Canada knows that war takes a heavy toll. War comes with a hefty price: the suffering and loss of humans afflicted by these terrible conflicts. This is defined as a humanitarian crisis. What exactly is a humanitarian crisis? A humanitarian crisis as defined by the United Nations is a singular or series of events that threaten the health, safety, or well-being of a community or other large group of people. Russia’s actions in Ukraine have created a humanitarian crisis.
In Ukraine, a humanitarian crisis is evolving. UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) states that in August 2022 alone, 5552 innocent civilians were killed and over 8000 people were injured in Russia’s repeated invasions of a sovereign country. Around 5.4 million people have been internally displaced, and about 8 million have been displaced to other countries. This makes about 13.4 million displaced people in total. The United Nations estimates that there are about 15 million innocent citizens affected by the war as of December 31, 2022. Genocide has been committed in Ukraine in a clear violation of Article I of the Genocide convention.
Civilian infrastructure has also been targeted. Homes, schools, roads, and bridges have been almost obliterated under strikes from long-range precision missiles launched from Russia. Hospitals and other medical facilities have been attacked by missiles and bombardments. There have been attacks on 32 major hospitals, 374 attacks on healthcare facilities overall, and pharmacy data shows that the amount of pharmacies available has dropped by 19%.
This is a war crime and a violation of the Geneva Convention. Ukraine has no way to treat their wounded and injured civilians who have been hurt and who have lost their homes in strikes from Russia. Electric power plants and nuclear power plants have also been targeted by strikes in 15 cities, which leaves Ukraine without power. Disruption of water supply has been attempted in 5 cities. Attempts to cut Ukraine off from the internet have also been made by Russia. These include missile strikes on communications and can be mitigated with assistance from the West. There are estimates that state about 30% of infrastructure has been destroyed.
Canada wishes for Russia to give up on its attempted annexation of Ukraine. Human rights are quite a big issue to Canada, as it believes that this war is illegal. Canada refuses to see any topics blaming Ukraine for the war discussed, and would like all delegates to recognize that Canada is firmly on Ukraine’s side. Canada wants to send aid and recommends that members of the UN besides Russia and its allies take in Ukrainian refugees, and also recommends that countries send medical personnel.
Canada is committed to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine in order to improve the lives of the people affected by the ongoing conflict. Canada has taken a leadership role in providing aid to Ukraine, having provided over $1.4 million in assistance in 2017. Canada is a strong partner of Ukraine, and has pledged to continue providing humanitarian aid in the form of food, shelter, and medical assistance.
Canada recognizes the importance of providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as it is vital to the stability and security of the region. The conflict in Ukraine has caused a great deal of suffering, and Canada is committed to helping alleviate the suffering of those affected. Canada has provided food, shelter, and medical assistance to those in need, and is looking to expand its assistance in the future. Canada has also provided financial aid to the Ukrainian government in order to help the country rebuild and develop.
Canada is also committed to working with the international community to find a lasting solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Canada has been a strong advocate for the Minsk agreements, and has encouraged all parties to the conflict to adhere to the agreements. Canada also supports the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which has been instrumental in monitoring the situation and helping to ensure that the Minsk agreements are implemented.
Canada is committed to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and will continue to work with the international community to find a lasting solution to the conflict. Canada is dedicated to helping those affected by the conflict, and will continue to provide aid and assistance to those in need.
UNICEF and Ukraine have launched a project called PROUCH, which is a mental health organization. About one-third of refugees from Ukraine suffer PTSD and the impact of the ongoing war as well as the lack of needs available will worsen the symptoms. It will be one of the “most devastating legacies of the war on Ukraine.”, states the NIH. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, approximately 15 million Ukrainians will need psychological support in the future.
Ukraine needs assistance from the West, from Europe to supply air defense systems, weapon systems, ammunition, vehicles, food, power, and residents through fleeing to a country in Europe or America. We need to send more weapons to Ukraine, more assistance to Ukraine, and refuge for those fleeing the country. Canada has sent many weapons to Ukraine, including many tanks. It has sent Leopard tanks. Canada has sent over $1 Billion in aid since the conflict started. Canada enjoys a warm relationship with Ukraine as the first to recognize it as a sovereign nation in the West and believes that it should continue to support Ukraine. It believes that weapons should be sent to Ukraine, yet that diplomacy should be pursued. Peaceful situations should be pursued. Humanitarian aid has also been spent on Ukraine, with about $396 million going to them since 2014. We have provided food, healthcare, drinking water, shelter, and other essential relief items.
There’s also been a global food crisis going on because of the war in Ukraine, with many wheat fields destroyed by Russian attacks, around 44 million people alone in 2022 experienced major food shortages. The economy and food situation were already weakened due to the covid pandemic. Wheatfields become minefields, which makes it even harder for people to harvest and eat their crops. Turkey tried to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine. As of 2022, Russia and Ukraine together produced over 70% of the world’s wheat, barley, and grain crop. The war in Ukraine, which many call the breadbasket of the world, disrupts this large-scale food production, worsening the food crisis that Canada has already had since covid-19 started back in 2019. Ukraine exports many resources like wheat, steel, copper, veggies, vehicles, etc. to Canada. This war has disrupted part of Canada’s economy, increasing business uncertainty and putting further upward pressure on prices for energy and agricultural commodities. This results in a worse situation for us all.
Ukraine has shown a strong spirit through this war, and with them gaining many victories, they should be able to switch from defense to offense. They should be able to feed their people, to have access to needs like electricity for light, heating, and cooking. They need to have access to the internet so that their voices can be heard, and for those fleeing the country in the throes of war, they need shelter and acceptance. In Ukraine, genocide has been happening, and many people often cannot leave their homes, for it’s the only thing some know and have ever had.
To fix this, satellites can be provided to repair communications infrastructure, generators can be provided for power, arms can be arranged to be sent to Ukraine, and organizations like UNICEF, the Red Cross, CARE, and the Canada-Ukraine foundation can provide aid like medicine and disaster relief. Canada will buy satellites from Starlink to provide internet connections and communications assistance.