Following Russian strikes in Odesa, Ukraine, UNESCO sent its experts there to assess the damage to 20 buildings in the city’s Historic Centre.
UNESCO listed Odesa’s historic buildings as part of its World Heritage sites as of last year. Missile strikes on Thursday and Friday damaged historical, religious, and educational buildings there, and firefighters were still working Sunday to put out fires.
“UNESCO condemns these strikes which contravene international law and expresses its support for the victims, the population and the local authorities,” UNESCO wrote in a Monday statement. “Once again, UNESCO is calling for an end to all attacks on cultural property protected under widely ratified international standard-setting instruments.”
The organization has deemed two other World Heritage sites in Ukraine “in danger,” including Saint-Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the Ensemble of the Historic Centre in L’viv. While both cities have seen missile fire, they have remained free of Russian occupation.
In recent years, UNESCO has protected Heritage Sites in other conflict areas, such as Afghanistan when U.S. troops left. When the country grew more unstable due to Taliban control, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay called for “the preservation of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage in its diversity, in full respect of international law, and for taking all necessary precautions to spare and protect cultural heritage from damage and looting.”
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Two Afghan sites made UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2002 and 2003, following troops entering the country as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks. In the spring of 2022, it supported 60 community members in clearing the riverbeds near the Minaret of Jam site to prevent damage.
Sunday was the 1,000th day since the Russians invaded Ukraine. Last month, President Joe Biden assured Ukraine another $425 million in aid, bringing the total given by the United States to $59 billion.