Ukraine faces worsening humanitarian situation

A United Nations official has warned the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine is getting worse on a daily basis as the war between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russians rages on.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, John Ging, the director of UN humanitarian operations, said the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine is steadily deteriorating as fighting has caused significant damage to the region’s infrastructure and limited power and water supplies and access to basic services.

“Immediate action is therefore required to prevent this,” he added.

He noted that an estimated 3.9 million people live in areas affected by the violence.

The UN official said the violence in the region, particularly in urban areas, will put more people at risk and lead to “an increase in the numbers killed” if no diplomatic solution can be reached.

Ging said insecurity and violence in conflict areas have resulted in a steady worsening of the humanitarian situation, adding those remaining in the conflict zone face imminent security threats.

The United Nations’ refugee agency said on Tuesday that more than 700,000 people have left Ukraine for Russia during the country’s four months of conflict. In addition, 117,000 people were displaced inside Ukraine.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that nearly 800,000 Ukrainians have fled to Russia since the beginning of the crisis.

Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since the government in Kiev launched military operations in mid-April in a bid to crush the pro-Russia protests. The United Nations says at least 1,129 people have been killed in the military campaign.

The fighting has intensified in east Ukraine since July 17, when a Malaysian airliner with 298 people on board was downed in the Donetsk region with Western powers and pro-Russians accusing each other of being behind the tragedy.