The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, has strongly condemned the missile attack carried out in Krivoy Rog last Friday, which tragically resulted in over ten deaths, including at least nine children, as well as several injuries. Schmale expressed his deep outrage at this new act of aggression targeting the city located in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In his statements, the humanitarian coordinator highlighted the alarming frequency of these attacks against populated areas in Ukraine, which continue to claim lives and cause mutilations among the civilian population. Schmale emphasized that the emotional and physical cost of these actions for families is unbearable and reminded that, according to international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected and not considered targets of attack.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued an urgent call for an immediate halt to attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine. Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia, deeply lamented the attack in Krivoy Rog and the loss of innocent lives, including that of a three-month-old baby. It was reported that the missile struck a residential neighborhood on Friday night, as many families were preparing to enjoy the weekend, destroying homes, schools, and a restaurant in the process.
De Dominicis described heartbreaking scenes of parents crying as they hugged the bodies of their deceased children, stating that “no child should ever endure such terror” and that “no parent should ever bear such pain.” Additionally, UNICEF has activated its support network to assist affected families, working in coordination with local authorities to provide emergency assistance.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, more than 2,500 children have lost their lives or been injured in this context of violence, which De Dominicis describes as ‘stolen futures.’ In her statements, she emphasized the urgent need to end the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and the attacks on civilian facilities that disproportionately impact children, reiterating the importance of protecting children amid this crisis.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
