Civilians must not be attacked ‘anywhere’, Pakistan tells UNSC

• Envoy urges return to US-facilitated peace talks, ceasefire to end Ukraine war
• Unicef warns children are paying the price of conflict

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has called for an immediate ceasefire and renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, warning the UN Security Council that the escalating conflict is exacting a devastating toll on civilians, including children.

Speaking at an emergency meeting on Friday, convened after a reported strike on a college dormitory in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the worsening humanitarian situation demanded urgent action.

“We are deeply perturbed by the escalation in fighting lately and the consequential worsening humanitarian impact,” Mr Ahmad told the 15-member council.

He underscored that civilians must not be attacked in situations of armed conflict anywhere, calling for purposeful efforts to end this protracted conflict.

“Military means cannot bring lasting peace. Only a resolute commitment to dialogue, a complete cessation of hostilities and necessary political will can bring about enduring peace,” Mr Ahmad said.

The dormitory strike reportedly killed six people and injured dozens more, including children. UN officials told the council that the attack was part of a broader pattern of civilian harm since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Edem Wosornu, director of operations and advocacy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said nearly 16,000 civilians have been killed and more than 44,000 injured in Ukraine over the past four years, though the true figures were likely to be significantly higher.

“The human cost of this war reveals a pattern that defies international humanitarian law,” Mr Wosornu said, stressing that civilians must be protected.

Ted Chaiban, deputy executive director of Unicef, said more than 3,400 children had been killed or injured since the escalation of the war in 2022. Millions more continue to live under the strain of persistent hostilities. “The reported dormitory attack is yet another example of children paying the price for a war that is not of their own making,” Mr Chaiban said.

Citing a 2025 Unicef survey, he added that nearly one-third of Ukrainian teenagers reported feeling so distressed or hopeless that it prevented them from carrying out normal activities.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2026