UN delegation discusses humanitarian situation in Ukraine with Russian side

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin hosted a UN delegation Wednesday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

The delegation, led by Ramesh Rajasingham, acting assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and deputy emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), had conversations on the humanitarian aspects of the situation in Ukraine as well as in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Moscow officially recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states, followed by the start of a military operation in Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The importance of "ensuring the safety of the civilian population, including the implementation of agreements on the organization of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians, including from Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkov, Sumy and other cities," was also noted during the meeting.

At least 516 civilians have been killed and 908 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched the war against its neighbor, according to UN figures, with the real toll feared to be higher.

More than 2.1 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency.