00:00Thank you, Mr. President.
00:02We thank the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
00:05Perlipo Grande, for his statement addressing topical issues
00:10of international assistance to refugees and displaced persons.
00:13Assistance to refugees in addressing issues faced by refugees
00:16is particularly relevant in light of the unprecedented scale
00:20of humanitarian crises throughout the world.
00:22Last year marked a record in terms of the number of people
00:25who were forced to abandon their homes and countries
00:28in their quest to survive.
00:30When addressing the crisis of forced displacement,
00:34there is a need first and foremost to address the situation in Gaza.
00:37The indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza has already compelled
00:40more than one million Gazans to flee their homes
00:44in order to save their lives.
00:47Even where destitute people find refuge and a safe haven,
00:52they are threatened with mortal danger.
00:55Since 7 October, Israeli attacks on civilian objects,
00:59including refugee camps and other UNRWA facilities
01:02where people have found refuge,
01:04have resulted in the deaths of 742 people.
01:07More than 2,400 people have been wounded.
01:11Those who selflessly deliver assistance to Palestinian refugees
01:13are also dying as a result.
01:16Since the start of Israel's military operation,
01:19more than 290 UNRWA staff have been killed.
01:21The magnitude of the humanitarian disaster is growing.
01:24With each passing day,
01:25Israeli authorities continue to impede the entry
01:28of humanitarian assistance.
01:29For nearly 60 days,
01:32there has been a block on entry into Gaza of food and medicines,
01:36which has resulted in depleted supplies.
01:39The humanitarian organization has sounded the alarm
01:41about imminent hunger, first and foremost, among children.
01:45There is no water, no food, no fuel in Gaza,
01:49and those who manage to flee the bombardment face hunger,
01:52communicable diseases,
01:53and a lack of necessary medical assistance.
01:56UNRWA, UNHCR's partner organization,
01:59continues to deliver assistance to Palestinian refugees,
02:03and they continue to be subject
02:05to unprecedented political pressure and threats,
02:09including threats of reduced financing,
02:11which is so necessary now.
02:13We understand that Palestinian refugees
02:16are not directly within the mandate of UNHCR.
02:20However, we hope the UN High Commissioner,
02:22as a senior UN official,
02:24will continue to monitor the situation
02:26and call upon Israel
02:26to comply with its international obligations.
02:29The situation in Gaza
02:30and the persecution of UNRWA
02:32blatantly demonstrates the stark reality
02:35of politicization of refugee
02:37and internally displaced persons' issues.
02:39This is particularly evident
02:42in the financing of humanitarian programs
02:44for assisting refugees.
02:46Western countries who have provoked
02:49a lion's share of conflict throughout the world
02:52and these conflicts that have triggered
02:54the flight of refugees,
02:56these Western countries are very reluctant
02:58to finance UNHCR programs
03:00to assist refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan,
03:03and many other conflict-ridden countries.
03:06Western countries are zealously enforcing
03:09a practice of enforced expulsions
03:12of refugee seekers residing on their soil.
03:16And the states of the golden billion
03:18continuously voice alarm
03:20about the situation of refugees from Ukraine.
03:23They fail to mention
03:25that a significant number of these refugees
03:27have turned towards Russia.
03:30There is a notorious practice
03:31of double standards being implemented,
03:33division of the world
03:34into first-class and second-class citizens,
03:36this politicization on the question
03:38of the voluntary return of Syrian refugees.
03:41For many years,
03:42the West has blocked their return
03:44to their homeland,
03:44including by thwarting the implementation
03:46of humanitarian projects.
03:48The West is now making declarations
03:50about assistance to Syrians.
03:52However, they continue to impose
03:53unilateral sanctions against Damascus,
03:56which afflict ordinary citizens,
03:59first and foremost.
04:00There's a murky situation
04:02in the notorious Al-Hol and Al-Rozh refugee camps,
04:06so where thousands of women and children
04:08who have fled the barbaric bombardment
04:11of Raqqa, Hadjina, and Baguz
04:13are seeking shelter.
