Two Years Into War, Fears Grow That World Forgets Ukraine's Suffering

As the two-year mark of Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears, the UN refugee chief warns the world is forgetting Ukraine's ongoing suffering. Ten million Ukrainians have fled their homes and humanitarian aid is at risk, yet global attention wanes. Meanwhile, a failed prisoner exchange follows Russia's claim that Ukraine shot down a plane carrying POWs.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Greetings listeners, and thank you forjoining us. As we mark two Somber
years since Russia launched its invasion ofUkraine, there are growing fears that the
world is losing focus on Ukraine's ongoingsuffering and devastation. In this broadcast,
we will hear an impassioned plea fromthe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,

(00:20):
who just wrapped up a week longvisit to Ukraine. He warns the donor
fatigue and shifting global priorities risk leavingUkrainian refugees and the displaced without the humanitarian
aid they desperately need. We'll alsocover the very latest developments around a failed
prisoner exchange deal after Russia accused Ukraine'sforces of shooting down a plane carrying Ukrainian

(00:43):
prisoners of war. Stick with usfor this important update. As the war
slogs on, we cannot turn awayfrom the tremendous human impact. Understanding what
is happening on the ground and howit affects real people is key, even
two years later, to comprehending thisconflict in bringing about its resolution. This
week marks two years since the startof Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine on

(01:07):
February twenty fourth, twenty twenty two. In an interview with the Associated Press
on Wednesday, the UN High Commissionerfor Refugees, Filippo Grandi, expressed concern
that the world has forgotten about theongoing war in Ukraine amid other global crises.
Grandy, nearing the end of aweek long visit to the country,

(01:29):
emphasized that Ukrainians continued to suffer immensedevastation from the Russian invasion, with homes
and health facilities destroyed and many lackingaccess to basic services. I think the
big difference from last year to thisyear is that this year this is not
news anymore in the world, Grandytold the AP. There is somehow a

(01:52):
trend towards getting used to Ukrainian suffering. According to UNHCR, the war has
displaced ten million Ukrainians so far,including three point seven million internally displaced within
the country and six point three millionwho have fled abroad as refugees. The
agency is seeking four point two billiondollars in funding for Ukraine this year,

(02:14):
slightly less than twenty twenty two,as it focuses aid on the most urgent
needs. Grandy expressed concern that debatesover aid packages in the US and EU
risk leaving Ukraine without desperately needed humanitarianrelief. He strongly urged passage of the
aid bills, stating, if thosepackages are stuck, I'm very worried that

(02:36):
that humanitarian assistance will not come thatwill have an immediate impact here. In
other developments, a Russian military transportplane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed Wednesday
in the Russian border region of Belgarod, killing all on board. According to
local officials, Russia accused Ukraine ofshooting down the aircraft with Western supplied missiles,

(02:57):
acclaim Ukraine neither confirmed nor denied.An expected prisoner exchange did not take
place. Meanwhile, the Turkish Parliamenton Tuesday approved Sweden's application to join NATO,
removing a key obstacle to its membershipafter nearly two years of delays.
And that concludes our coverage at thishour. Thank you for joining us.

(03:21):
As we marked two years since thestart of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we
know it can be difficult to stayfocused on a conflict that stretches on,
but understanding this war and its veryreal human impacts remains as important as ever.
We appreciate you taking time to listenand stay informed. Be sure to
subscribe to the podcast to receive newupdates and analysis. This broadcast has been

(03:46):
brought to you by Quiet Pleas.Our goal is to deliver the stories that
shape our world and promise better daysahead. We wish you a peaceful remainder
of your day, and to allthose suffering in Ukraine, our thoughts are with you