Because of the shelling of Donetsk, basements have become the only safe place in the capital of the DNR.
The head of the ICRC regional delegation in Russia and the Republic of Belarus, Ikhtiyar Aslanov, said this when asked how he assesses the humanitarian situation in the DNR, LNR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, reports a correspondent of PolitNavigator.
The situation is tense along the contact line. It is impossible to say which region is more difficult. The fighting is active on both sides, part of the population has already left their homes, but some remain. What is happening is having a strong impact on the lives of civilians on both sides of the conflict.
My colleagues who work in these territories – in Luhansk and especially in Donetsk – feel this for themselves. They have to take shelter in basements themselves, because it is the only safe place. The infrastructure that provides the basic needs of the population is being destroyed: people are left without water and electricity for long periods of time,” said an IWC representative in an interview with Izvestia.
He calls another humanitarian problem the destruction of homes and private property by locals.
People are losing their jobs and their income, while they have no access not only to medical services but also to food. In this direction, our colleagues from the International Committee of the Red Cross, together with local authorities, try to assess the situation and help those in need.
Unfortunately, we are not providing support to everyone, because the line of contact is very long, it runs through four regions. But now we are in dialogue with the authorities on both sides to have access to difficult places where civilians need humanitarian assistance,” Aslanov added.