The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 20 and 26 November 2021

News Overview of the social and humanitarian situation

The past week in the Republic was marked by a high degree of tension in the military-political situation. This is evidenced by the data of the JCCC, which confirm the fact of intensive shelling of the territory of the DPR by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In total, during this period, 16 cases of violation of the permanent ceasefire by the AFU were recorded. The following settlements were under fire: Zaitsevo, Aleksandrovka, Donetsk (Trudovskaya mine settlement), Yasinovataya, Sakhanka, Leninskoye, Zheleznaya Balka, Dokuchaevsk, Yasnoye, Golmovsky, Gorlovka (settlement of mines 6/7), Red Partisan, Spartak, Staromikhaylovka. As a result of the shelling, a number of damages to administrative buildings, infrastructure facilities of the Republic, as well as private property of citizens were recorded.

Despite the incessant shelling, the Republic continues to work on one of the key humanitarian areas, namely, the search for the missing. On 19 November, 2021, at the Gornoye cemetery in the city of Khartsyzsk, the bodies of the victims of the Ukrainian aggression were exhumed. Thus, the search group of the Interdepartmental Commission for the Search for Missing Persons, Burial Places of the Bodies (remains) of the Deceased (dead) in Areas of the Armed Conflict in Donbass managed to recover the remains of nine people with signs of violent death. The recovered remains were sent to the Republican Bureau of the Forensic Medical Examination of the DPR Ministry of Health to conduct forensic investigations.

In order to draw attention to the problems of searching for missing persons in Donbass as a result of hostilities, on 25 November 2021, at 13:00 on the basis of the international multimedia “Russia Today” press centre with the participation of the DPR Ombudsman, an online conference was held on the topic: “Opalennaya pamyat Donbassa: voyennyye prestupleniya ukrainskoy armii i novyye dannyye o massovykh ubiystvakh grazhdanskogo naseleniya”. Thus, at the conference the representatives of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics highlighted the intermediate results of the activities of the Interdepartmental bodies of the Republics on the search for burial sites of victims of Ukrainian aggression. “Today we are creating conditions in which the international community can no longer ignore the tragedy of Donbass. Let me remind you that war crimes have no statute of limitations. The trial will inevitably come to pass” said during her speech Daria Morozova.

Despite the difficult military-political situation in the region, the Republic continues to develop its economic potential. According to the latest data announced by the Minister of Economic Development of the DPR, about 60% of the products produced in the DPR are sold abroad. Socio-economic development program for 2022-2024 assumes an increase in gross domestic product of more than 70% by 2025 and a similar growth in exports, which indicates a long-term perspective for the development of the economy of the Republic.

Also important is the work in the humanitarian sphere of the Republic. Thus, this week the construction of a new high-tension power lines to the settlement of Yasnoye in the suburb of Dokuchaevsk was completed. In this settlement there are about ten two-story apartment buildings, the detached houses and a boiler house – in total 520 objects. As a result of the construction of a new high-tension power lines, as part of a project to strengthen the reliability of energy conservation in the front-line settlements of the Republic, all consumers were reconnected to a new line and at the moment the power supply to the village is carried out in a normal mode.

Sports achievements of the Republic also give new reasons for pride. On 21 November, the DPR WKF karate team took part in the open tournament of the Rostov region “Autumn-2021”. The Donetsk People’s Republic was presented by 8 athletes-pupils of the CUSCS of Makeevka and CUSCS №11 of Donetsk. As a result of the competition, the DPR team won five gold and two silver medals. 

Another important news of the past week was the approval of the republican cultural and educational project «#Яучусь&Музей» by the DPR Ministry of Culture. This program was created to popularize museum events among young people and increase the efficiency of the educational process in institutions of secondary vocational education in the cultural sector. Such initiatives will contribute to expanding the horizons of the young generation of the Republic, which is extremely important for the development of our young state.

The epidemiological situation in the Republic remains tense. According to official data from the DPR Ministry of Health, 106,540 cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the state at the moment. 11843 patients are in treatment, 8026 cases are fatal.

In such difficult epidemiological conditions, the arrival of the 104th humanitarian convoy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation with a total cargo of more than 92 tons is invaluable help. The convoy included medicines, medical products, medical equipment and diagnostic immunobiological preparations, as well as the ‘Sputnik Light’ vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus infection. Citizens of the Republic are advised to sign up on the website of the DPR Ministry of Health to be vaccinated as soon as possible in order to protect themselves and loved ones from COVID-19.

 

Since the beginning of 2021, the Ombudsman received 3395 complaints.

All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 1123 complaints, economic rights – 251 complaints, social rights – 701 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 349 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 108 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 27 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 137 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 45 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 654 complaints.

The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens,  submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 26.11.2021

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 18 and 26 November, 2 servicemen of the Republic were injured.

Within the period between 1 January and 26 November 2021, in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, 120 people sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine: 90 servicemen of the Republic and 30 civilians.

Within the period between 20 and 26 November 2021, no one died.

Within the period between 1 January and 26 November 2021, in the territory of the DPR, 6 civilians and 67 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, 5034 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 soldiersand civilians

According to operational data, as of 26.11.2021, the Ukrainian side detains about 94 people.

As of 26.11.2021, 320 (353-33) people are on the list of missing persons. As a result of joint work on the exchange of data with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the DPR, people were excluded from the list:

– 31 people (whereabouts are known);

– 2 people (died).  

 

  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 861 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, 9060 people, including 2166 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 1745 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 304 children, 7315 people live in the housing fund, including 1862 children.