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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following with concern the situation at the Belarus-Poland border, where thousands of migrants and refugees are stuck in cold weather, his spokesman said on Wednesday.
"The secretary-general reiterates the importance of ensuring that migration and refugee issues are dealt with according to humanitarian principles and international law. Such situations should not be used for political purposes and become a cause of tension between states," Stephane Dujarric said.
The spokesman also referred to remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who said that she was appalled at the large number of migrants and refugees who continue to be left in a desperate situation in near-freezing temperatures at the border, and that governments in the region cannot allow more lives to be lost.
The Belarusian Red Cross came to the Belarus-Polish border on Tuesday to distribute humanitarian aid to the tent area built by refugees.
The Belarusian authorities said they have delivered several tons of food and water to the refugees, who are stuck at the border.
The Red Cross stated that the assistance to the refugees will be continuous and the organization will pay close attention to the situation and determine the refugees' needs.
Poland said Wednesday it had seen a surge in attempts to breach its border and pushed back hundreds of migrants to Belarus, accusing Minsk of "state terrorism" by provoking a new migrant crisis in Europe.
Starting from Monday, about 3,000 to 4,000 refugees have arrived at the Belarus side of the border, and at least 10,000 refugees are also waiting for an opportunity to enter Poland, according to the Polish government.
The Polish Ministry of Defense said that it had deployed 12,000 soldiers in the border areas to assist the border defense agencies in dealing with the refugee crisis.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday over the issue.
（CGTN)