04:16Let us recall that 2014,
04:19after the coup in Ukraine,
04:21hundreds of thousands of Russians
04:23in Russian language residents of Ukraine
04:25turned towards Russia fleeing Ukraine.
04:28The mass exodus from Ukraine to Russia
04:32has been ongoing in recent years
04:34as a result of the unabated shelling
04:36by the Ukrainian armed forces
04:38and their shelling of peaceful areas in Donbass.
04:42Approximately 5 million people
04:43are seeking shelter in Russian regions,
04:45and Russia is continuing
04:46to provide full assistance
04:48to accommodate and resettle these persons,
04:51as well as to provide them
04:52with comprehensive assistance.
04:54UNHCR representatives in Moscow
04:55are always able to see for themselves
04:58how effective the work
04:59that is being carried out is
05:00in various Russian regions
05:02vis-à-vis the provision
05:03of dignified living conditions
05:05for refugees.
05:06In the context of the situation
05:08of refugees,
05:09the African continent
05:10stands out as an example.
05:12Despite the economic difficulties
05:14they face,
05:15African countries have for years
05:16been setting the example
05:18to the world
05:19vis-à-vis solidarity
05:20and assistance
05:21to displaced persons
05:22in a stark contrast
05:24to Western countries.
05:26And here they have every right
05:28to count on international support
05:30and recognition.
05:31The burden of refugee outflows
05:34is borne by all neighboring states,
05:37including Egypt, CAR, Chad,
05:39Ethiopia, South Sudan.
05:41Together these countries
05:42have already accommodated
05:43more than 2 million Sudanese.
05:46The number of internally displaced persons
05:47in the country
05:48is reaching 11 million people.
05:50This is a situation
05:51which makes it necessary
05:52to systematically step up assistance
05:55to the Sudanese government
05:56to address the whole gamut
05:59of humanitarian problems
06:00they face.
06:01Let us stress
06:02that cooperation
06:03can be established
06:04with the central authorities
06:05of the country
06:06who bear the full responsibility
06:08to normalize the situation
06:09in the area of security
06:11and to address
06:12the myriad issues
06:13related to refugees and RDPs.
06:15I wish once again
06:16to draw attention
06:17to the plight of refugees
06:18in the Mediterranean.
06:19Year after year,
06:20the Mediterranean continues
06:21to be a mass grave
06:24for many of those
06:25who each year attempt
06:26to reach Europe.
06:28Appalling tragedy.
06:30Deaths continue
06:31to occur on a regular basis.
06:32At the same time,
06:33when it comes to attempts
06:34to deliver assistance
06:35or response,
06:36this is something
06:37we have not seen
06:38from Western European countries.
06:40Instead of delivering assistance
06:42to victims,
06:43they are thrown out
06:45to areas outside
06:45of their jurisdiction
06:47condemning people
06:48to certain death.
06:49And they continue
06:50to interfere
06:51in the activity
06:51of humanitarian NGOs,
06:54NGOs who attempt
06:55to deliver assistance
06:56to refugees.
06:57The situation
06:57is intolerable
06:58in terms of international law
06:59as well as in terms
07:00of pure humanity.
07:01People are dying,
07:02but nobody is being
07:03held accountable
07:03for this naturally
07:04without delivery
07:06for refugees
07:07rescued at sea
07:09with a provision
07:10of safe ports
07:11for them
07:12to disembark
07:12on shore.
07:13In accordance
07:14with international norms,
07:16the situation
07:17will not change.
07:17We call upon the UNHCR
07:19to continue to call
07:19upon the EU
07:20to comply
07:20with international obligations
07:21to demonstrate accountability
07:23and to combat impunity.
07:24To conclude,
07:25we wish to support
07:26Mr. Gandhi's call
07:27about the need
07:28to continue
07:29to finance humanitarian efforts
07:30despite the financial difficulties.
07:33For our part,
07:34the Russian Federation
07:35wishes to note
07:35that as financial constraints
07:37notwithstanding,
07:38last week,
07:39Russia managed
07:40to allocate $2 million
07:41to support
07:42the activities
07:43of UNHCR.
07:44Thank you for your time.
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