Desperation grows in Ukraine war, two years on
Australia for UNHCR Media Release
Australia for UNHCR is appealing for renewed support for Ukrainians as conditions worsen two years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Since the war began on 24 February 2022, two million homes have been bombed, at least 70,000 people have been killed, and millions have been forced to flee.
“Fierce attacks continue, destroying homes, hospitals and energy infrastructure,” Australia for UNHCR CEO Trudi Mitchell said.
“Families are sheltering in crowded accommodation centres or badly damaged houses with no piped water, gas or electricity, while a bitter winter increases the need for life-saving aid.”
More than 14 million people need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, a staggering 40 per cent of the population.
In frontline areas such as Donetsk and Kharkiv, constant bombardment means people are forced to spend their days in basements. Children cannot play outside, let alone attend school.
“The fighting has escalated and the humanitarian situation in the country is dramatic and urgent,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said during a recent visit to the country.
“Millions have been forced to flee the war and Russian attacks, and they are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.”
The United Nations Refugee Agency and its partners are providing cash assistance so people can buy food, fuel, medicine and warm clothing.
Teams are also providing repairs to homes, legal aid to help people obtain civil documents damaged or lost in the war, and counselling to help families deal with trauma.
“UNHCR’s dedicated teams have been on the ground since the beginning. We will stay and deliver for the people of Ukraine for as long as is needed – but we can’t do it alone,” Ms Mitchell said.
“When the war first broke out, Australia for UNHCR received record donations. I’m asking Australians once again to think of the people of Ukraine and to donate what they can.”
Donations welcome at Ukraine Crisis Appeal.
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Return to home pagePingback: Desperation grows in Ukraine war, two years on - independent news and commentary Australia
10,000 people killed? Surely a typo? Isn’t the true figure 10s of times more?
You are certainly right, Martin. And thanks for picking that up.
I checked the media release they sent us again, and whilst they said 10,000, Google tells me it’s 70,000. I’ve gone with the latter, and changed it in the media release.
Confirmed Ukraine civilian casualty figures for Feb 2022 -Oct 2023 (4 months ago)
9,614 killed
17,535 wounded
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293492/ukraine-war-casualties/
Note that in the footnotes the NGO agencies submitting the data conceded that in, given the difficulties of gathering verifiable information amidst the confusion of carnage, both numbers were likely much higher than reliable report indicates.
Is that all – 9,600/17,500 in 21 months? Putin is a bit slack as Nut-and-yahoo has managed to achieve 29,000/69,0000 in 5 months!
Disgusting. Why aren’t they both in prison.
From Politico — Acting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who’s seen as a likely pick to become the next secretary-general of NATO, hinted at this “day after” vision during remarks at the Munich Security Conference. (Held a few days ago.) While saying that only Kyiv can trigger peace negotiations with Moscow, he added: “But when that happens, we will also have to sit down with the US, within NATO, [and] collectively with the Russians to talk about future security arrangements between us and the Russians.”
Which is exactly what Russia was pleading for, prior to the invasion.
Russia is dealing with fools.
Sigh.
So UNHCR agencies attempting to aid Ukrainian civilians afflicted by Putin’s invasion deserve no donations from folk at the AIMN because Putin ‘pleaded for negotiations’ (aka made a bunch of unilateral demands at gunpoint) before he commenced with the mass killing of Ukrainians.
Nutha sigh.
The gaslighting apologentsia for Putin’s kleptocratic imperialist atrocity that infest this site (“MRGA neo-tankies”) are absolutely phuqqen disgusting in their selective disregard for civilian deaths and suffering.
(Thanks Binoy)
Signing out and phuqqing off for another extended break from the AIMN to concentrate on more locally beneficial, non-anthropocentric focii.
cb out & away.
“deserve no donations from folk at the AIMN because …”
Did I say that?
I’m sure I didn’t say that.
Maybe I did say that.
It is possible I said that.
No, I just checked.
I did not say that. Phew!! I was really worried for a moment.
