UN condemns violence against evacuees from Wuhan

The United Nations condemns yesterday's attack on Ukrainians and foreigners evacuated from Wuhan and calls on the Ukrainian government to take precautionary measures against all people affected by the situation, the United Nations Office in Ukraine has said in a statement published on Facebook.

"The attack on Ukrainian evacuees last night in Poltava should not take place in today's Ukraine. These men and women have already gone through a traumatic period of protracted isolation and deserve respect for their dignity and safe return to Ukraine. The UN condemns the violence and calls on the government to take all necessary measures to ensure security for all who have been affected by this situation," the statement said.

The UN Office added that it continued to support the Ukrainian government's efforts to increase preparedness for and response to the COVID-19 virus outbreak.

According to the statement, health in a fragmented and divided world is one of the few areas that enables countries to work together for a common cause.

"In the past, in situations with outbreaks of illness, fear and distrust slowed rather than helped respond to the threat. Therefore, now is a time of facts, not of fear, a time of rationality, not of rumors. This is a time of solidarity, not of stigma," the statement reads.

op