The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation, within the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 2 and 8 December, 2017

 

It is ever true that he who does nothing for others,

 does nothing for himself.”

 Goethe

In 1985, at its 40th session, the General Assembly invited Governments to observe annually, on 5 December, an International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development.

Volunteers are people who work in a variety of spheres, providing assistance to people in need, so society, undoubtedly, needs the productive work of volunteers. It is a worthy cause to devote one’s free time to the public good. The work of volunteers is appreciated around the world. It plays an important role in the lives of people who have found themselves in a difficult life situation.

The United Nations Organization calls on states to take measures to raise awareness of the important contribution of the volunteers, and thus encourage more people engaged in various activities to become volunteers, at home and abroad.

Hundreds of volunteers from various organizations daily provide invaluable assistance to the peaceful population of Donbass, people who suffered as a result of the armed conflict unleashed by Ukrainian government against their own people. At the very beginning of the war, Donbass people showed their solidarity and united in the name of good – that is when volunteers first appeared in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Donbass volunteers are courageous people who evacuated civilians from flaming cities and settlements, risking their lives. They are people with a big heart and an open soul, who will always give a helping hand. Self-initiated, they collect humanitarian aid for people affected by the conflict and provide assistance to temporary displaced persons. Volunteers provide invaluable assistance to all affected people, many of whom live in the most dangerous and remote settlements of the Republic.

It should be noted that volunteer psychologists work under the patronage of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They regularly provide psychological help for temporary displaced persons at temporary accommodation centres of the Ombudsman’s Office. Much attention is paid to psychological rehabilitation of children wounded as a result of hostilities during the armed conflict in Donbass. The same measures are being taken to relieve psychological tension among older people. Also, volunteer psychologists of the DPR Ombudsman’s Office organize events, excursions and art therapy sessions for children affected by the conflict in Donbass.

In our difficult times it is important to do selfless deeds and give a helping hand to those who need it. After all, the desire of people to help each other and their mutual support make for the foundation of a happy and prosperous society. The main task of the human is to share the warmth of one’s heart. Good is a creative power that makes the world a better place.

The post of the Human Rights Ombudsman has been established in the Donetsk People’s Republic to ensure the state protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms, to prevent any form of discrimination regarding the exercise of their rights and freedoms.

Citizens can apply to the Ombudsman in any suitable way. Now, the majority of applications are still verbal and submitted through personal reception either with the Ombudsman or the heads of the Office, addressing the Public Complaints and Appeals Department, via hotlines and via web-reception on the Website of the Ombudsman. There is a possibility to file a written complaint that may be submitted either in person or via e-mail. Since 2017 the Ombudsman received 5885 appeals. In the period of work between December 2 and 8, 2017, 1 person visited the Ombudsman in person, 35 claims were accepted by the Appeals department 44 calls were made via hotlines. 11 applications were received via e-mail, 5 written appeals were taken into consideration, 9 – have been reviewed among those received earlier, 35 persons have been given legal assistance.

All appeals received can be divided into four categories: violations in criminal law – 373 appeals, violations in civil law– 768 appeals, administrative and legal violations against the DPR citizens – 40 appeals, social and humanitarian issues – 4704 appeals (diagram 1).

 

 

The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens,  submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 08.12.2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among all incoming correspondence to the Ombudsman of DPR, the one which deals with the issues of exercise of social rights of citizens and violations of these rights is the most frequent.  These issues are: pension and social payments – 686 appeals, temporary accommodation – 527 appeals, the order of a complaint submission and paperwork in case of property destruction – 126 appeals, humanitarian assistance – 184 appeals, employment – 173 appeals, paperwork on travelling documents –11 appeals, search of the missing – 202 appeals, loss of IDs   – 349 appeals, housing issues – 300 appeals, temporary residence permit – 288 appeals, other social and humanitarian issues – 1918 appeals. (Diagram 2).

 

The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens on social and humanitarian isses, received by the DPR Ombudsman`s Office as of 8.12.2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The majority of complains are traditionally received from Donetsk, by territory (Diagram 3).

 

The number of appeals (complains, applications) from citizens, received by the DPR Ombudsman`s Office as of 8.12.2017

 

 

 

 

 

1. Statistics and analysis of destroyed infrastructure objects

Targeted shelling by Ukrainian forces causes destruction of private property and infrastructure – this is the reality of the front-line regions of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

As of September 28, 2017 more than 11413 infrastructure objects were partly destroyed (damaged) as a result of hostilities.

More than 6845 objects have been destroyed in Donetsk, 268 units in Debaltsevo, 528 units in Gorlovka, 91 units in Dokuchayevsk, 312 units in Yenakievo, 91 units in Zhdanovka, 75 units in Kirovskoye, 1113 units in Makeyevka, 56 units in Snyezhnoye, 122 units in Torez, 750 units in Khartsysk, 75 units in Shakhtyorsk, 582 units in Yasinovataya, 278 units in Amvrosyevka region, 3 units in Volnovakha region, 24 units in Maryinka region, 17 units in Novoazovsk region, 57 units in Starobeshevo region, 93 units in Telmanovo region, 33 units in Shakhtyorsk region.

