The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation, within the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 3 and 9 June 2017

 

 

The life of the child is precious. At all times children were protected, cherished, everything was done for their well-being. Not without reason there are a number of documents protecting the rights of the child in the international legislation. Among them there are the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989); World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children (1990); European Convention on the Exercise of Children’s Rights (1996), etc. These documents set out the problems faced by children around the world; tasks that the world community seeks to resolve; rights of children, which must be guaranteed and respected by all states.

Thus, every child, regardless of nationality, gender, age, has the right to:

– life, survival and healthy development;

– free expression of their views on all issues affecting the child;

– personal life, family life, the inviolability of the home and the secrecy of correspondence, to protection against illegal encroachment on his honor.

– protection from all forms of physical and psychological violence, humiliation or abuse, ill-treatment or exploitation.

The rights of the child are also integrated in the legislation of every country, where their special status is determined, legal guarantees for observance of the rights of the child are established.

Unfortunately, “strength” and “power” exist in every society. They are extremely dangerous, because they can cloud the eyes of people who are unable to cope with them. Such people not only violate international law, they also disregard moral norms, basic human values.

June 8 is a tragic date for all residents of Donbass. On this day, three years ago, the first death of a child as a result of the so-called “antiterrorist operation” occurred. It was a six-year-old Polina. A shell from the guns of Ukrainian forces hit the house of the little girl. People found her immediately after they heard a powerful explosion. There was a hospital near the place of the tragedy. Unfortunately, no one was able to save the girl – she died on the spot. This flagrant case was the turning point of the escalating conflict, the so-called “point of no return”.

The conflict continues for several years. And for all this time, innocent children have been killed. Now there are 75 children’s deaths on the conscience of the Ukrainian authorities. All of them died as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian side.

The war not only takes the lives of children, it cripples fates. So many children became orphans! So many children were seriously injured and become disabled! There are no excuses in the world for such ruthless actions!

Today, doctors are fighting for the life of the nine-year-old Vladislav, who was wounded by a shell launched by Ukrainian forces. On Sunday, June 4, on the Holy Trinity Day, the SSU opened fire against the Trudovskiye village, Petrovskiy district, Donetsk. The boy came under fire and sustained serious wounds, at the moment he recovers in the intensive care department. Vladislav sustained a severe psychological trauma – his mother died from that very explosion before the eyes of the boy. He has become a full orphan.

Unfortunately, this case is far from the first. In the course of hostilities, many children lost their relatives and suffer serious psychological traumas. Their rights have been violated in the cruelest way, which will necessarily affect the life of the Republic.

Citizens can apply to the Ombudsman in any suitable way. Now, the majority of applications is 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 2641 appeals. In the period of work between 3 and 9June 2017, 9 persons have visited the Ombudsman in person, 44 of the claims were accepted by the Appeals department 36 calls were made via hotlines. 28 applications were received via e-mail, 15 written appeals were taken into consideration, 12 – have been considered among those received earlier, 32 citizens were provided with legal counseling.

All appeals received can be divided into four categories: violations in criminal law – 137 appeals, violations in civil law– 272 appeals, administrative and legal violations against the DPR citizens – 2 appeals, social and humanitarian issues – 2230 appeals (diagram 1).

 

 

The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens,  submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 09.06.2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 – 303 appeals, temporary accommodation – 306 appeals, the order of a complaint submission and paperwork in case of property destruction – 54 appeals, humanitarian assistance – 128 appeals, employment – 101 appeals, paperwork on travelling documents – 7 appeals, search of the missing – 81 appeals, loss of IDs   – 231 appeals, housing issues – 146 appeals, temporary residence permit – 133 appeals, other social and humanitarian issues – 740 appeals (diagram 2).

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The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens on social and humanitarian isses, received by the DPR Ombudsman`s Office as of 09.06.2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 09.06.2017

 

 

 

 

 

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 1 June 2017 more than 11345 infrastructure objects were partly destroyed (damaged) as a result of hostilities.

