Mr. President,

The situation in Ukraine is one which will mark our generation – and generations to come.

It is a war without victors.

A war which should have never started.

A war which should cease immediately.

Let’s be clear: The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is not the result of a natural disaster, it is man-made.

It is the result of the blatant violation of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation.This is unacceptable.

Mr. President,

What we see in the besieged city of Mariupol is heart-breaking.

The victims of this violence are innocent people, first and foremost women and children.

Mr President,

There are three humanitarian crises unfolding as we speak.

The first is of course the fate of the 40 million Ukranians suffering inside their own country. They need our help.

Already 10 million Ukranians have been displaced.

For our part, we will not give up on our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

As we speak, we are working in close coordination with OCHA and the ICRC on the issue of civilian evacuations in order to address the rapidly deteriorating situation in Mariupol.

We also continue to support and facilitate UN aid operations launched from Türkiye.

Moreover, a Turkish team is stationed at the Siret Border Gate on the Ukraine-Romania border to assess the humanitarian needs in Ukraine and to coordinate the ongoing aid operations.

The second crisis: the ten million Ukranians who have – against all odds- managed to escape the horrors of war to seek refuge.

As the host country to the largest refugee population in the world we know what it means to flee the horrors of war.

We can never make up for the pain they have endured, but we,the international community, must do everything we can to make their future better than their past.

Today representatives of our government, NGOs, and the Turkish Red Crescent are stationed along the border assisting the refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Finally there is an even larger humanitarian crises unraveling around the world.

There are already 291 million people who need humanitarian assistance and protection in 69 countries.

Food and energy prices are increasing all over the world.

There could be a serious food crisis soon.

The developing nations of the world may have to face even more serious consequences as a result of this war.

Dear colleagues,

Respecting the territorial integrity of States and upholding the basic principles of international law must be at the core of all our efforts.

Ukraine is a sovereign, independent and proud member of the international community. And will remain so, no matter what.

Türkiye has been mobilizing all of its diplomatic resources to implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

To this end, we have made a concerted effort and put in place a number of initiatives.

We held a trilateral Ministerial meeting on March 10th in Antalya, Türkiye.

This was followed by the visits of the Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu to Russia and Ukraine.

However, these diplomatic undertakings exceed the capacity of one country alone.

The resolution adopted here at the General Assembly on March 2nd mandates the international community to address Russia’s aggression and its consequences.

The UN cannot excuse itself from peacebuilding and focus solely on humanitarian intervention.

Dear colleagues,

One of the draft resolutions presented to you echoes the opening lines of the Charter of the United Nations – we, the international community, have a duty to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.

The peoples of the world have entrusted us with this responsibility.

We cannot fail them.

Thus, we ask for your support in adopting the draft resolution called, “Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine”,

in the spirit of the founders of the United Nations,

in our common quest for peace and respect for human rights,

and, in our shared duty to humanity.

We must act now, for this is, in the truest sense of the word, a matter of life and death.

Thank you.