So I think you’re right CB. Maybe the time is right for an extended break.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, not the war. WWI didn’t begin with the Anzacs’ failed Gallipoli invasion in Turkey. People don’t insist that WWII began with the 1944 Normandy invasion. The East Timorese were being slaughtered by the Indonesians long before John Howard asked the US for permission to intervene (by invasion) to stop it. Had he not asked the US for permission (he didn’t ask the UN) then Australia may have faced unilateral sanctions and experienced what Russia has to put up with in its diplomatic relations with the irrationally hostility of the US. And let’s forget all about the fact that Zelensky was elected President campaigning on the promise that he would end a war which according to this article hadn’t even started till February 2022. Clearly the West is not concerned that there is a war in Ukraine, it just objects to Russia’s involvement.
The ignorance that has been nurtured about this war is appalling, and the failure to condemn the US for deliberately engineering and maintaining it is shameful. Every attempt to negotiate a settlement has been sabotaged by the US and its grovelling allies, just as they have sabotaged every effort that is made to stop the genocide in Gaza.
The very act of negotiating a peace with Russia has been made illegal by the US/Kiev regime which prefers to knowingly sacrifice hundreds of thousands of doomed Ukrainian soldiers in a forlorn hope and for what? To defend the regime’s belief in its right to cleanse Ukraine of Russian speaking people and Russian culture. Such a noble cause, how could anyone in the West other than a gas-lighting Putinist apologist object to that?
I notice there is no mention of the huge number of Ukrainian military casualties. An oversight or another case of wilful ignorance? Maybe the figure is distorted by the fog of war but 200,000 dead and wounded is what I am hearing. Dulce et decorum pro patri mori.
Let’s recap…
* During Putin’s interview with Tucker Carlson, Putin provided an excuse for Hitler’s start of WW2. The Russian president told his interviewer that by refusing to cede an area of Poland called the Danzig Corridor to Hitler, Poland “went too far, pushing Hitler to start World War Two by attacking them”.
* Putin uses the same justification as Hitler for his invasion and annexation of Ukrainian territory
* The pro Putin brigade is an odd coalition of Tucker Carlson followers, Trump supporters, old fashioned communists, conspiracy theorists, Putin’s “useful idiots” and those with an overly critical view of western democracy (without considering the consequences or options)
* Using the Putin justification for annexation of Ukrainian territory- Malaysia could claim Singapore, Britain could claim the Republic of Ireland, Mexico could claim Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Guatemala could claim Belize, Bolivia could claim bits of Chile, Equator, Peru… The list is endless
Ukraine seeks nothing more than to join various Warsaw Pact countries in shunning Russia and seeking a contemporary European prosperity
A huge welcome back to AC, it’s been a while.
AC went AWOL at NATO Provoked Putin by restarting a defunct discussion then disappearing when things got too hot in the kitchen. I missed his invaluable insights.
AC — “The pro Putin brigade is an odd coalition of Tucker Carlson followers, Trump supporters, old fashioned communists, conspiracy theorists, Putin’s “useful idiots” and those with an overly critical view of western democracy (without considering the consequences or options) ”
AC forgot to include “and those who can read between the lines of corporate news media propaganda.”
AC — “Using the Putin justification for annexation of Ukrainian territory- Malaysia could claim Singapore, Britain could claim the Republic of Ireland, Mexico could claim Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Guatemala could claim Belize, Bolivia could claim bits of Chile, Equator, Peru… The list is endless”
Gee, how did I miss the news that Singapore was killing Malays in Singapore? I’m sure there would have been a headline or two about that. And so on and so forth for the rest of the contrived analogy.
AC — “ Ukraine seeks nothing more than to join various Warsaw Pact countries in shunning Russia and seeking a contemporary European prosperity”
Yep. Oh, and a request for nuclear weapons. And the right to shell its own citizens. Two perfectly reasonable aspirations.
AC is still in the denial stage of the grief process. I can’t wait for anger, the next stage, to appear.
*/ Ukraine had a civil war, the 14,000+ deaths were fairly evenly split between areas occupied by Russian backed separatists and those under Ukrainian control. Although it should also be pointed out that 300 civilians, from a number of countries, died when Russian backed separatists used Russian supplied missiles to shoot down a civilian aircraft.