More than 11345 objects have been destroyed in Donetsk, 268 units in Debaltsevo, 526 units in Gorlovka, 83 units in Dokuchayevsk, 306 units in Yenakievo, 91 units in Zhdanovka, 75 units in Kirovskoye, 1111 units in Makeyevka, 54 units in Snyezhnoye, 118 units in Torez, 750 units in Khartsysk, 74 units in Shakhtyorsk, 577 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:

– 6208 houses;

– 769 power lines and points of distribution of electricity;

– 175 heating supply facilities;

– 46 water supply facilities;

– 2669 gas supply facilities;

– 14 wastewater and sewerage facilities;

– 102 healthcare facilities;

– 512 general educational institutions (schools, kindergartens);

– 59 vocational and technical educational institutions;

– 62 higher educational institutions;

– 26 physical and sport education institutions;

– 54 cultural institutions;

– 240 road and transport infrastructure objects;

– 59 industrial objects;

-89 trade objects;

– 261 objects in other spheres.

 

According to the official data as of 6 June 2017 there are 2813 objects of governmental and communal ownership damaged, 530 – rebuilt and 2283 – 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 rights of Donbass citizens by Kiev authorities: right to life, to security of the person, to the inviolability of the home.

On 2 June as a result of shelling by Ukrainian forces against Yasinovataya a civilian woman born in 1945 sustained a shrapnel wound of the middle third of the left shin.

On 3 June as a result of hostilities near Yasinovataya two servicemen born in 1993 and 1997 sustained mine-blast traumas and shrapnel wounds.

In the late evening of June 4, as a result of shelling against the village of Trudovskaya mine, Petrovskiy district of Donetsk, a woman of 37 years old died. Her son, a 9-year-old boy, sustained mine-blast trauma, shrapnel wound of the abdominal, right thigh, index finger of the right hand.

As a result of hostilities near Yasinovataya a DPR serviceman born in 1979 sustained mine-blast trauma, shrapnel wounds of the thigh; a DPR serviceman born in 1980 sustained mine-blast trauma, gunshot wound of the soft tissue of the face with foreign body.

On 5 June as a result of shelling against Krutaya Balka village, Yasinovataya region, three persons were injured: a man of 60 years old sustained mine-blast trauma, shrapnel wound of the upper third of the right forearm with damage to veins; a man born in 1952 sustained mine-blast trauma, penetrating wound of the abdominal; a man of 71 years old sustained mine-blast trauma, shrapnel wound of soft tissue of the chest.

As a result of hostilities near Yasinovataya, a DPR serviceman of 41 years old sustained gunshot wound of the abdominal; two DPR servicemen born in 1972 and 1975 sustained mine-blast traumas and gunshot wounds.

On 5 June as a result of shelling by Ukrainian forces against Petrovskiy district of Donetsk a civilian man of 26 years old sustained gutter wound of the lower third of the right thigh.

As a result of hostilities in Spartak village, Yasinovataya region, a DPR serviceman born in 1983 sustained mine-blast trauma, blunt shrapnel wound of the left side of the cheek with foreign body.

As a result of hostilities near Debaltsevo a DPR serviceman born in 1990 sustained shrapnel wound of the left foot.

As a result of shelling against Staromykhailovka, Kirovskiy district of Donetsk, a civilian man of 55 years old sustained shrapnel wounds of the upper third of left shin with damage to periosteum.

On 6 June as a result of a grenade blow near Gorlovka a DPR serviceman of 49 years old sustained traumatic amputation of the upper and lower limbs on the right side.

As a result of hostilities in Bezymennoye, Novoazovsk region, a DPR serviceman born in 1971 sustained a brain contusion; a DPR serviceman born in 1986 sustained head injury; a DPR serviceman of 35 years old sustained a spine bruise; a DPR serviceman of 55 years old sustained a fracture of the right heel bone with dislocation; a DPR serviceman born in 1992 sustained gunshot blunt wound of the right knee joint.

On 8 June as a result of shelling against Spartak village, Yasinovataya region, a civilian man of 45 years old sustained shrapnel wound of the scapula.

As a result of hostilities in Bezymennoye village, Novoazovsk region, a DPR serviceman born in 1997 sustained mine-blast trauma, multiple shrapnel wounds to the thighs, to the left hand.

 

Within the period between 3 and 9 June 2017, 24 persons sustained injuries of various severities in the territory of the DPR as a result of constant shelling from Ukraine.  Among them, there were 16 DPR servicemen, 1 civilian woman, 7 civilian men.

