UN estimates 1.1 billion dollars relief need within 3 months for Ukraine

The United Nations estimated that $1.1 billion will be needed within three months to assist Ukraine, to help six million of the most vulnerable in Ukraine. UN emergency relief chief Martin Griffiths announced that $1.5 billion had been pledged for the humanitarian appeals.

Briefing journalists, High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, appealed for "$550 million for the refugee agency and 12 partner agencies". Noting that 5,20,000 people were estimated to have been displaced by the Ukraine crisis just last night, Grandi said that this had already risen sharply, in the space of just a few hours: "6,77,000 refugees have now fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in the past six days," he said. "That is 1,50,000 more, in less than 24 hours."

The United Nations' top court has scheduled hearings next week into a request by Ukraine for the court to order Moscow to halt its invasion. Kyiv filed a case with the International Court of Justice on Saturday accusing Russia of planning genocide in Ukraine and asking for urgent "provisional measures" instructing Moscow to halt hostilities.

Lawyers for Ukraine will present arguments March 7 supporting its request. Russia's lawyers will be given time to respond on March 8.

Ahead of the hearings, the court's president, US Judge Joan E. Donoghue, sent an urgent message Tuesday to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov underscoring the necessity for Russia to "act in such a way as will enable any order the Court may make on the request for provisional measures to have its appropriate effects." The International Court of Justice rules in disputes between states. It often takes years to reach decisions, but orders on provisional measures are often delivered quickly.