Putin avoided using the justification of protecting ethnic Russians in his (tame) interview with T(F)ucker. He relied on history, in the same way a couple dozen other countries could rely on their historical borders, shared languages, common heritage.
*/ Re nuclear weapons – Ukraine relinquished its nuclear weapons in return for a Russian guarantee of its sovereignty. Once again proving that Russian guarantees are worthless.
*/ No rebuttal of the fact that Putin indicated an understanding of Hitler’s reasons for starting WW2.
*/ People are known by the company they keep. If you share values and opinions with Trump supporters, conspiracy theorists, fascists, useful idiots… you tend to look like one of that crowd
AC agree, while too many low info Australians ignore or avert their gaze from the behaviour of Putin, inconvenient facts, his western cronies inc. RWNJs, faux anti-imperialist left, Murdoch’s Fox News, Koch Network think tanks, former UK Conservative friends of Russia, Brexit, Abbott’s Hungarian mates etc.
Hero worshipping and running protection for corrupt nativist authoritarians e.g. GOP falling for Russia influencers in an effort to stymie the Democrats…… even though wasn’t credible…
Interesting chat on “The minefield” by ABC Radio National (RN).
How to distinguish Evil Acts, from Evil People.
From what I read here if Putin was to enjoy a hearty breakfast, then that would be interpreted as an Evil Act.
When the West reneged on the Minsk agreement, I consider this an evil act of some consequence.
The reason for the failure of the Minsk Agreement is the subject of plenty of dispute
It is a fact that Russia provided weapons to the separatists, in breach of the Minsk Agreement, and the separatists used them, also in breach of the agreement.
But what is beyond doubt is that Putin has sought to explain away/contextualise/rationalise Hitler’s justification for starting WW2
AC — “People are known by the company they keep. If you share values and opinions with Trump supporters, conspiracy theorists, fascists, useful idiots… you tend to look like one of that crowd”
So…
Because AC has told us many times that sees the US as a force for good in the world, and because the US has a rap sheet longer than my arm, it’s clear he shares the values that result in mass murder, torture, undermining democracy, deliberate killing of children…
Interesting.
You’ll have to provide (several)
specific links (times, dates, threads) where I have stated “many times” that US is a “force for good”
I note that’s the standard you apply when you believe you’ve been verballed.
But keep going… sharing the views of fascists, Trump supporters and conspiracy theorists
AC requests, I comply.
“I’d prefer not to have a world where spheres of influence are determined by Putin and the CCP.” So logically AC prefers the world to be run by the nation with the biggest rap sheet in world history.
Then there’s https://theaimn.com/executions-human-rights-forsworn-and-wars-fought/#google_vignette
“I would prefer a world without superpowers, but since we have them, I’m ok that one is a (flawed) democracy.”
That was repeated here https://theaimn.com/foolish-exclusions-china-and-the-bletchley-declaration-on-ai/#comment-1095947 with “I’m glad one is a (flawed) western democracy.”
Flawed. The understatement of the century.
As I said at Foolish Exclusions, “AC is happy that in a world of several superpowers he’s “glad one is a (flawed) western democracy.” He’s said this more than once, so he must be really, really glad.
He always puts “flawed” in brackets. Why the brackets? Is he admitting flaws but appealing to xenophobia by hinting that Western flaws are superior to, I dunno, those devious outsiders’ flaws perhaps.
Let’s look at it. Is the invasion of Syria and the theft of Syrian oil the actions of a flawed democracy?
Or the theft of Iran’s oil on the high seas? (aka piracy)
Or the destruction of Iraq based on a deliberate lie?
Or the illegal secret bombing of Laos and Cambodia?
Or the re-establishment of opium production in Afghanistan?
Or the establishment of the School of the Americas, an advanced training academy for assassination and torture?
Or attempts at regime change all over the world? (at least 64 during the Cold War alone, some say 72)
Or the illegal use of illegal economic sanctions that kill children? (against 20 countries atm.)
