BBC Ukraine Update - 21/04/2022

21/04/2022. BBC to the SBS Ukrainan. As Russia continues its large scale offensive in the east of Ukraine… A Ukrainian marine commander in the port of Mariupol has issued a desperate appeal to world leaders, calling for them to intervene to evacuate soldiers and civilians trapped in a steel works there. Ukraine's former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, has warned against expecting a peaceful solution to the war. And Ukraine's president, Volodomyr Zelenskyy calls for more military aid. Here's your update from the BBC...

War in Ukraine. Mariupol, 20 April 2022. Source: AP

Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the biggest attack on a European state since 1945, has killed or wounded thousands. Kyiv oblast (region) Source: Getty Images

U.N. chief calls for a four-day humanitarian pause in fighting in Ukraine, the Reuters reports. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for a four-day Orthodox Easter humanitarian pause in fighting in Ukraine to allow for the safe passage of civilians to leave areas of conflict and the delivery of humanitarian aid to hard-hit areas.

“Guterres said the United Nations was submitting detailed plans to the parties and was ready to send humanitarian aid convoys to Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk beginning on Holy Thursday and running through Sunday, the date of Orthodox Easter, which is celebrated by most Ukrainians and Russians.

“Humanitarian needs are dire. People do not have food, water, supplies to treat the sick or wounded or simply to live day-to-day,” Guterres told reporters at the United Nations in New York.

Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the biggest attack on a European state since 1945, has killed or wounded thousands. More than 12 million people need humanitarian assistance in the country today, Guterres said.”

 According to UNHCR 4,980,589 refugees have been registered as of 18 April. The UN says that so far Poland has taken in 2,800,713 refugees, Romania 750,693, Russian Federation 535,842, Hungary 465,598, Republic of Moldova 425,227, Slovakia 339,680 and Belarus 23,609. Among those who fled Ukraine are also Ukrainian nationals with dual citizenship. An additional 113,000 people moved to the Russian Federation from the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts between 21 and 23 February.

OHCHR recorded 4,966 civilian casualties in Ukraine as of midnight of April 18. 2,104 were killed (including 170 children) and 2,862 were injured (including 277 children).