The value of damage to the infrastructure in Ukraine is estimated at about ten billion dollars so far, and the Red Cross warns of "enormous" humanitarian needs, while the United States announced that the transfer of weapons to Ukraine may become more difficult in the coming days.
Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kobrakov said Monday that his country has suffered about $10 billion in infrastructure damage, while the Red Cross warned of "enormous" needs in Ukraine, and the United States announced that the transfer of weapons to Ukraine may become more difficult in the coming days. .
Kobrakov said that 40,000 people had been evacuated from the eastern city of Kharkiv, and Ukraine appealed to Russia to allow civilians to leave other cities, while Vadim Denisenko, an official at the Interior Ministry, said that 4,000 civilians still needed to be evacuated from the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv.
"Russia is doing everything in its power to block humanitarian passages," Denisenko added.
For her part, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Monday that the transfer of weapons to Ukraine may become more difficult in the coming days.
"What is important is that we are sending what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking, he knows what his army needs," she added.
And she continued, "This could become more difficult in the coming days, and we will have to find other ways for that," without elaborating.
In a related context, the Red Cross warned that the humanitarian emergency in Ukraine, resulting from the Russian attacks, would lead to displacement and "enormous" needs.
"The conflict in Ukraine is set to become the largest humanitarian emergency in Europe in the coming years," said Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
"The displacement and needs are enormous, and will continue to escalate inside and outside Ukraine," he added. Hundreds of civilians were killed and thousands more injured during the 12 days of war.
Roca stressed that millions of people in Ukraine "have an urgent need for drinking water and food," stressing that "people urgently need emergency medical care, medicines, clean water and shelter, with no passable roads and interruptions in water and electricity networks."
"If swift measures are not taken to secure these services, this will lead to widespread humanitarian repercussions," he added, stressing the need to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.
Earlier on Monday, the Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Helga Schmid said that the 57-member organization had completed the evacuation of its international staff from Ukraine.
She added, "I am pleased to inform you that the remaining teams of international mission members have now moved to safety," adding: "This means the evacuation of approximately 500 international mission members, who were in Ukraine when the Russian military operation began."