two key words that Martin used are the key ones.
One is, remember, unfortunately it's sad to say, I don't want to elaborate even more what he just said.
And the second one is full blown occupation or well it's war, full blown occupation and destruction of infrastructure and terrible impact on millions of civilians.
Most likely what we have seen in the last month, I would say is one of the worst periods of the war in terms of impact on civilians, not least because it coincides with winter, which as you all know is a terrible time in is very, very harsh in Ukraine.
The total displacement today I'll focus on that is about 10 million people.
If you add the almost 4 million estimated to be displaced inside Ukraine and the over 6,000,000 this estimated to be refugees worldwide.
This includes Canada and US and Japan and other places.
But 6.3 million, I think.
So we're over 10 million people not in their homes, which remains, by the way, the largest displacement crisis in the world.
I can't think of any other crisis that is as as big.
The priority clearly and Martin focused on that already is to help people inside Ukraine.
There's much less outflow of people.
The big outflow was really in the initial two months of the war, if you recall.
But then I thought, I think that what happened, people saw that it was possible to remain safe and remain inside the country, which they prefer to be closer to their homes.
So we continue to see displacement inside Ukraine, but much less or almost not at all outside displacement of the people outside, especially those in Europe that are just over 5 million.
So the bulk, some people do go back and forth, but the return has not been in very huge numbers.
IOM estimates about 900,000 people have returned.
This is an estimate because it's very, very difficult to count because of the pendulum movement.
Some of those people, by the way, are now displaced because they don't go back.
They cannot go back to their homes, which is destroyed or on the front line, but they stay in other places.
So it's a fluid situation.
One thing that is important because I know there's been some debate, including with the Ukrainian authorities, it is very important why the pendular movement is possible and it's not possible in other refugee situation, because these people are not fleeing from their government.
They're fleeing from the occupation and the invasion and the bomb and the Russian bombing.
They're not fleeing from the Ukrainian.
They're still refugees.
That's how we call them, because they flee from war, but not refugees from their government.
I want to say that very clearly in case there is any misunderstanding in this respect.
And a couple of words on what we're launching in addition to what Martin said.
So the appeal has two components, inside Ukraine and outside.
The outside is called refugee response plan.
It is lower in numbers than last year.
We're asking for one just over a billion dollars, basically 1.1 billion.
I recall that last year we asked for 1.7.
Clearly more people are included, more people work, there is less needs are diminishing and governments and the European Commission are doing a lot.
So there is less need for us and our partners.
But still in all countries, especially Moldova, but also in other countries, there is a need to do work, you know, give fulfil basic needs, protection needs for those that are, that have particular requirements in terms of access to services or in terms to of of particular vulnerabilities.
Of course, access to education and health is a very important still we're distributing, we including the partners are distributing cash in many, in many countries.
I have to say that Europe has been very exemplary, as you know, through the temporary protection regime that was established throughout Europe in the course of 2022.
It's still in place.
It's now in place until I think spring of 2025.
We will have to think of that.
They will have to think of that later.
If, God forbid, this continues.
We don't know.
But for the time being, that regime is strong, still, exemplary still.
My message is please learn from it because it's a good model for other refugee groups as well, not just for Ukrainians, but for Ukrainians.
It's very, very good.
Still interesting.
If you look at the statistics, the number of kids going to school, refugee kids going to school is only about 50%.
Many learn online the Ukrainian curriculum and so forth.
So it's not that half of the kids don't learn, but those who go to formal school, which is important for children, as you all know is only half.
Likewise, the number of refugees in working age who are employed Ukrainians, depending on the country, ranges from 40 to 60%.
So there's there's an extra push to be made in terms of inclusion.
Many are always waiting to go back home.
So there is that self-imposed temporariness if you wish.
But these are all areas that need attention in terms of protracted situation where you want more inclusion, you want more education because you don't want to leave anybody behind in a political environment that with the European election is likely to be volatile, although we haven't really seen, as in other context, a backlash on that particular situation.
Finally, just to say that.
So last year we asked for what?
For the refugee component, we asked for 1.7 billion, this year 1.1 billion.
