The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation, within the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 21 and 27 October, 2017

 

 

We the peoples of the United Nations determined

to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,

 which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and

to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights,

in the dignity and worth of the human person,

in the equal rights of men and women and of nations

 large and small, and

to establish conditions under which justice and respect for

the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of

international law can be maintained, and

to promote social progress and better

standards of life in larger freedom

Preamble to the UN Charter

On October 24, the United Nations Day is celebrated every year. The name United Nations, proposed by the President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt, was first used in the United Nations Declaration on January 1, 1942, when during the Second World War, representatives of 26 states pledged on behalf of their governments to continue their joint struggle against the countries of the Nazi bloc.

The United Nations officially exists since October 24, 1945; to this day the UN Charter was ratified by the majority of the signatory states and entered into force.

Member-states of the UN undertook to act in accordance with the following principles: sovereign equality of states; the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means; refusal from the threat of force or its use against the territorial inviolability or political independence of any state. 193 states of the world are members of the UN. In July 2011, the South Sudan became the 193rd full UN member.

Initially, it is the prevention of global international conflicts that is the main task of the United Nations. Its headquarters has more than once become the arena of the hottest verbal battles and scandalous acts aimed at preserving peace and saving human lives.

For more than 70 years of its history, the United Nations, its specialized agencies and personnel have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize eleven times. One of the agencies, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has been awarded twice.

The Norwegian Nobel Prize Committee paid this honor twice to the Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Dag Hammarskjold. When laureate of the year 2005, Muhammad al-Baradei, learned that he would be awarded a prize, he said: “I believe that the prize will only strengthen my determination and my colleagues’ determination to continue to set the truth against force, and to sincerely express their thoughts. There is no secret program, our only goal is to ensure that our world remains safe and humane.”

The UN purposes, as enshrined in its Charter, are the maintenance of international peace and security, the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression, to resolve international disputes by peaceful means, to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; t o achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.

The post of the Human Rights Ombudsman was 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 4922 appeals. In the period of work between 21 and 27 October 2017, 19 persons have visited the Ombudsman in person, 42 claims were accepted by the Appeals department 36 calls were made via hotlines. 23 applications were received via e-mail, 12 written appeals were taken into consideration, 8 – have been reviewed among those received earlier, 23 persons have been given legal assistance.

All appeals received can be divided into four categories: violations in criminal law – 483 appeals, violations in civil law– 563 appeals, administrative and legal violations against the DPR citizens – 7 appeals, social and humanitarian issues – 4069 appeals (diagram 1).

 

 

The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens,  submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 27.10.2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 – 587 appeals, temporary accommodation – 483 appeals, the order of a complaint submission and paperwork in case of property destruction – 117 appeals, humanitarian assistance – 174 appeals, employment – 157 appeals, paperwork on travelling documents –11 appeals, search of the missing – 175 appeals, loss of IDs   – 320 appeals, housing issues – 217 appeals, temporary residence permit – 214 appeals, other social and humanitarian issues – 1614 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 27.10.2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 27.10.2017

 

 

 

 

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 October 19, 2017 there are 2836 objects of governmental and communal ownership damaged, 656 – rebuilt and 2180 – 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 October 19 in Dmytrovka village, Shakhtyorskiy region, a civilian man born in 1972 stepped on the tripwire. He sustained mine-blast trauma, multiple wounds to the face, neck, chest, right thigh, right shin.

On October 21 as a result of a sniping fire on Kominternovo village, Novoazovsk region, a DPR serviceman of 30 years old sustained gunshot wound of the right thigh.

During the hostilities in Sosnovka village, Novoazovsk region, a DPR serviceman born in 1998 sustained blunt wound of soft tissue of the temporal region with metal fragment.

As a result of shelling in Kievskiy region of Donetsk, a civilian man of 31 years old sustained gunshot wound to the left shoulder and forearm.

On October 23 as a result of hostilities in Sakhanka village, Novoazovsk region, a DPR serviceman of 31 years old sustained mine-blast trauma, shrapnel wound of shins.

During the hostilities in Debaltsevo a DPR serviceman born in 1987 sustained mine-blast trauma.

On 24 October as a result of hostilities in Novoazovsk region a DPR serviceman born in 1984 sustained a closed fracture of the left shoulder.

As a result of shelling in Alexandrovka village a civilian born in 1954 sustained shrapnel wound to the right hand.

On October 26 as a result of hostilities in Novoazovsk region a DPR serviceman of 57 years old sustained shrapnel wound to the chest and to the left hand.

 

Within the period between 19 and 26 October, 2017, 9 persons sustained injuries in the territory of the DPR as a result of constant shelling from Ukraine. Among them, there were 6 DPR servicemen and 3 civilian men. 

Within the period between January 1 and October 26, 2017, 526 persons sustained injuries of various severities in the territory of the DPR. Among them, there were 312 DPR servicemen and 214 civilians, including 12 children under 18.

Within the period between 20 and 26 October, 2017, 4 DPR servicemen died in the territory of the DPR as a result of shelling.

Within the period between January 1 and October 26, 2017, 243 persons, including 215 servicemen and 28 civilians died in the Donetsk People’s Republic, including an underage child.

