Refugees from Ukraine, 90% of whom are women and children, are at increased risk of exploitation and trafficking, and the world must work to protect them from violence.
Source: the US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield
“When men like Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin start wars, women and children get hurt, displaced, raped and killed.”
Thomas Greenfield recalled that since the beginning of the armed aggression against Ukraine, Russia had bombed orphanages and maternity hospitals.
“We saw mass graves with dead children stacked on top of each other. On Friday, a Russian rocket hit a train station used to evacuate civilians, mostly women, and children. There were at least 50 dead, including children, limbs, and luggage scattered everywhere. This is what Russia’s war looks like, “she said.
“Women in Ukraine are at increased risk of gender discrimination violence, including rape, harassment, and sexual exploitation.”
According to Thomas Greenfield, some girls cut their hair short in hopes of avoiding rape by the Russian military, and the separation of families leads to the fact that girls are at increased risk of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