This is normal.
Last year it was well funded.
Let's hope it will be this year as well.
I remind all of you that we, UNHCR, are not well funded, generally speaking.
So I hope that Ukraine, which has been an exception, will remain an exception, while I hope that the others will also be better funded.
But you know what I mean?
I hope that at least funding there will continue to be generous.
It's very, very important, especially at the time of competition with so many other situations.
Moldova big, big focus and the appeal is it covers 11 countries.
I should have said and by the way, I want to also I could point Martin made this appeal, he you spoke about 500 organisation.
The refugee appeal is over 300 organisations as well, of which of which interesting 45 S about the 6th are led by refugees themselves, so are really grassroots.
So this localization that everybody's talking about in this context, which has opportunity inside Ukraine and outside is really working, which I think is a big asset of the operation in terms of cost and effectiveness.
And finally, just to say that, like I said, Moldova is a big priority still, although more stable from the refugee side than before.
I am going there myself this week and I'll be also going into Ukraine after Moldova for a few days.
I was hoping to be able to go before and talk to you about that, but the logistics didn't allow.
So I'll be I'll be there from next weekend till the middle of next week.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, our Commissioner and just for housekeeping, unfortunately our Commissioner Grande has to leave.
I said 9:00 sharp.
So I would like to ask those who want to ask questions to our Commissioner Grande maybe to, to start so we can and, and, and Martin.
Thank you, Tony.
OK, 5 minutes.
So OK, let's concentrate the questions to **** Commissioner.
First, can I ask you to raise your hands for questions to Mr Grandy, To **** Commissioner Grandy.
Yeah, yeah, USG Griffiths will stay a little bit longer.
OK.
So let me see if there's any specific question to **** Commissioner Grandy, please on line or in the room.
Do I see any hand up?
Apparently, yes.
Antonio Brotto, the Spanish news agency.
Antonio, you have the floor.
Thank you very much.
So Mr.
Grandy, as you mentioned several times, Moldova, can you explain us what is the the special needs of refugees in that country and what are the main difficulties in in this and if?
You can mention also.
Some of the other eleven countries that are in in your.
In your plan.
Thank you.
No, no, I understood.
Yes, yes, I heard.
Yeah, I think that it's not that Moldova has more specific needs than the other countries.
It's the same vulnerable groups.
Mental health, by the way, I should have mentioned.
Big problem growing everywhere.
Clearly the trauma of war, the trauma of separation from families taking a toll after almost two years.
So 2 years.
Yeah, two years.
So that is seen in Moldova, as is seen elsewhere.
The difference with Moldova is that Moldova is outside the European Union, so a little bit less supported by the, the, the, the, the union's system that across the board are supporting refugees in the other countries.
Otherwise, the countries included are, as I said, are 11, the biggest ones.
You know which ones they are.
Poland continues to be the biggest refugee hosting country.
Germany is the biggest refugee hosting countries.
We are also operating in the Baltics and throughout Europe, I would say, but don't make mistakes.
In most of these countries, our programmes, the programmes of our partners, are relatively small because states are taking the lead.
Municipalities are taking the lead.
Moldova, this is a bit less developed, less, less structured.
So organisations, humanitarian organisations have a little bit more space, but it's going well.
It was difficult at the beginning, I remember, to set up systems that already in my visit last year I could see a lot of progress, excellent cooperation with the Moldovan government and I trust I'll see the same later this week.
Thank you very much.
Hi Commissioner.
Any other question if not I know you are expected outside from one of our journalists.
So we will continue with other questions to Mr Griffiths, I have seen quite a few hands.
Yes, please can you introduce yourself Hi Michelle and Grant for Geneva Solutions.
Thank you Alessandra.
Mr Griffiths, my question is about you can answer it and hosted talks yesterday about the ten piece 10 point piece formula.
I was wondering how involved is the UN with these these efforts, which include a lot of the the points in the in the plan are directly or indirectly related to humanitarian needs.
And do you see ever see any other related initiatives such as the Black Sea grain deal, which we saw of course fall apart, But do you see any other similar agreements that could be reached?
