New Delhi: Announcing to dispatch its 12th consignment of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj on Wednesday said India encourages talks between Ukraine and Russia. In her address to the United Nations Security Council briefing, Kamboj said “India encourages talks between Ukraine and Russia and PM Narendra Modi has himself, more than once, spoken to them in this regard,” reported news agency ANI.
The meeting on the situation in Ukraine was called upon by the Western member states of the UN Security Council. Condemning the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the ambassador said India’s approach will be to promote dialogue and diplomacy with an aim to end the conflict to mitigate the economic challenges emerging from the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine seeking an early resolution.
What will India dispatch in the humanitarian aid?
Meanwhile, India announced another consignment of humanitarian aid to Ukraine that includes ‘hemostatic bandages’ meant to stem the bleeding of deep wounds in children and adults and have been included in the aid specifically after the request by the Ukrainian side as the members meet to mark six months since the beginning of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“We have delivered for the world in terms of vaccines. We did it earlier for medicines. So, I’d like to assure this council that India will step forward whenever the global south is constrained on aspects of food, health & energy security,” said Kamboj.
The Indian envoy to the UN also noted that the impact of the Ukraine conflict is not just limited to Europe but has been exacerbating concerns over food, fertilisers, and fuel security in the developing nations as well.
Stating that India has been urged to help with the supply of wheat and sugar by many countries, she said, “In the last three months alone, India has exported more than 1.8 million tonnes of wheat to countries in need, including to Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan and Yemen.”
Almost 1,000 boys and girls have been killed or injured in the war in Ukraine, the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said adding that the actual number could be much higher.
“At least 972 children in Ukraine have been killed or injured by violence since the war escalated nearly six months ago, an average of over five children killed or injured each day,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement on Monday.
Ukrainian are facing distressing events, and those fleeing violence are at significant risk of family separation, abuse, sexual exploitation and further attacks.
Multiple UN agencies say that families have been separated and lives are torn apart.