Refugees from Ukraine, 90% of whom are women and children, are at heightened risk of exploitation and trafficking, so the world must make efforts to protect them from violence. This was stated by US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield during the debate at the UN Security Council on the status of women and children in Ukraine..

" Women and children are injured, women and children are raped and abused, women and children are dying,"

She noted that since the beginning of the armed aggression against Ukraine, Russia has bombed orphanages and maternity hospitals..

We saw mass graves with dead children stacked on top of each other. On Friday, a Russian missile hit a railway station used to evacuate civilians, mostly women and children.. Washington Post reporters saw at least 20 dead, including children. Limbs and luggage were scattered everywhere.

This is what Russia's war looks like,"

The Ambassador also stressed that 90% of refugees from Ukraine are women and children..

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As Thomas-Greenfield noted, this causes some girls to cut their hair short, hoping to avoid being raped by the Russian military, and family separation puts girls at increased risk of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.. She called for urgent action to protect refugees.

Recall that the UK is creating a fund to support organizations in Ukraine that will help people who survived sexual violence during the war..