Chinese envoy calls for end to Ukraine conflict to spare women, children from violence

UNITED NATIONS - A Chinese envoy on Monday called for an early end to the conflict in Ukraine in order to fundamentally solve the humanitarian crisis and spare women and children from violence.

Women and children are the most vulnerable to violence, and should be given priority protection in armed conflicts, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"We call on parties involved in the situation in Ukraine to strictly abide by international humanitarian law, effectively protect women and children, respect and guarantee the civilian nature and safety of facilities such as schools and hospitals, and provide special care to women and children in evacuation, rescue, and medical assistance," he told a Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

China deplores that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed or injured in the attack on Kramatorsk train station. The relevant circumstances and specific cause of the incident must be established and verified, and any claim should be based on facts, he said.

A large number of Ukrainian women and children have taken refuge in neighboring countries. China appreciates these neighboring countries and other countries for opening their borders and providing shelter and humanitarian assistance. All refugees, regardless of skin color, race, or religion, should receive equal protection under international refugee law, said Dai.

The humanitarian needs of Ukraine and neighboring countries remain immense. Relevant UN agencies should continue to mobilize and coordinate international support for humanitarian assistance for all those in need. The special needs of women and children should be considered, and targeted medical treatment, psychological counseling, and social services should be provided to them. And children's rights to education should be ensured, he said.

"We are deeply concerned about reports that women and children seeking asylum were subjected to abduction, human trafficking and abuse," he said. "We call on international agencies such as UN Women, the UN Children's Fund, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen monitoring and support relevant countries to take measures to resolutely prevent this group of people from being harmed a second time."

Dai stressed the need to bring an end to the conflict.

Only by ending the conflict as soon as possible can the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine be fundamentally solved and can women and children be kept away from violence, he said.

"Dialogue and negotiation are the only way to peace. We support the parties involved to continue negotiations, strive to overcome difficulties and differences, create conditions for a cease-fire, and make positive efforts so that women and children can see the dawn of peace at an early date. All other parties in the international community should do more to facilitate dialogue and negotiations, and create the necessary environments and conditions for progress in the negotiations," he said.

Simply imposing sanctions and sending weapons will not bring peace. The ever-intensifying extensive and indiscriminate sanctions have triggered food and energy crises and soaring prices for necessities, for which the entire world population is paying a heavy price. Tens of millions of women and children in Afghanistan, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel have been hit the hardest, said Dai.

"China once again calls on all parties to exercise restraint, adopt a responsible attitude, and make constructive efforts to properly resolve the crisis in Ukraine and restore peace at an early date," he said.