Or the bombing of 33 countries since ww2?
Or 251 military interventions since 1991? The US is not a flawed democracy. It’s a predator.”
That’s the predator that AC is happy to have around.
AC is trying desperately to link me to conspiracy theorists. There’s no conspiracy in the facts listed above. They are on the historical record.
I note that AC has spread misinformation above at Feb 25, 5.56pm — “It is a fact that Russia provided weapons to the separatists, in breach of the Minsk Agreement, and the separatists used them, also in breach of the agreement.”
Not according to the experts on the ground — Jacques Baud; “I was working for NATO as a small arms counter-proliferation officer, and we were trying to investigate Russian arms shipments to the rebels to see if Moscow was involved. The information we received at that time practically all comes from the Polish intelligence services and does not “match” the information from the OSCE: “despite the rather crude claims, we have not detected any Russian military arms and materiel shipments.”
“Rather crude claims.” I think that sums up AC’s contribution nicely.
Yes, I know I’ve said that. Calling the US a “flawed democracy” is not even close to saying it is a force for good…a long way from the bulls*** assertion you made.
You FAILED
Hi, guys? Have I missed much?
G’day Roswell.
Apologies for going over old ground, but you might recall that back at NATO Provoked Putin, I asked readers to go back through the comments above to avoid repetition.
But as you see, here we are.
AC seems to struggle with logic.
When he says “I’m glad one is a (flawed) Western democracy,” logic dictates that he sees it as a force for good. After all, he would surely not be so glad if it was a force for evil.
Or, if that’s too hard to follow, if it was not a force for good there would be no reason for him to want it around. But he wants it around. To counter-balance Russia and China. He said so repeatedly. So as a counter-balance to Russia and China, it’s a force for good.
Are you still with me AC?
I think we can safely guess that what’s happened here is that AC twice inserted “flawed” to appear even-handed. To avoid adverse comment. A vain hope. It’s near impossible to speak positively about a country with a rap-sheet like that.
Is the US all bad? Not at all.
But in the context of global politics words must be chosen with care.
No need to apologise for anything, Steve.
When I repeatedly provide balanced/rational comment along the lines of…
~ I’d prefer that there weren’t superpowers
~ US is a flawed democracy
~ Australia should have a greater sense of foreign policy independence
…there is no amount of wordly, self important prevarication that can convert that to “a force for good” It’s bulls**t and deserves to be called out as such.
~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, those that share/echo the views of Trump supporters, triggered conspiracy theorists and fascists should not be surprised when people comment that they look and sound like them.
AC’s careful culling of his previous positions into dot points so brief as to be meaningless by being devoid of context, cannot disguise his admiration for a superpower he sees as a force for good.
But there’s another matter we must discuss, because things just get worse and worse.
AC gets excited and starts thumping the keyboard with the first thought that comes into his head.
At “Executions – Human rights Forsworn and Wars Fought”, at 12 July 2023, 4.44pm I suggested that Australia pursue an independent economic/foreign policy with this comment “My interest in this is that of an Australian seeing what can be achieved by a nation that has abundant natural resources and which throws off the shackles of an economic system that is designed to entrench poverty. That’s what Russia did. We in Australia have the natural resources sufficient to make us a powerful force for good in the world. We have such a head start compared to where Russia was, but…Will we do that? Will we throw off the economic shackles ?…The question needs to be asked — Why would any sane person see a benefit for Australia in being tied at the hip to an ailing power that relies on perpetual war to keep its economy afloat, that has used atomic weapons just because it could, that has broken just about every agreement it ever entered into, that lectures the world on the virtues of democracy while having a constitution that has checks and blocks built in (yes, that’s blocks, not balances) to ensure that the power of the people is limited to close to zero, that…”
I concluded with “ It’s time for Australia to walk away.” You’ll note that there’s no suggestion of an alternative alliance, just a call for independence.
AC’s response was to attempt to ridicule my call for independence with the false claim “Recommends an economic alliance with a country that was condemned by the UN General Assembly…” followed by six more comments in similar vein such as “so explain the “big picture” rationale for your suggestion that we form an economic alliance with Russia.” When challenged to produce my reference to an alliance, AC was forced to back off while pretending to be in the ascendancy.
