After two years of war in Ukraine, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) He reported that A total of 341 cultural sites were damaged, with losses estimated at US$3.5 billion. for the cultural and tourism field, a figure that includes 102 sites affected during the last year.
Among the damaged sites are two declared world heritage sites and considered in danger from 2023: the historic center of Odessa and that of Lviv. The port city of Odessa, whose historic center was declared a world heritage site on January 25 by the emergency procedure of the UNESCO for threatened places, the glass dome of the National museum of fine arts It had suffered “minor damage” that was quickly repaired.
At a press conference in Paris, UNESCO’s director of culture and emergencies, Krista Pikkat, highlighted the importance of preserving the historical and religious value of these places.
In matters of culture, The work includes restorations and also prevention work, inventory of collections, digitization and support for professionals art, among others. On the other hand, it is estimated that 37% of professionals in the Ukrainian creative sector lost their jobs and 20% fled to other countries.
Cultural destruction in Ukraine, two years after the Russian invasion
February 24 will mark the second anniversary of the start of the war that Russia unleashed in Ukraine and UNESCO, together with experts, assessed the state of three major areas: culture and heritage, education and the work of the press.
The conclusion is that the war has not only affected places of cultural importance but it has also severely impacted the finance of the sector, with revenue losses estimated at $19.6 billion since the start of the conflict in February 2022.
And, he estimated that investments worth 9 billion dollars will be necessary in the next decade for its recovery. To date, UNESCO has mobilized some $66 million in donations from Member States to support Ukraine, with Japan being the largest contributor.
Ukraine recognizes an “extremely complex” situation on the front
The new commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, General Oleksandr Sirski, acknowledged on Wednesday after a visit to the front that The situation is “extremely complex” and? Ukraine lacks men and weapons to confront the Russian invasion.
These difficulties could be exacerbated if the new US aid package, crucial to the arsenal of kyiv, remains blocked by divisions between Democrats and Republicans.
“Russian occupiers continue to increase their efforts and outnumber” Ukrainian forces, General Sirski said on Telegram. “The operational situation is extremely complex and stressful,” he added.
“We are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from advancing on our territory and to maintain our positions,” the new commander in chief stressed, acknowledging that his forces are suffering to contain the multiple Russian assaults in the east.
Source: Ambito
