India on Thursday abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) draft resolution on the war-torn humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and its allies.
India pointed out that the draft resolution did not fully reflect India’s desired focus and that the need for an hour to focus on stopping hostilities.
A statement from TS Thirumurthy, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, on “Explaining the Vote on Ukraine – UN General Assembly Resolution” said that India has been “deeply concerned” about the deteriorating situation since the beginning of hostilities.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. 140 countries voted in favor and 5 against. Thirty-eight countries, including India, abstained. Meanwhile, Russia, Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea and Syria voted against.
Arguing that civilians have been killed in the conflict and that nearly 10 million people have been internally displaced or migrated to neighboring countries, the Indian envoy to the United Nations said, “We constantly call for an end to hostilities.”
Noting that the humanitarian situation in the conflict zones, especially in urban areas, is deteriorating, Thirumurthy said that women, children and the elderly would be unequally affected by the protracted conflict.
“We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire,” he said.
“There is an urgent need to meet the humanitarian needs of the affected population. In this regard, we support the initiatives of the United Nations and its agencies, “said Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations.
“We hope that the international community will respond positively to the humanitarian needs of the people of Ukraine, including the Secretary – General’s Flash Appeal and their generous support for the Regional Refugee Response Plan for Ukraine,” he added.
According to Ambassador Thirumurthy, India has already sent more than 90 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to Ukraine and its neighbors as part of a separate nine-part humanitarian aid package to date.
The Indian envoy to the United Nations said that India had assured the safe return of about 22,500 Indians from Ukraine, adding that India had launched the Ganga operation with 90 flights, assisting nationals from 18 other countries in the process.
“We greatly appreciate the facilities provided by the authorities in Ukraine and its neighbors to ensure their safe return,” he said.
“Let me emphasize that it is important that humanitarian action is always guided by the principles of humanitarian aid, such as humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. These actions should not be politicized, ”Thirumurthy warned.
He said India strongly believes that UN efforts should contribute to resolving the conflict. Facilitate an immediate end to hostilities to promote dialogue and diplomacy, and mobilize parties to seek an immediate end to the suffering of the people.
“We continue to emphasize the need to respect the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,” he added.
“India avoided the resolution. What we need now is an end to hostilities and a focus on emergency humanitarian aid. This draft resolution did not fully reflect our expected focus on these challenges, ”he explained.