Destroyed objects by branches:

– 6247 houses;

– 770 power lines and points of distribution of electricity;

– 176 heating supply facilities;

– 52 water supply facilities;

– 2669 gas supply facilities;

– 14 wastewater and sewerage facilities;

– 102 healthcare facilities;

– 519 general educational institutions (schools, kindergartens);

– 59 vocational and technical educational institutions;

– 62 higher educational institutions;

– 26 physical and sport education institutions;

– 55 cultural institutions;

– 241 road and transport infrastructure objects;

– 63 industrial objects;

– 89 trade objects;

– 269 objects in other spheres.

 

According to the official data as of November 27, 2017 there are 2841 objects of governmental and communal ownership damaged, 666 – rebuilt and 2175 – are to be rebuilt.

 

2. Estimates of mortality, wounds to civilians and soldiers as a result of hostilities in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic.

 

Almost every day the DPR Ombudsman’s Office records cases of violations of Donbass citizens’ rights by Kiev authorities: right to life, to security of the person, to inviolability of the home.

On December 1, as a result of armed provocations by SSU in Petrovskiy district of Donetsk a DPR serviceman born in 1978 sustained mine-blast trauma with debris in the right thigh, right shoulder, a finger of the right hand, burns of the right ear and of the face.

On December 4, two DPR servicemen, of 32 and 39 years old, sustained wounds of various severities during military operations near Gorlovka.

On December 5, as a result of armed provocations by Ukrainian forces in Trudovskiye village, Petrovskiy district in the south of Donetsk, a man born in 1984 sustained shrapnel wound of soft tissue, half of face, right angle of mouth, lower lip with damage to mucous membrane. The man is a staff member of “Sanitarnaya chistka” Communal Enterprise. He was wounded on his professional duty.

On December 7, as a result of shelling of Dokuchaevsk, a civilian man of 44 years old sustained multiple wounds of the left shoulder, shin and thigh.

Also, it was reported on a gunshot wound sustained on November 19, 2017, as a result of hostilities by a DPR serviceman born in 1970 near Bezymennoye village.

 

Within the period between 1 and 7 December, 2017, 3 DPR servicemen and 2 civilian men sustained injuries in the territory of the DPR as a result of armed aggression of the Ukrainian side.

Within the period between January 1 and December 7, 2017, 560 persons sustained injuries of various severities in the territory of the DPR. Among them, there were 335 DPR servicemen and 225 civilians, including 14 children under 18.

Within the period between 1 and 7 December, 2017, 6 DPR servicemen died in the territory of the DPR.

Within the period between January 1 and December 7, 2017, 261 persons, including 231 servicemen and 30 civilians died in the Donetsk People’s Republic, including two underage children.

 

To be specific, since the beginning of the armed conflict   4550 persons died. Among them, there are 605 women and 3945 men, including 76 children under eighteen.

Officially confirmed information on individuals, who have been wounded since the beginning of the conflict continues to be reported to the Ombudsman’s Office in DPR. The information is being processed at the moment and it will be included into general statistics of the injured individuals.

 

3. Register of the prisoners of war, missing soldiers

and civilians

This week no appeals on arrest or missing persons were received by the Ombudsman’s Office in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Based on the updated figures as of 08.12.2017, 457 persons are held by the Ukrainian side including:

– 256 of those whose presence on the territory of Ukraine had been confirmed.

– 195 persons whose whereabouts are unknown or are being clarified by the Ukrainian side.

– 6 persons, for whom a request was submitted to the Ukrainian side for the first time.

 

As of 8 December 2017, 446 persons are considered missing. Hypothetically, they might be in Ukrainian captivity.

 

4. Register of forcibly displaced persons.

Temporary Accommodation Centres (TACs) have been opened in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Any person can receive temporary accommodation there if they need it. 1151 IDPs now live in temporary accommodation of the Office, including 224 underage children. Since the beginning of the conflict 5239 referrals for temporary accommodation have been issued, 345 of them – in 2017. All the TACs are under the DPR Ombudsman’s inspection. The staffs of the Office monitor the TACs on a weekly basis, with the view to respond promptly to the citizens’ needs. The Ombudsman makes every effort to improve social and living conditions for people who live in the TACs.

During the period of work between 2 and 8 December, 2017, 36 persons have applied to the Ombudsman’s Office on issues related to internally displaced persons.

There are currently 1399 housing spots available for IDPs. Among them: 1399 – in DPR Temporary Accommodation Centres (including TACs of Ombudsman`s Office); 500 – in TACs of the Ombudsman`s Office.

It is necessary to remind that there are 7815 persons, including 2012 children under the age of eighteen registered since the beginning of the conflict. 63 temporary settlements have been established within the territory of DPR, 55 of them operate today, 8 of them are held in reserve.

Currently, 2729 individuals live in the centres, including 526 underage children, 5086 persons live in the housing fund of DPR, including 1486 children under eighteen.

 

5. Employment of DPR citizens

The Republican Employment Centre is the main institution responsible for providing jobs to the population.

According to their data, 40.1 thousands of vacancies were available in the common database as of 8.12.2017. As of December 8, 2017, there were 50.3 thousand individuals who seek for job, registered in the Republic Employment Centres. Among them: 42.2 thousand have been employed (24.4 of them – on permanent positions, 17.5 – temporarily).

Donetsk Centre of Vocational Education of The Republic Employment Centre organises regular free public workshops to train practical skills, such as work with personal computers; technique and mechanization of trade accounts (work with cash register machines); the program “1C: Accounting 8.2.”; fundamentals of entrepreneurship; processing and decoration of textile and clothing products etc. Since the beginning of 2017, 375 persons participated in those workshops.