His reaction followed overnight attacks on energy infrastructure in Kyiv, Dnipro and the key port city of Odesa.
Nearly 8,800 multistorey buildings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa are without heating.
In Kharkiv, temperatures are forecast to drop to minus 10°C or 14°F on Thursday evening, said Viktoriia Andrievska from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
“Without heating or electricity, homes will turn freezing, basic services will stop, for example, the lifts will stop working, and people, especially older residents and families with children, will struggle to stay warm and safe,” she said.
Illegal strikes
In his statement, the UN human rights chief emphasised the lasting impact of “large-scale” attacks by Russia on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which he stressed are prohibited under international law.
“Millions of households struggle with only a few hours of electricity each day,” Mr. Türk said, noting that unheated schools have been forced to shut and medical care has been impacted too.
International efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue, meanwhile, with Moscow announcing on Thursday that it expected the “next round” of talks “to take place shortly”, according to a Kremlin spokesperson.
Gaza: Another UN worker is killed, says UNRWA
Another UN worker has been killed in Gaza, despite a ceasefire agreement between Hamas fighters and the Israeli military.
According to the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, a staff member was killed during Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday, reportedly after an attack by Hamas militants in Rafah.
UNRWA said that the Israeli strikes in Gaza City and shelling in Khan Younis killed at least four Palestinians, including their colleague, as he was hit while out walking on Salah Eddin Street in central Gaza.
Nearly 400 staffers killed
Since the war began, 391 UNRWA staff and partners have been killed.
In other Gaza news, Israeli forces have demolished a United Nations school in Jabalia in northern Gaza, it has been confirmed.
According to UNRWA, the school was one of a number of facilities it has behind the so-called “Yellow Line” of concrete blocks that separates the Israel Defense Forces from the people of Gaza.
Between January and February, eight UNRWA schools in the militarised area have been reportedly demolished by Israeli forces, the UN agency said.
Cyclone Gezani displaces thousands in northeastern Madagascar
Tropical Cyclone Gezani has killed at least 31 people and displaced thousands after making landfall in Madagascar on 10 February, bringing winds exceeding 195 km/h, heavy flooding and widespread destruction across eastern and central regions.
According to local authorities, four people remain missing and 35 have been injured. Preliminary reports indicate that more than 250,000 people have been affected, with nearly 7,000 displaced.
Over 65,000 homes have been flooded, damaged or destroyed, and around 600 classrooms have been partially or completely rendered unusable.
UN emergency teams deployed
The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has deployed emergency teams to Toamasina to support authorities as displaced families shelter in 28 evacuation centres across 16 districts. A national state of emergency has been declared.
“The scale of devastation…has left families struggling to cope with urgent needs and heavy losses,” said IOM Chief of Mission Roger Charles Evina.
The Government is leading search-and-rescue operations and delivering emergency shelter and food assistance, including the distribution of 800 metric tonnes of rice, with support from UN agencies and partners.
A $3 million allocation from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund will assist more than 90,000 people as additional donor funding supports early response efforts.
The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, warned that the cyclone could also affect central and southern Mozambique in the coming days.