Thank you.
Am I on?
Yeah.
You know, I don't have any direct involvement in that peace plan process, but I think the UN does observe much of it.
And of course, we get reports about the meetings that we will, I'm sure, from the one yesterday.
And I know my colleague Denise Brown, the humanitarian coordinator and resident coordinator of the UN in Ukraine, does attend meetings in the presidency, I think still weekly on the progress of that plan.
And it's still in progress because we're about to enter the third.
Yeah.
And as Philippe said, which I thought was a really good point, it's been as bad as it could be this last month, hasn't it?
And that's really been quite shocking.
The the number of attacks, the broad range across the whole of the country from Russia has been absolutely unrelenting.
So we need progress on on that plan.
As a former mediator, there's nothing more important than a horizon, a future for peace, some sort of optimism on the Black Sea.
Yes, we were very unhappy, of course, all of us, about the termination in July of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Rebecca Greenspan has been continuing her work on the memorandum of understanding signed between the UN and Russia on getting Russian exports out.
That wasn't stopped.
It's still going on and we are still hoping to make progress on it.
We met here in Geneva, Rebecca hosting a meeting.
I was present with the Russian delegation a few weeks ago.
So we're still talking and there is still, there's still opportunity in our view for progress on the Black Sea.
But what we, what we need to remember about the Black Sea is this, that it is obviously coming through the Bosphorus, a choke point, the Bosphorus anyway, a trade route of the highest importance, not just for grain but in particular in terms of food security for grain, but also for oil and for other commodities.
And if the war were to, and we have seen signs that it has in some respects to be extended to make the Black Sea really a war theatre, then of course those exports would be at risk.
So far a rare piece of relatively good news.
The exports that are that are continuing by both Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine out of those Odessa ports, you know, down through the solidarity lanes down in the West, western edge of the Black Sea have been working quite well.
I have heard the figure of up to seven and a half million tonnes export through the course of the last many months in this way, but it's precarious, it's tenuous and I believe personally that we need to talk to both sides about how to make those exports safe.
And of course, we are in constant contact with Tokyo on this, who have their lead role in the Black Seas.
So watch this space.
Thank you very much.
Miss G Griffiths, other questions in the room or I'll go to the platform.
OK.
So Gabrielle Tetrou, Reuters.
Good morning.
Thank you.
Mr Griffiths, given that the the response plan is designed to cover people most in need, many of these people are in areas occupied by Russia or near the front lines.
And OJA has said that it's access to these areas, to the occupied areas has been, has been significantly impeded.
I'm just wondering how, how, how the you plan to reach all these people in these areas and, and whether the greatest impediment is the absence of security guarantees or the lack of political will from the occupying power.
Thank you.
Yes, there are significant numbers.
I don't have the exact number in front, in front of me, but in areas under Russian control, on the Russian side of the line, where our convoys have not crossed virtually since the beginning of the war, there has been aid provided to the people living there.
They certainly need it, obviously, just like any other part of the country, through local organisations, some of them supported by organisations in Ukraine proper, Excuse me, but not enough.
And we continue to remain in negotiation with the Russian government about how to make access to those those people more.
I mean, how to get access to those people not even more effective, How to get access to those people who are perhaps in the most urgent of needs since it has now been two years since any real effective, regular, reliable humanitarian aid has reached them and the lower Donbass effectively and elsewhere and in the front lines.
This is this is the daily life really of humanitarian operations inside Ukraine.
Yes to the displaced, to a further back in places of safety.
Yes to repair and reconstruct shelters in those places because of the winter and because people coming back and also people fleeing from the front lines need somewhere to live.
Yes, to repair places which are damaged by these attacks, all those things.
But people in the front lines, for example, by the river and Kelsan and so forth, people who have lived through this **** for two years, these people are reached by these convoys.
And on every occasion, we provide notification to both sides when a convoy is going to take place, to what area, with what purpose, with what kind of supplies and so forth.
So we're completely open and transparent about that.
If for the purposes of safety and security, we do this elsewhere, we do this in Gaza, we do this in Syria, we do this around the world.
