Incessant attacks on vital services put the lives of the people in front-line communities in peril [EN/RU/UK]

STATEMENT BY THE HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR UKRAINE, DENISE BROWN, ON ATTACKS IMPACTING CRITICAL SERVICES IN FRONT-LINE COMMUNITIES

I am deeply worried as attacks by the Russian Armed Forces on civilian infrastructure and civilians appear to have increased over the last weeks as the onset of winter with below-zero temperatures brings another layer of challenges to front-line communities in Ukraine.

Hospitals, patients and health workers in Kherson and Donetsk Regions have been under constant strikes, including in Selydove two days ago. Power plants and electricity transmission systems have been frequently hit, with gas and water systems cut off in Nikopol.

As temperatures plummet, thousands of families may be unable to keep warm and safe due to these attacks. After nearly ten years of fighting and two years after the escalation of the war, civilians in the front-line eastern and southern parts of the country have depleted their resources, many reaching their breaking point.

We will continue to support affected people across the country together with our humanitarian partners and volunteers. But the recent trend of attacks on civilian infrastructure and facilities that provide essential services during the winter is unacceptable and inhumane.

The International Humanitarian Law is clear and MUST be respected to protect the lives of civilians.

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Kyiv, 22 November 2023

For further information, please contact:

Adedeji Ademigbuji, OCHA: +380 50 341 07 98, adedeji.ademigbuji@un.org
Viktoriia Andriievska, OCHA: +380 50 419 63 23, viktoriia.andriievska@un.org
OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.in