Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Blinken and Austin meet with Zelensky in Kyiv

There was no working humanitarian corridor from Mariupol on Sunday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in televised remarks, blaming Russians for the foiled efforts.

Evacuation efforts had also failed a day earlier.

Vereshchuk urged the United Nations to push for a cease-fire and to “ensure” that there is a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol in general, and specifically from Azovstal, where she said 1,000 women and children are holed up — 500 people, and perhaps more, are injured there, she added, with dozens requiring immediate medical attention. The Washington Post was unable to confirm those numbers Sunday.

The most important thing the United Nations can do, Vereshchuk said, referring to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres by name, is to help open a humanitarian corridor.

“The longer we wait, more lives will be at risk,” said Amin Awad, the U.N. crisis coordinator for Ukraine. “They must be allowed to safely evacuate now, today. Tomorrow could be too late.”

Arkady Dolina contributed to this report.