Almost 8,800 multi-storey buildings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa lack heating.
In Kharkiv, temperatures are expected to drop to -10°C or 14°F on Thursday night, said Viktoriia Andrievska of the U.N. aid coordination office, OCHA.
“Without heat and electricity, houses will freeze, basic services will stop working, for example elevators will stop working, and people, especially older residents and families with children, will struggle to stay warm and safe,” he said.
Illegal strikes
In his statement, the UN human rights chief emphasized the lasting impact of Russia’s “large-scale” attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which he stressed are prohibited under international law.
“Millions of households struggle with just a few hours of electricity a day,” Türk said, noting that unheated schools have been forced to close and health care has also been affected.
Meanwhile, international efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue, with Moscow announcing Thursday that it expected the “next round” of talks “to take place shortly,” according to a Kremlin spokesman.
Gaza: Another UN worker dies, says UNRWA
Another UN worker was killed in Gaza, despite a ceasefire agreement between Hamas fighters and the Israeli army.
According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, a staff member was killed during Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday, reportedly following an attack by Hamas militants in Rafah.
UNRWA said Israeli strikes in Gaza City and bombings in Khan Younis killed at least four Palestinians, including its colleague, when he was hit while walking along Salah Eddin Street in central Gaza.
Almost 400 employees killed
Since the war began, 391 UNRWA staff and partners have been killed.
In other news from Gaza, it has been confirmed that Israeli forces have demolished a United Nations school in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
According to UNRWA, the school was one of several facilities behind the so-called “Yellow Line” of concrete blocks that separates the Israel Defense Forces from the people of Gaza.
Between January and February, Israeli forces reportedly demolished eight UNRWA schools in the militarized zone, the UN agency said.
Cyclone Gezani displaces thousands of people in northeast Madagascar
Tropical Cyclone Gezani has killed at least 31 people and displaced thousands after making landfall in Madagascar on February 10, causing winds exceeding 195 km/h, severe flooding and widespread destruction in eastern and central regions.
According to local authorities, four people are still missing and 35 have been injured. Preliminary reports indicate that more than 250,000 people have been affected and almost 7,000 have been displaced.
More than 65,000 homes have been flooded, damaged or destroyed, and around 600 classrooms have been left totally or partially unusable.
UN emergency teams deployed
The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) has deployed emergency teams to Toamasina to support authorities as displaced families take refuge in 28 evacuation centers in 16 districts. A state of national emergency has been declared.
“The magnitude of the devastation… has left families struggling to cope with urgent needs and great losses,” said IOM Chief of Mission Roger Charles Evina.
The Government is leading search and rescue operations and providing emergency shelter and food assistance, including the distribution of 800 metric tons of rice, with the support of United Nations agencies and partners.
A $3 million allocation from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund will help more than 90,000 people, as additional funding from donors supports early response efforts.
The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, warned that the cyclone could also affect central and southern Mozambique in the coming days.