To be specific, since the beginning of the armed conflict   4523 persons died. Among them, there were 605 women and 3927 men, including 75 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

The Ukrainian special services continue to detain civilians who are on the territory under their control. A month ago, SSU officers arbitrary arrested three-time champion in Ukraine Daria Mastikasheva and concealed her whereabouts from her relatives and friends. She headed to the territory of Ukraine to visit her son and her mother. The detention occurred on August 15, and the statement that became the ground for opening criminal case against her was written one day after her abduction. This was announced by the lawyer of Mastikasheva, and just the next day, on August 17, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasily Hrytsak said at a special briefing for journalists that the SSU detained a Ukrainian citizen – Daria Mastikasheva on suspicion of treason (part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (part 1of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.) He added that she recruited former members of the so-called “anti-terrorist operation” in Donbass to commit terrorist acts in Moscow and other cities of Russia in order to accuse the Ukrainian authorities of terrorist activities.

According to her common-law husband, Sergei Sokolov, during her stay in remand prison, the woman has never been visited by a doctor, she was already brought to the point where she decided to commit a suicide, she started a hunger strike and wrote a farewell letter to her mother and her 10-year-old son. She wrote she could not bear humiliation and torture from the SSU anymore.

 

“I have repeatedly addressed international organizations with the issue of applying illegal methods of inquiry to detained persons, the lack of medical care, and inadequate detention conditions. Let me remind you that the detention conditions, as well as humane treatment of them are regulated by Additional Protocol 2 to the 1949 Geneva Convention. Under international humanitarian law all detainees must be protected from murder, torture, and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

I call on the entire world community, the UN Human Rights Office, the ICRC to pay attention to this act of violence and torture by the SSU, which directly and indirectly endangers the life of the mother of a 10-year-old boy,” said Daria Mirozova.

 

This week one appeal on arrest was received by the Ombudsman’s Office in the Donetsk People’s Republic. On October 15 a man born in 1947 was detained in Verkhnetoretskoye urban-type settlement. He was charged under Article 258-3 Part 1.

Based on the updated figures as of 06.10.2017, 465 persons are kept by the Ukrainian side including:

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

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

– 1 person was requested from the Ukrainian side for the first time.

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

As of 06 October 2017, 514 persons are considered missing. Hypothetically, they might be in Ukrainian captivity.

 

4. Register of forcibly displaced persons.

On October 23, at the Briefing in Ukraine, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Muller delivered a speech in which she condemned the indifference of the Ukrainian government towards internally displaced persons.

“The Government of Ukraine registered on its territory more than 1.6 million internally displaced persons. The most vulnerable among them are elderly people. Pensioners account for more than half of the total number of people in difficult life situation. As hospitality is gradually coming to naught and the locals are increasingly being more reluctant to displaced persons, many IDPs have to rent housing. They barely make ends meet, left with little or no means of livelihood,” said Ursula Muller.

Red tape makes it difficult for IDPs to receive basic services and benefits they need. They all still need help in the form of medicines, food and housing.

The people living near the delimitation line are affected most. Given the severe restrictions on freedom of movement, many residents of shelled areas face limited access to or no access to basic health and education services. About 600,000 pensioners in Donbass couldn’t receive their payments at all due to red tape.

Temporary Accommodation Centres (TACs) have been opened in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Any person can receive temporary accommodation there if they need it. 1176 IDPs now live in temporary accommodation of the Office, including 225 underage children. Since the beginning of the conflict 5231 referrals for temporary accommodation have been issued, 337 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 21 and 27 October, 2017, 18 persons have applied to the Ombudsman’s Office on the issues related to internally displaced persons, one of them was accommodated in the TACs of the Ombudsman`s Office in Donetsk.

There are currently 1392 housing spots available for IDPs. Among them: 1392 – in DPR Temporary Accommodation Centres (including TACs of Ombudsman`s Office); 492 – in TACs of the Ombudsman`s Office.

It is necessary to remind that there are 7795 persons, including 2008 children under the age of eighteen registered since the beginning of the conflict. 64 temporary settlements have been established within the territory of DPR, 56 of them operate today, 8 of them are held in reserve.

Currently, 2775 individuals live in the centres, including 532 underage children, 5020 persons live in the housing fund of DPR, including 1476 children under eighteen.

 

5. Employment of DPR citizens

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

On October 26, 2017, the specialists of the Gorlovka City Employment Centre held an information seminar in the Kalinin correctional facility in Gorlovka for persons released on parole and after the expiry of the term of imprisonment.

Marina Saliy, Deputy Director of the Gorlovka City Employment Centre, told about the situation in the labor market and the services provided to job seekers by the employment centre, introduced the vacancies presented by the employers of the Republic, including temporary jobs, told about the possibility of vocational training under the referral of Employment Centre, showed the list of professions for which training is available. Also, the seminar participants learned about training seminars organized at the Donetsk Centre of Vocational Education of the Republican Employment Centre, about the ability to visit the official website and to use hotline phones of the Republican Employment Centre.

At the end of the seminar, the specialists of the employment centre provided individual consultations to all those who wished.

According to their data, 36.0 thousands of vacancies were available in the common database as of 27.10.2017. As of October 27, 2017, there were 45.9 thousand individuals who seek for job, registered in the Republic Employment Centres. Among them: 38.2 thousand have been employed (21.3 of them – on permanent positions, 16.8 – 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, 341 persons participated in those workshops.