It it's essentially A deconfliction system, so to make sure that the places we go to are not attacked.
And on the whole, on the whole, those convoys have got through safely in the course of this last year.
And that is a great, a great relief for those people living there.
But a humanitarian aid needs to be repetitive, reliable, predictable.
You need to know when the next one is coming in, in order to space out the supplies that you have acquired on this occasion.
This is so everywhere.
This is in Gaza, this is so everywhere.
And that I think is what is most important for the people on the front lines to be sure that they know that next week or in a month's time or whatever it, whatever the, the, the, the regularity is planned to be that it in that it is something that is rely, it can be relied on.
And under the leadership of Deniz and with these 500 partners and with the funding, which has been very, very, very, very generous in these last couple of years, that has mostly been achieved.
That's a small mercy, but it is a mercy for the people involved in war.
Last year in 2023, we had a budget of 3.9 billion does of more than this year.
We're constantly trying to reduce the numbers that we're asking for because the the, the economy, the global economy tells us to.
And we received 67% funding last year.
So we received $2.65 billion last year.
67% funding was probably almost certainly the best level of funding in the world last year.
Very, very many of our, I mean, I think our total amount of funding for the whole year for the global humanitarian response plans which required 50 billion, 58 billion, I think it was by the end of the year received around 30.
This year we've launched a plan for the for humanitarian response plans totalling 48 billion dollars, again, trying to keep the numbers down so that we can make sure we get as much as we can to prioritise people and we would hope to improve on the percentage.
But Ukraine has been relatively well funded.
But as people have said who have visited and Philippo will remind us when he's there, not fully funded, not fully funded.
And the, the, the needs continue to grow because as the war goes on, it continues to destroy infrastructure.
And the destruction of infrastructure is what makes humanitarian lives, humanitarian aid necessary.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Jigglyvitz Muhammad Arslan and Abdul Wansi, the Turkish news agency.
Thank you so much, Alessandro.
Thank you.
So, Mr Grieve for the brief, my question is.
Is there a possibility?
Yeah.
Is there a possibility?
For.
Peace negotiation to to stop ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine this year or are you making your.
Aid plans anticipating that this war will continue this year also.
Thank you so much.
Maybe I'm lucky I have nothing to do with political diplomacy and the the the achievement of peace, because it doesn't the the global record these days is pretty grim, isn't it?
So I've got the easy one, which is humanitarian aid.
We always plan humanitarian aid across the world without supposition that the that the war will end and release us from our obligations.
Each plan that we put forward, like this one today is for the whole year.
If suddenly tomorrow a miracle happened and the war stopped, we would be the happiest of people right after the Ukrainian people.
And of course, we would redirect funding towards reconstruction and repair and so forth.
There will also there will, there will continue to be significant financial needs even in the aftermath of war.
And we, we, we know this from everywhere we worked.
The cost of reconstruction, of making homes safe, of demining, especially demining agricultural areas, of the repair of the Kakoba Dam, which has still not been repaired, which was impacted, remember last July, I think it was.
There will always be cost, but this plan is based on the pessimistic assumption that the wall continue through 2024.
Lisa Shalin, Voice of America.
Thank you, Alessandra, and good morning.
Good morning to you.
Yeah, I've got a couple of questions.
One is you just said that the needs will rise as the war goes on.
True.
And so I'd like your reaction to the the fact that support appears to be waning for Ukraine from the United States, from European countries, and what your concerns are about that in terms of the continuance of the war and the acceleration of the damage and the needs that will be growing.
And are you concerned that if Russia does indeed gobble up the Ukraine, that its appetite to go after other countries will accelerate as well and this will create more work for you and other humanitarian agencies?
And then secondly, is there any, do you have any sort of interaction with the Russian government and what, what do you know about the people who the Ukrainians who are living in the Russian occupied territories?
Apparently you're not able to get to any of them.
What are your concerns about that?
Thank you.
Well, I think I answered the second question already.
I think it was the first question I was asked.
