While talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are held today on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, the humanitarian situation is becoming more and more critical.
The UNHCR stressed that the conflict had displaced more than 368,000 Ukrainians within Ukraine and prompted more than 160,000 people to flee to neighboring countries as of February 27. Approximately 45,000 refugees have entered Poland in the last 15 hours, resulting in an increased need for humanitarian assistance.
Moreover, the WHO is particularly concerned about the oxygen supply situation “nearing a very dangerous point”, as the majority of hospitals could exhaust their oxygen reserves within the next 24 hours. This situation is due to the difficulties to transport oxygen supplies from plants to hospitals across the country but also to shortages of zeolite, mainly imported product necessary to produce medical oxygen. Critical hospital services are also put at high risk by electricity and power shortages.
Several organizations continue to underlined that the most pressing humanitarian needs are emergency medical services, critical medicines, health supplies and equipment, safe water for drinking and hygiene, and shelter and protection for those displaced from their homes.