INTERNATIONAL: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday has announced the release of $40 million USD from the world body's Central Emergency Response Fund to ramp up vital humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

He has also called on member states to fund the global humanitarian development and recovery needs.

Guterres has expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine. He has said the UN and humanitarian partners are working to ensure safe passage from besieged areas and to provide aid where security permits.

More than 600,000 people have received some form of aid, he has said.

Guterres has also stressed that the escalation of the situation in Ukraine is hitting developing countries and the world's poorest the hardest, and planting the seeds for political instability and unrest around the globe. He has urged the international community to do everything in its power to avoid mass hunger and the collapse of the global food system.

Guterres has also repeated his call for a ceasefire and a path of diplomacy and peace between Russia and Ukraine.

"I've been in close contact to the number of countries including China, France, Germany, India, Israel and Turkey on mediation efforts to bring an end to this war. It's never too late for diplomacy and dialogues. We need immediate cessation of hostilities and serious negotiations based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law. We need peace, peace for the people of Ukraine, peace for the world," said Guterres.