UN chief seeks Orthodox Holy Week ceasefire

AP , Tuesday 19 Apr 2022

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for a four-day ``humanitarian pause'' in fighting in Ukraine, starting Thursday to coincide with Orthodox Christians' Holy Week observances.

Ukraine
Volunteers distribute food to local residents in the village of Zalissya, northeast of Kyiv on April 19, 2022, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP

Guterres floated the proposal Tuesday at UN headquarters, saying the cease-fire would allow for evacuating civilians from ``areas of current or expected confrontation'' and getting humanitarian aid into areas such as Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson.

``The four-day Easter period should be a moment to unite around saving lives and furthering dialogue to end the suffering in Ukraine,'' the UN chief said.

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