Tanya is one of the tens of thousands of children who did not survive the Siege of Mariupol. She never turned 7 years old. Her family died during the first week of the siege as a result of shelling — they were trapped under rubble. Her mother was lethally wounded while trying to break through a humanitarian corridor that, in the end, never materialized. Having been wounded and unable to care for herself, Tanya died of dehydration.
Reckless actions aimed at silencing the experiences of the Siege of Mariupol rank high among the things one could do to signal support for the ongoing suffering of Ukrainian civilians. This constitutes strong evidence, even if she denies it – because as someone totally insensitive towards the suffering in Mariupol – she would fail to connect these dots. Therefore, according to Valentina, Mariupol Siege did not happen, is not a big deal, as she treats lived experiences of these people as subordinate to the feelings of the first-world “victim” who is worried about reading too much about “this fake war”.
Consider what it would mean to have a colleague who survived the war in Gaza — not once, but twice — while working alongside another colleague who actively worked to silence, discard, and devalue his experience of that same suffering. Any reasonable person would recognize this as an intolerable breach of basic decency, and within a humanitarian organization, as a fundamental betrayal of the sector's core purpose: to believe, protect, and stand with those who have survived atrocity.
Empathy toward victims of conflict, impartiality, and equal empathy for victims — regardless of whether they are from Mariupol or any other place — are core humanitarian principles. Undermining them is incompatible with the values of the international humanitarian sector.
Her actions and conduct have endangered the safety of survivors of the Siege of Mariupol and pose a threat to their livelihood, creating severe and unjust repercussions for people who have already survived deeply traumatic experiences of war.
Today, Ukrainians are the second-largest minority group in Denmark. The views propagated by Russian-backed extremist movements which appear to be driving her disproportionate protection of the perpetrator and her disregard for refugee lives represent a national security risk.
There is no place for Valentina Ierardo in the United Nations system.