People in Ukraine continuing to flee homes, UN says

Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-7-16 12:13:03

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the number of people fleeing their homes continue to rise, with close to 1.4 million people now internally displaced and some 922,000 people having fled to neighbouring countries, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Wednesday.

OCHAR based its report on the information from the government of Ukraine and the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR), Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"Aid organizations have been concerned about the freedom of movement for civilians in the past two weeks in eastern Ukraine," he said. "Long lines of people are reported at checkpoints for crossing to non-government controlled areas."

According to humanitarian partners, people are lining for up to 48 hours at these checkpoints, he said. "Humanitarian partners are also concerned about the potential impact of regulations put in place last month by the authorities which prevent commercial flows of food and medicine to non-government controlled areas."

Since the beginning of the conflict in March 2014, almost 1.4 million people have been internally displaced in Ukraine, including at least 174,000 children. The humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine has affected more than 5 million people, including 1.7 million children.

In mid-June, the Ukrainian government estimated that at least 68 children have been killed and 176 wounded since the start of the armed conflict in eastern regions in April 2014

As a result of the hostilities in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, at least 1,086 children have been left orphaned and 150,000 others were forced to flee their homes in the restive areas, Interfax- Ukraine news agency reported.

Posted in: Europe

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