UN says Russian drones in Ukraine are blocking aid to civilians

UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said drone attacks in Ukraine are hindering relief operations. He warned that weak accountability and a USD 2 billion funding gap could worsen winter suffering.

In Short

• Tom Fletcher said Kherson residents live under constant frontline drone fear
• Marked humanitarian vehicles have been hit despite protections under international law
• Local organisations run most funded operations and say they remain unprotected

The intensifying use of drones against civilians and humanitarian workers in Ukraine is becoming a serious obstacle to aid operations, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said on Wednesday. He said the threat is not only putting civilians at risk but also making it harder for relief teams to reach people who need help.

Fletcher also warned that the UN needs more than USD 2 billion for its prioritised humanitarian response in Ukraine this year, with winter among his biggest concerns. He said fundraising for humanitarian work has become harder as governments shift spending towards defence and domestic needs, while accountability for attacks on aid workers remains weak.

Fletcher spoke to The Associated Press after visiting the southern city of Kherson, where he saw how communities are living under the constant threat of Russian drones. He described the visit to the city, which is split by the Dnipro River and lies on an active front line, as "quite chilling". Russian forces occupy the eastern bank, while Ukrainian forces hold the western bank. From across the river, kamikaze and surveillance drones regularly target civilians, vehicles and public transport. "It really gives us an insight into the dangers ahead of us," he said.

He spoke after attending a commemoration for two humanitarian workers who died while doing their jobs. "Drones are a real threat to not just civilians but the humanitarians who are here to protect them," Fletcher said. He said aid workers are protected under international humanitarian law, yet marked humanitarian vehicles have still been hit. "So that does restrict what we can do," he said.

Fletcher said local organisations are especially exposed. According to him, more than two-thirds of operations funded through Ukraine's humanitarian fund are carried out by local organisations. "They're the ones who are saying most loudly to us, we're not protected," he said.

He said damage to civilian infrastructure, including electricity, water and gas systems, could again leave millions vulnerable during the harsh winter months, raising fears of a repeat of last winter's severe conditions. Fletcher said the UN has sharply narrowed its humanitarian priorities worldwide as donor funding has fallen. He said the organisation had initially identified 87 million people facing the most severe humanitarian needs, but that figure has since risen to about 92 million because of the Ebola outbreak in Africa, the earthquake in Venezuela and other conflicts. The UN is seeking USD 23 billion to provide life-saving assistance to those people and has raised about USD 11 billion, he said.

Ukraine is relatively well funded compared with many other crises, Fletcher said, with roughly 70 to 75 per cent of its hyper-prioritised funding requirement covered. But he added that even full funding of the humanitarian plan would meet only part of Ukraine's needs. "We're in a more transactional world, I would say a more selfish world," he said. He added that the UN must show it is using limited public money carefully. "We have to show governments that we are spending their taxpayers' money sensibly, wisely, in a prioritised way," he said.

In a new assessment released on Wednesday, the UN said 907 aid workers faced violence last year and that more than 1,000 have been killed in three years. Fletcher said he could not reassure colleagues that those responsible would be held accountable, given the international response so far. He said accountability should go beyond the person who physically carried out an attack. "I want to see investigations into the people who fired the weapon or flew the drone," he said. Overall, Fletcher said drones, funding gaps and the lack of accountability are making an already difficult humanitarian response in Ukraine even harder.

With PTI Inputs

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