On April 18, an online meeting with representatives of the UN agencies in Ukraine, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Mariana Betsa, on the humanitarian response, with a special focus on the regions most affected by Russian shelling, was held.

Attracting international assistance to support those affected by the massive missile attacks is one of the priorities of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha.

Mariana Betsa expressed gratitude to the UN representatives for their support for Ukraine, particularly in frontline regions, and called for further coordination of efforts to overcome the humanitarian challenges caused by Russian aggression.

"We are grateful to the UN agencies for their prompt response to our requests for urgent assistance to the regions to overcome the consequences of enemy shelling in Sumy, Kryvyi Rih, Kherson, Kharkiv, and other regions of Ukraine. Thanks to you, the victims are receiving the necessary psychological, medical, and legal assistance, as well as basic necessities and building materials", the Deputy Minister emphasized.

The representative of the MFA of Ukraine also supported the activities of the UN agencies in financing Ukrainian non-governmental and volunteer organizations and called for an increase in grants to support local initiatives.

“Despite the challenges, we are convinced that through joint efforts we can ensure not only a humanitarian response but also strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian communities”, stated Mariana Betsa. 

The participants agreed to enhance coordination on the exchange of information on the volume of assistance provided by the UN agencies and discussed further steps to organize joint events.