Johannesburg - An international donors’ conference in aid of Ukraine is set to be held in Poland’s capital, Warsaw, on Thursday, May 5.
This comes as conflict continues between Russia and Ukraine, with foreign reports indicating that “shelling along the front line in the south and the east has intensified in recent days”, with the US also said to be sending in more armour in Ukraine.
But these latest developments have not deterred other role-players from assisting the war-torn country.
The conference, which is an initiative between Poland and Sweden, is being headed by the countries’ prime ministers Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland and Magdalena Andersson from Sweden, in partnership with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
In a statement released on Friday, Poland’s ministry of foreign affairs indicated that the meeting would be convened at the heads of state and government level, with the participation of global business and financial institutions’ representatives.
“The conference aims to raise funds for Ukraine’s growing humanitarian needs. Poland and Sweden want to encourage their partners to jointly respond to the difficult humanitarian situation in Ukraine. As a result of Russian aggression, there are civilian casualties, organised forced deportations, and the financial situation of millions of people is constantly deteriorating. Today, real solidarity is needed to effectively support Ukrainian society,” the statement read.
According to the UN, 13 million people living in Ukrainian territory are in need of vital humanitarian aid, including shelter, food and medical supplies.
noni.mokati@inl.co.za
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