1.2 billion people are impacted by Ukraine war: UN chief

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the war in Ukraine on Tuesday "one of the greatest challenges ever to the international order" because it has affected billions of people worldwide.

"Our analysis indicates that 74 developing countries, with a total population of 1.2 billion people, are particularly vulnerable to spiking food, energy and fertilizer costs," said Guterres in an address to the UN Security Council.

The UN chief said that the world is "dealing with a full-fledged invasion" in "violation of the UN Charter, and with several aims, including redrawing the internationally-recognized borders" between Russia and Ukraine.

Guterres noted that the war has disrupted supply chains and increased the cost of transportation, putting even more pressure on the developing world.

"People caught up in crisis around the world cannot pay the price for this war," said Guterres. "Far beyond Ukraine’s borders, the war has led to massive increases in the prices of food, energy and fertilizers, because Russia and Ukraine are lynchpins of these markets."

"For all these reasons, it is more urgent by the day to silence the guns," he added.

Russia’s war against Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has met international outrage, with the European Union, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,480 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,195 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.21 million Ukrainians have also fled to other countries, with about 7 million more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.