So access to these people and how aid is delivered has been at a very low level by local organisations throughout and our own access has been, has been impossible for reasons of safety and security and we have not been able to do it.
We've made many representations, we've made, had many discussions with Russian authorities about it, and we have not yet succeeded in coming to an agreement as to how we we can deliver aid responsibly according to our usual norms to those people directly.
It can be done through cash.
Of course.
Cash is, you know, one of the ways in which, and particularly last year, we saw a huge increase in cash globally as a way of delivering aid.
And cash crosses lines, you know, through the Internet.
In 2023, cash assistance reached 4 million people in Ukraine, $580 million dispersed through cash.
You know, the whole, the huge, the, the, by far the largest amount of course in areas under Ukrainian control because there are complications providing cash into those Russian held areas to do with banking and so forth.
But cash is a means of getting aid to people who need it in places like that.
The first question, well, I'm not going to get into the business of Russia gobbling up any, any, any countries again, that's not my business.
I'm focused on aid where it is needed now.
And the, the, the, the, the, the truth of the matter is, firstly, sorry, can you turn off Monsieur Auslan, Mike, please?
Firstly, we do have a very close and honest and open and constructive relationship with the government that helps us a great deal in terms of our operations.
We complement their work and as Filippo said about the regional response, it is also true about the in country response.
Many of the people are reached by people who are not part of the response plan, European Aid Directly and others, and we have as yet seen no diminution of humanitarian aid for those people, nor indeed from the United States, as yet, no diminution of humanitarian aid.
There may be diminution in other aspects of aid to Ukraine, but for us, for now, and we beg for today, please don't walk away from Ukraine.
The people of the Ukraine need us today as much as they did on the 22nd of February two years ago.
Thank you.
Sure.
Let me take a last question.
I think it's from Gab.
You had a question Chrisop, No.
OK.
So Gabriel from Reuters have a follow up.
Thank you for taking my question.
My second question, given that the appeal last year was funded at 67% as you mentioned and obviously we have a lot of competing crises as you as you mentioned as well.
Do you think donors, how do you think donors will respond to this appeal this year given all these crises?
What, what level of funding would you deem acceptable or deem workable in these circumstances for Ukraine?
Thank you.
100% funded.
What are you going to, what are you going to ask me, right?
I mean, we wouldn't put a plan out if we if we didn't want it funded at 100%.
We have already reduced the numbers of those we seek to reach 28 and a half million from whatever it is 14.6 million.
So we've already reduced those to the priority needs and every single plan that we put out is very, very strictly prioritised.
You will see that as we go through 2024 where we have reduced, as I said earlier, the overall ask from 58 billion down to 48 and we do that in order to make sure that we want all of it.
There are no parts of this which are sort of an add on.
Nice to have optional extra.
This is all about in Ukraine life saving assistance and we hope that governments will continue to be generous.
Of course, you're right.
And the burden of your question is the competition?
For funding is getting greater, there's no question about it.
And as we go into 2024, the competition for funding is going to be more difficult than 2023.
Even the cost of the Gaza war, even before it extends any further, it's considerable.
But also you remember that country that we never talk about, Sudan, which has probably the greatest suffering that you see in many, in many senses around the world today.
And which is down around 37% funded, I think.
But which is so hard to get onto the screens and to the attention of people precisely because of the competition of places like Gaza now and Ukraine as it was getting attention, your attention.
And I'm not blaming the press.
This is a factor of world interest to these countries.
Makes all the difference and Sudan is 1 where I feel the greatest conscience and failure of ours to deliver to the people there.
The the UN operation is not in Khartoum.
It's also been now part of many attacks in Wadi Medina, which is the jump off point for Khartoum.
MSF, as usual, courageous to an extraordinary degree still gets in and out of Khartoum.
ICRC the same.
But Sudan, well, that's a whole nother story for another day.
Please.
Ukraine today only asking for a little little bit, $3.1 billion please by tea time.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, USG Griffiths, and good luck with the official launch of the of the plan in a moment.
Thank you everyone who has participated in this press conference.
I wish you a very good week.
Thank you.
Perhaps not such an early one.