UN Secretary-General Calls for Easter Truce in Ukraine

New York: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a 4-day Holy Week humanitarian pause from April 21 until April 24 to allow for the opening of a series of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine 
 
"In five days, Ukrainians and Russians will mark Easter.  This holiday unites the Orthodox Christians in both Russia and Ukraine -- as well as Catholic Ukrainians -- in celebration," Guterres said in a media release on Tuesday.
 
"Easter is a season for renewal, resurrection and hope. It is a time for reflection on the meaning of suffering, sacrifice, death — and rebirth. It is meant to be a moment of unity. But this year, Holy Week is being observed under the cloud of a war that represents the total negation of the Easter message. Instead of celebration of a new life, this Easter coincides with a Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine. The intense concentration of forces and firepower makes this battle inevitably more violent, bloody and destructive," he explained.
 
According to the UN Chief, the proposed humanitarian pause would provide the necessary conditions to meet two crucial imperatives. 

First, safe passage of all civilians willing to leave the areas of current and expected confrontation, in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross. 
 
Second, beyond humanitarian operations already taking place, a pause will allow for the safe delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid to people in the hardest-hit areas such as Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk.   
 
"The United Nations is ready to send humanitarian aid convoys during this period to these locations.  We are submitting detailed plans to the parties," he stated. 
 
"Humanitarian needs are dire.  People do not have food, water, supplies to treat the sick or wounded or simply to live day-to-day.  More than 12 million people need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine today.  Of those, more than one-third are in Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk. We anticipate that this figure will increase to 15.7 million – that’s about 40 per cent of all Ukrainians still left in the country," he explained.
 
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