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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 13 april 2022
U.N.: Nearly two-thirds of Ukraine's children have fled homes

By EDITH M. LEDERER crimes" every day, includ-
Associated Press ing burning civilians, throw-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — ing bodies in mass graves,
Nearly two-thirds of all shooting into playgrounds,
Ukrainian children have attacking schools on pur-
fled their homes in the six pose, and leaving all Ukrai-
weeks since Russia's inva- nians suffering, especially
sion, and the United Nations women and children.
has verified the deaths of "In their normal life, chil-
142 youngsters, though the dren draw parents, houses
number is almost certainly and trees. Russia's war has
much higher, the U.N. chil- made Ukraine kids draw
dren's agency said Mon- bombs, tanks and weap-
day. ons," Hoxha said.
Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF's Both the U.S. and Albanian
emergency programs di- ambassadors, and many
rector who just returned others, pointed to the dis-
from Ukraine, said having covery of bodies, some
4.8 million of Ukraine's 7.5 with hands tied behind their
million children displaced in backs, in the town of Bu-
such a short time is "quite in- cha on the outskirts of Kyiv
credible." He said it is some- following the withdrawal
thing he hadn't before of Russian troops, and the
seen happen so quickly in missile that killed at least
31 years of humanitarian 52 mainly women and chil-
work. dren at the train station in
"They have been forced to eastern Kramatorsk. Hoxha
leave everything behind — noted that the missile had
their homes, their schools "a vicious signature, `for our
and, often, their family Pope Francis greets children refugees from Ukraine, during his weekly general audience in the children.'"
members," he told the U.N. Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 6, 2022. Ukrainian script on the drawing reads "We Russia's Polyansky blamed
Security Council. "I have want peace" "Ukrainian Nazis" for civilian
heard stories of the desper- Associated Press killings in Bucha and the
ate steps parents are taking bombing at the Kramatorsk
to get their children to safe- in besieged cities like Mari- against Ukrainian civilians, body. station, which he called
ty, and children saddened upol facing the most dire has raised all red flags," she The three countries, Ukraine "a classic false flag opera-
that they are unable to get situation. said. and other council mem- tion."
back to school." Fontaine said school clos- Ukraine's ambassador said bers attacked Russia for He accused Ukraine and
Ukraine's U.N. ambassador, ings are affecting the edu- his country's prosecutor's creating the dire situation its public relations experts,
Sergiy Kyslytsya, claimed cation of 5.7 million young- office is now investigating for women and children, along with the West, of
Russia has taken more er children and 1.5 million a case in the Kyiv region in which Russian deputy am- promoting "fakes and pro-
than 121,000 children out students in higher educa- which a Russia soldier is al- bassador Dmitry Polyansky paganda" as part of "the
of Ukraine and reportedly tion. leged to have killed a local vehemently denied. information war unleashed
drafted a bill to simplify "Hundreds of schools and resident and then repeat- U.S. Ambassador Linda against Russia."
and accelerate adoption educational facilities have edly raped his wife in their Thomas-Greenfield said "That war is as intense as
procedures for orphans been attacked or used for home. He said the alleged that when men like Rus- the military operations on
and even those who have military purposes," he said. perpetrator has been iden- sian President Vladimir Pu- the ground," he said.
parents and other relatives. "Others are serving as shel- tified. tin "start wars, women and Lord Tariq Ahmad, Britain's
He said most of the chil- ters for civilians." Kyslytsya said the Prosecu- children get displaced," minister of state for the
dren were removed from The council also heard tor General's Office, in co- hurt, raped and abused, U.N. who presided over the
the besieged southern port from Sima Bahous, the ex- operation with investiga- and they die. meeting, countered that
city of Mariupol and taken ecutive director of the UN tion agencies and health "Since the start of Russia's Russia again was trying to
to eastern Donetsk and Women agency, who re- facilities, is also installing unprovoked war against deflect from the reality on
then to the Russian city of cently returned from Mol- "a special mechanism" to Ukraine, Russia has bombed the ground "by what can
Taganrog. dova, which is hosting an document cases of sexual orphanages and maternity only be described as quite
Fontaine said UNICEF has estimated 95,000 Ukrainian violence by Russian soldiers. hospitals," she said. "We've extraordinary statements,
heard the same reports, refugees. The Security Council meet- seen mass graves with and even lies."
but added that "we don't Bahous said her agency is ing on the impact of the dead children stacked on "Yet, what is true, what is
have yet the access that increasingly hearing alle- war on women and chil- top of each other." fact, is that Russian attacks
we need to have to be gations of rape and sexual dren was convened by the Albanian Ambassador Ferit on civilians and residential
able to look and verify and violence. She said Mol- U.S. and Albania during Hoxha accused Russia of areas have been truly bar-
see if we can assist." dova's government and Britain's presidency of the committing "unspeakable baric," he said.q
He said that of Ukraine's dis- border police are also very
placed children, 2.8 million concerned at the risk of hu- LIKE US ON
are in Ukraine and 2 million man trafficking, especially
more are in other countries. of young women and un-
At the same time, he said, accompanied teenagers.
nearly half the estimated "The combination of mass
3.2 million children still in displacement with the
their homes in Ukraine "may large presence of con-
be at risk of not having scripts and mercenaries,
enough food," with those and the brutality displayed Facebook.com/arubatoday/