The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 25 and 30 December 2021

News Overview of the social and humanitarian situation

The Republic and its residents continue to actively prepare for the New Year holidays. In the capital, New Year matinees of the DPR Head are held every day in the Donetsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after A. Solovyanenko. The play “New Year’s Adventures of Sadko” was shown to children for free. The state allocates special transport to take children to holiday concerts every day. 

Another major innovation for the celebration period will be the suspension of the curfew from 3 January 2022 to 7 January 2022. In addition, according to the Order of the Head of the DPR No. 500 (https://glavadnr.ru/doc/rasp/rasporiazhglavaN500_16122021.pdf), 4, 5, 6, 8 January 2022 are days off for workers who have a five-day and six-day working week. Thus, on New Year’s holidays, residents of the DPR will have days off from 31 December 2021 to 9 January 2022.

However, in addition to weekends, citizens will expect another pleasant surprise, namely, increasing in pension payments by 20% from 1 January 2022. From that moment, the payment of a minimum pension (taking into account allowances, increases, and other additional payments to pensions, with the exception of the pension supplement to persons who have the status of “Honorary Donor of the Donetsk People’s Republic”), including payments for people who have lost a breadwinner for each disabled family member, will be fixed at 7884.86 rubbles.

Unfortunately, even the pre-holiday period was not without provocations from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On 27 December, a Ukrainian diversion group kidnapped a serviceman of the LPR People’s Militia. Reportedly, the detained supporter of the Republic is subjected to physical and psychological pressure.

The situation along the contact line also remains tense. Within the period between 26 and 30 December, JCCC observers recorded 2 cases of violation of the regime of an open-ended ceasefire by Ukraine. In total, 24 pieces of ammunition were fired on the territory of the DPR.

At the same time, the situation with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is slightly better. Today, there is a stable decline in the number of cases, which inspires optimism and hope. According to official data of the DPR Ministry of Health, at the moment, 118,831 cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the country. 2076 patients are in treatment, 9242 cases are fatal.

The Ombudsman calls on residents to remain vigilant and comply with the necessary sanitary and epidemiological standards. For personal safety, citizens are encouraged to sign up on the Ministry of Health website to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

 

Since the beginning of 2021, the Ombudsman received 3730 complaints.

All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 1229 complaints, economic rights – 272 complaints, social rights – 784 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 387 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 115 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 29 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 144 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 50 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 720 complaints.

The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens,  submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 30.12.2021

Personal rights

Human rights guarantees in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings

Enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare

Economic rights

Enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions

Enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families

Social rights

Enforcement of rights in the field of education

Issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR

  1. Death toll, injuries to civilians and soldiers as a result of hostilities in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic

The DPR Ombudsman’s Office documents cases of violations of Donbas citizens’ rights by the Ukrainian side, including the right to life, personal integrity and freedom of movement.

Within the period between 25 and 30 December, 1 serviceman was injured.

Within the period between 1 January and 30 December 2021, in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, 129 people sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine: 97 servicemen of the Republic and 32 civilians.

Within the period between 25 and 30 December 2021, 1 serviceman died.

Within the period between 1 January and 30 December 2021, in the territory of the DPR, 7 civilians and 70 servicemen of the Republic died as a result of the armed aggression by Ukraine.

It should be noted that since the armed conflict began in the Donetsk People’s Republic, 5038 people including 91 children died.

Officially confirmed information on individuals who have been wounded since the beginning of the conflict continues to be reported to the DPR Ombudsman’s Office.

 

  1. Register of the prisoners of war, missing soldiers and civilians

According to operational data, as of 30.12.2021, the Ukrainian side detains 94 people.

As of 30.12.2021, 321 (320+1) people are on the list of missing persons.

– 1 man born in 1979 went missing in October 2014 near the airport.

 

  1. Register of displaced persons and affected citizens

At the time of armed conflict, the civilian population living in the zone of fighting and near the contact line is often affected. With the view to protect the human right to life and security of the person, and to provide assistance to victims as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine, social housing objects (dormitories, preventative clinics, health care centres).

With the coming into force of the Order of the Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic No. 137 of 24.04.2018, territorial commissions in cities and districts are now responsible for accommodating affected civilians. They work under the supervision of the Republican Commission on Resettlement of Affected Persons chaired by the DPR Human Rights Ombudsman.

There are currently 862 accommodation places in the Donetsk People’s Republic available for citizens of this category. 60 social housing objects have been opened in the territory of DPR. 51 of them operate, 9 of them are held in reserve. Since the beginning of the conflict on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, according to updated data, 8880 people, including 2116 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 1674 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 276 children, 7206 people live in the housing fund, including 1840 children.