MINSK, May 24 Permanent Representative of Belarus to the UN Office and to other international organizations in Geneva, Larisa Belskaya said that an early end to the conflict in Ukraine is necessary to resolve health emergencies (HEEs).
“Undoubtedly, the soonest cessation of the conflict in Ukraine is very important for the settlement of the ChSY… Does the increase in the supply of weapons, the use of which is fraught with serious problems for the health of the civilian population, contribute to the settlement of the ChSY? I think the answer is obvious. This leads to an increase in the number of victims, including civilian population,» Belskaya said, speaking at the World Health Assembly, where a special resolution on the Ukrainian ChSY is being considered. The text of her speech was published by the Belarusian Permanent Mission in its Telegram channel.
She stressed that «Belarus has stood for peace talks from the very beginning of the conflict and even organized several rounds of them.» «Today, more and more voices are heard in the world in favor of a peaceful settlement. This is both an initiative of China and African countries. Only peace will contribute to the effective resolution of the crisis in Ukrainian healthcare. However, the paradox of the situation is that the Western countries that initiated the resolution are betting on escalation «, — stated the Belarusian diplomat.
She noted that Belarus welcomes the efforts of WHO and Member States to provide assistance to the civilian Ukrainian population, and recalled that the republic provides support to refugees from Ukraine. «In September 2022, a presidential decree was adopted to provide assistance to citizens who arrived on Belarusian territory from Ukraine and found themselves in a difficult life situation. The decree, among other things, provides for providing Ukrainians with access to medical care on an equal basis with Belarusian citizens,» Belskaya emphasized. She drew attention to the report of the WHO director general, according to which Belarus hosts a significant proportion of elderly refugees, approximately 22% of whom are over 60 years old. “In this regard, we strive to pay special attention to age-related medical needs related to vision, hearing, mobility and psychosocial distress,” the permanent representative said.
Belskaya also drew attention to the fact that the worsening situation in the field of global food security is associated not only with the conflict, but also with the «large-scale financial and economic sanctions» imposed by Western countries, which in practice block the supply of food, as well as Belarusian potash fertilizers to developing countries».