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GENEVA —Ukraine is heading into its third, most challenging winter since the war started nearly 1,000 days ago because "systematic attacks" by Russia have damaged and destroyed most of the country's energy infrastructure, a senior U.N. official warned.
"I am told that by now, 65% of Ukraine's own energy production capacities has been destroyed," Matthias Schmale, resident and humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, told journalists Friday in Geneva.
"There are a lot of worries that the Russian Federation's military forces might strike the energy sector again," he said. "And the real concern is, if they were to target the energy sector again, this could be a tipping point, also a tipping point for further mass movements, both inside the country and outside the country.
"The systematic attacks on energy infrastructure may pose an additional risk in winter, especially for already vulnerable people, as power cuts extend more than a few days in subzero temperatures," he said. "Deliberately attacking and destroying energy infrastructure that the civilian population depended on is a violation of international humanitarian law and has to stop."
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, said more than 12,000 people have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
It said civilian infrastructure has been decimated, with more than 2,000 attacks on health care facilities and 2 million damaged homes. It said almost 40% of the population in Ukraine needs humanitarian assistance.
"There is also a sort of hidden crisis," Schmale noted. "I think this prolonged war, almost three years in February, has led to widespread trauma and psychological distress, and I think the need for mental health support is very evident. It will take years to help people deal with their traumas."
The World Health Organization has verified 2,134 attacks on health care targets in Ukraine, killing at least 197 health workers and patients. The agency said attacks on health facilities have "intensified significantly" since December 2023, "occurring on a near-daily basis."
"The marked increase in attacks on Ukraine's energy and health infrastructure has led to widespread disruptions to power and water," said Dr. Margaret Harris, a WHO spokesperson. "The high cost of medicines, treatment and insufficient number of health care workers have emerged as major concerns, including near the front lines.
"In the coming months we anticipate civilians who live near the front lines may experience coronary vascular diseases, mental health issues and dental problems," she said, noting that the WHO continues to call for humanitarian access to all parts of Ukraine, including Russian-controlled areas.
Resident coordinator Schmale expressed grave concern about the escalating use of drones against the civilian population, many supplied to Russia by North Korea.
"During my many visits to the front lines, civilians have increasingly described to me being targeted," he said, underscoring that the drones not only cause physical damage but also are being used as a form of "psychological terror."
"I am very worried, along with many others, that increased use of drones by the armed forces of the Russian Federation will have an increasingly damaging impact on the civilian population," he said. "The fear of a nuclear fallout because of either a deliberate or accidental hit on a nuclear power plant, such as the one in Zaporizhzhia ... would be extremely devastating, and the worst-case scenario."
OCHA said that U.N. agencies are prioritizing support to people close to the front line, as well as to the thousands who have evacuated in recent weeks and months to help them survive the freezing temperatures that are coming.
It said U.N., international and volunteer organizations have been able to assist 7.2 million people thanks to $1.8 billion received for the humanitarian response in Ukraine. However, another $500 million will be needed to address the emergency needs of 1.8 million people by March.
Schmale underscored the appeal by emphasizing that vulnerable people in high-rise residential buildings in urban areas, the disabled, the elderly and the 3.6 million internally displaced people inside the country are most at risk and in need of help.
He said that helping people to get through this winter "is a race against time," made more difficult because of waning support from the donor community. While the trend was downward, he expressed hope the international community and humanitarian support from the U.S. would continue under the new leadership.
"They have been by far our biggest individual country supporter at country level," he said. "The hope is that they understand like the present administration that there are huge humanitarian needs that need to continue to be addressed.
"We must not normalize the war in Ukraine," he said. "We must continue to support this country to the best of our abilities."