But the relevance of this to his latest comment in which he claims to have been an advocate for Australian independence, as in “I repeatedly provide balanced/rational comment along the lines of … Australia should have a greater sense of foreign policy independence,” was his comment at 22 July 12.06pm where he continued the above discussion by pouring cold water on our ability to change economic direction. “Those that advocate a re-balancing of Australia’s international economic partners might suggest exactly how it has to be re-balanced, given the… blah blah blah.”
This was his opportunity to make a positive contribution to a serious topic, a topic he now claims to care about with oh so much sincerity, and he blew it.
For all I know AC might have a genuine concern for Australian independence, but it seems no concern is so great as to interfere with his point-scoring games.
And as for his “balanced/rational comment’, does that include misinformation as we saw in his Minsk Agreement comment?
You couldn’t make this stuff up.
So much continuing self important babble…
Have you heard of the Gini Coefficient?
Would you care to explain your suggestion that we follow the line of “that’s what Russia did” in the context of how they measure up compared to Australia?
Russia has-
° a less equal distribution of wealth
° a GDP of a similar size as Australia’s, but with about 6 times as many people
…but you seek to have us emulate them!
So much continuing self important babble?
You mean like this — “When I repeatedly provide balanced/rational comment along the lines of…” Now that, is self-congratulatory.
In my previous comment I gave you another opportunity to contribute to a serious discussion about Australia’s economic/foreign policy independence, and you blew it. Again!
I gave a summary of Russia’s economic achievements back at the discussion referenced above. (12 July 4.44pm, for those interested.) You chose to not dispute that summary then, and you choose not to now. You would rather bore everyone to death with endless repetition.
You present a couple of dot points out of context and consider that an argument.
It’s not an argument, it’s your favourite play in your favourite game — point-scoring.
By the way, what is the score?
I’m not really bothered by your comments because the Putin regime meets any definition of fascism, and I don’t have respect for anyone that provides support, rationale or context for fascists.
But in summary…
° Russia has not been colonised, it is rich in natural resources, it has a good system of education. That it remains largely impoverished is due to its own actions and choices
° On economic grounds, Russia is puny. It’s in the same category as Brazil, South Korea, Australia. But I can’t think of another country, that wasn’t colonised, that has remained so underdeveloped . Russia has no excuse for leaving much of its population in poverty.
° Russia devotes a greater proportion of its economy to the military than the USA, and that was before the resource (and human) intensive invasion of Ukraine
° There is no country on its European border that has territorial claims on Russia. It can choose to remain secure within its own borders, but it chooses not to remain within its borders.
° The various Warsaw Pact countries now shun Russia, because they have experienced it’s brutal domination, and won’t chance it again
° During his T(F)ucker interview Putin justified his invasion of Ukraine using a rationale that could be applied by a couple of dozen other countries to make territorial claims.
° As I’ve said, I’d be entirely happy with a muli polar world, but not one where the balance tilts towards brutal autocratic regimes.
° The USA is a flawed democracy and can be criticised endlessly, but I’d prefer a flawed democracy to be a counterbalance to expansionist, fascist Russia
And I’ll just add
° On the basis of the above, Australia has nothing to learn from the Putin regime, and on the contrary it is a lesson on how to f**k up relations with your neighbours, your economy, and the next generation.
Can I assume from this that you don’t like Russia very much ?
If you like Russia so much – go and live there.
Get a crowdfund. I expect it would have a few supporters.
But don’t whine when you get there. The authorities take a dim view.
What a lucky fellow am I.
My grand daughter has visited both Russia and USA, and I get her comparisons about life in those 2 combatant nations.
The poor living in the subway of Washington city, and the incarceration rates of our special friend (and the lifelong consequences of having spent time behind bars), and I could go on.
USA could be broken, and beyond repair?
Russia has its domestic problems, too, like challenging the leader.
And we plunge on with AUKUS, the lucky, but slightly deluded country.