More than 14.6 million Ukrainians inside the country -- roughly 40 percent of the total population -- will require humanitarian assistance this year as the war triggered by Russia's unprovoked invasion continues to cause death and destruction, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said.
The current humanitarian situation is likely to worsen further this year if hostilities continue and strikes targeting energy and other critical infrastructure increase this winter, OCHA and the UN mission in Ukraine warned in statements issued on January 9.
OCHA said that the war also forced about 6.3 million Ukrainians to find refuge abroad, and as of the end of last year, 5.9 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded in Europe.
"Civilians are being killed and injured daily, while their homes and critical infrastructure are being destroyed," the UN mission said.
"The first week of January brought a wave of attacks to Ukraine, starting on the 29th of December and continuing to this day. Families across Ukraine were ringing in the New Year to the sound of air raid sirens, hunkering down in underground shelters and metro stations, or in the basements of their homes," it said.
The UN Mission in Ukraine urged the international community to do more to help both Ukraine and its neighbors to cope with the increased needs of the civilian population during the winter season.
"Meeting the most urgent needs in Ukraine and neighboring countries will require stepped-up and sustained support from Member States, the private sector and partners," it said.
OCHA and the UN mission to Ukraine said that UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths and High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi are due to present on January 15 in Geneva their coordinated plans "to save lives and address the suffering" caused by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.