UN chief launches humanitarian ceasefire efforts amid Ukraine war

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine by Russia on February 24, the UN's humanitarian agencies and their partners have provided food, shelter, water and hygiene supplies to nearly 900,000 people, mainly in eastern Ukraine, Antonio Guterres said, according to the Associated Press.

United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Monday launched efforts to promptly explore arrangements for a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine to allow delivery of aid and also pave the way for serious political talks to end the war in the country, which has been going on for more than a month. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine by Russia on February 24, the UN's humanitarian agencies and their partners have provided food, shelter, water and hygiene supplies to nearly 900,000 people, mainly in eastern Ukraine, Guterres said, according to the Associated Press.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. (AP)

He said that there has been "a senseless loss of thousands of lives, displacement of 10 million people and systematic destruction of homes, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure".

Guterres pointed out that "the solution to the humanitarian tragedy is not humanitarian -- it is political.” “I am therefore appealing for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire to allow for progress in serious political negotiations, aimed at reaching a peace agreement,” Guterres further said.

The UN secretary-general has asked undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths to explore the possibility of the cease-fire, AP also reported. “I hope that he (Griffiths) will be able to go to both Moscow and Kyiv as soon as that becomes possible. It’s very important to establish a serious dialogue with both parties in relation to the possibility of this humanitarian cease-fire,” Antonio Guterres said on Monday.

Previously, the UN general assembly had called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine twice - on March 2 and on March 24. Guterres said that cessation of hostilities will allow humanitarian aid to be delivered and people to move safely; adding it will save lives and protect people.

A total of 1,119 civilians have lost their lives in the Ukraine war so far and nearly 1,800 have been injured, according to the UN. The Russian government has said that talks between Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are possible only after important issues of a potential peace deal between the two warring countries are met.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have held multiple rounds of talks to come up with a political solution to end the conflict. However, the talks have remained largely unsuccessful and the prospects of the war in Ukraine ending anytime soon seem hopeless. On Tuesday, another round of talks will be held in Turkey.

(With agency inputs)