The United Nations has announced that it has begun moving unnecessary personnel to Ukraine amid fears of a large-scale military escalation in the country following Russia’s recognition of separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.
“We are determined to stay and continue our activities in Ukraine, especially in the eastern part of the country,” said Alessandra Velucci, a UN spokeswoman in Geneva. “We are still fully operational,” he added.
She explained that “due to the development of the situation on the ground we have given permission to some members of our non-essential staff and their families to relocate temporarily”.
“But at the same time a little more staff is enough to support our operations in Ukraine,” Velucci said.
The decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed People’s Democrats of Donetsk and Luhansk has been condemned by the UN and the West.
The agency’s secretary general, Antonio Guterres, called it a “violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The UN has 1,510 workers in Ukraine, 149 of whom are foreigners, Velucci said. In all, about 100 are based in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said it is ready to deal with any influx of refugees in the event of an escalation of the conflict.
“The situation is unpredictable,” UNHCR spokeswoman Sambia Mantou told a news conference, although no UNHCR has seen any increase in out-of-area movements so far.
“We are ready to support the efforts of governments and all other stakeholders to protect refugees and find solutions for the displaced in the event of displacement,” he said.
For his part, Jens Lerke, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the UN was continuing to implement the humanitarian response plan drawn up before the recent escalation of tensions, despite a lack of resources.
“On Friday, there was a convoy of deliveries in areas not controlled by the government in the area,” he said.
Source: Capital
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