Fifteen million people in Ukraine need humanitarian aid, more than half of them are women and girls, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, calling on the international community to support the work of the UN.

"This year alone, and together with our partners, we have provided lifesaving aid to more than 6.2 million people. But we need the support of the international community. 15 million people in Ukraine require humanitarian assistance – more than half of them women and girls," he said at a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine in New York.

The Secretary General pointed out that with winter approaching, less than half of the UN humanitarian response plan for Ukraine in 2024 is funded.

"I urge donors to help us pursue our vital work on the ground," he stressed.

Guterres also said that nearly 10 million people have fled their homes and the war continues, and civilians continue to pay the price.

"Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – following the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and City of Sevastopol a decade ago – is a clear violation of these principles []of the UN Charter]," the UN Secretary-General said.