Secretary-General, Mourning Death of Humanitarian Aid Worker in Eastern Ukraine, Says Parties Must Redouble Diplomatic Efforts towards Sustainable Ceasefire

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is saddened and disturbed to learn of the death of an international humanitarian aid worker as a result of a shell landing near the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) headquarters in eastern Ukraine today.  This follows the appalling shelling of a school in eastern Ukraine yesterday, which resulted in the death of a number of civilians.

The Secretary-General is seriously concerned over the dangerous surge in fighting in recent days and mounting civilian casualties.  These recent, tragic incidents underscore the fragility of the current ceasefire and the importance of ensuring a secure environment in south-eastern Ukraine that will allow humanitarian actors to carry out their work and deliver critical assistance to those most in need.

The Secretary-General expects all concerned to strictly adhere to their commitments under the Minsk Memorandum agreed on 19 September in order to ensure a sustainable ceasefire.  He reiterates that political and diplomatic efforts must be urgently redoubled towards this end.  A return to full-scale fighting could be catastrophic for Ukraine, the region and beyond.