Ukraine, Donetska region as the focus of humanitarian aid for the UN

Ukrainian families at the railway station for evacuation Ukrainian families at the railway station for evacuation UNICEF/Julia Kochetova

21 June 2022

At this moment the UN and its partners are providing relief supplies to the Donetska region for approximately 64.000 people. 

On the 21 of June, the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 12 trucks with critical supplies, such as food, medical equipment, and household effects, have arrived in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, two cities in the eastern part of Donetska oblast. According to the Organization, this measure was extremely urgent, as more than 2.2 million civilians in the Donetska region alone are in need of life-saving assistance due to the continuous fighting. Particularly the lack of clear water is alarming: the shelling had damaged the water supply system, and currently 25.000 people who remained in the area, especially elderly and vulnerable people, have no access to drinkable water.   

About the situation, Osnat Lubrani, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine stated that “The city is only 10 km away from the front line and has experienced intense shelling over the past weeks […] People spend their days hiding from the constant bombardment, without access to basic services”. It is evident that civilians are paying the highest price in this conflict and more than 8.8 million people have been assisted by 300 humanitarian organizations in the country.

However, the efforts put in place are not enough to support all the civilians still present in the most affected areas. The city of Kramatorsk is an example of this: for now, humanitarian operators have been able to support 37,850 people, out of nearly 78,000 who remain there.

Overall, approximately 16 million Ukrainians since the war started are in need of humanitarian aid, and for this, OCHA calls for the parties involved to allow humanitarian operators to access the country safely in order to help civilians.

 

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by Alexia Tenneriello

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