Within the period between 9 January and 9 June 2017 359 persons sustained injuries of various severities in the territory of the DPR. Among them, there were 204 DPR servicemen and 155 civilians, including 9 children under 18.

Within the period between 3 and 9 June 2017, 7 persons died. Among them there were 6 DPR servicemen and 1 civilian woman, who died on June 4 in the village of Trudovskaya mine, Petrovskiy district of Donetsk.

Within the period between 1 January and 9 June 2017, 160 persons, including 145 servicemen and 15 civilians died in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

To be specific, since the beginning of the armed conflict   4449 persons died. Among them, there were 600 women and 3849 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 and missing soldiers and civilians

On June 7, another round of negotiations took place in the Minsk format. The agreement to continue verification was the key issue of the agenda. Verification is a mechanism designed to document either consent or refusal of illegally detained persons to return to the territory of the Republic, and to determine the number of persons who are to be included in the “all for all” exchange list. It is extremely necessary to push this procedure through to the end. The sooner it takes place, the sooner our men will be able to return home, to their families.

Citizens of the Donetsk People’s Republic, who languish in Ukrainian prisons, are regularly subject to torture and mistreatment by Ukrainian security forces.

“It was decided to continue the verification and to complete the process before the next meeting. For those people who have been released after serving their sentences, the Ukrainian side undertook to provide notarized copies of certificates of release. Despite everything, the process has successfully moved forward, and now the long-awaited exchange is inevitable”, –  said the Ombudsman Daria Morozova.

 

This week, 7 appeals on capture were received by the Ombudsman’s Office in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

On 5 August 2015 a man born in 1971 was arrested in Mariupol. A man born in 1985 was detained by the SSU in July 2016 in the delimitation line. On 6 June 2017 SSU arrested a woman born in 1956 in “Mayorsk” checkpoint. In the summer 2015 a man born in 1966 was detained in Sumy. Another man born in 1951 was arrested by the SSU in Kramatorsk on 1 June 2017. A woman born in 1994 was detained in Mariupol on 31 May 2017. In August 2015 a group of armed people detained a man born in 1990 in Slavyansk.

 

No appeals on the missing persons were received by the Ombudsman’s Office.

Based on the updated figures as of 09.06.2017, 736 persons are kept by the Ukrainian side including:

– 426 of those whose presence on the territory of Ukraine had been confirmed;

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

As of 9 June 2017, 450 persons are considered missing.

The Ombudsman`s Office continues to clarify information about the individuals, who were detained by the Ukrainian side, the statistics may change.

The DPR Ombudsman`s Office will no longer publicly categorize the detainees by “serviceman”, “arrested for political reasons”, “civilian irrelevant to the conflict” due to safety considerations.

 

4. Register of forcibly displaced persons.

While the leaders of Ukraine dream of Europe, they compound the severity of the situation of their citizens every day. As is well-known, the International Monetary Fund sets out many requirements, which the government willingly agrees for. One of these requirements is to increase the retirement age. Given the low level of life expectancy in Ukraine, a few Ukrainian citizens will be able to formalize pension after the implementation of this requirement.

In order to avoid upheavals, the government decided to obscure the increase in retirement age. The tenure of employment is to be increased. Now any citizen who has been working for 15 years has the right to receive pension  on reaching the age of 60 (men) and 55 years (women). However, after the innovation, the minimum length of service rises to 25 years. Then, it will increase every year until it reaches 35 years.

As a result of the anti-popular policy of the Ukrainian government, the next generation of citizens will not receive social protection and state support at an advanced age.

In a word, now social payments will be inaccessible not only for internally displaced persons, for whom various obstacles are created, but for all citizens of Ukraine.

The situation is completely different on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic. As decreed by the Head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, the “United Donbass Foundation” was established as part of the implementation of the Humanitarian program. Upon submitting an appropriate application, certain categories of residents of Donbass may receive material, medical or social assistance. The amount of material assistance a person may receive depends on the circumstances and life situation of a particular person. Information on the categories of citizens eligible for financial assistance, and on the procedure for obtaining it, is available on the website of the Humanitarian Program for the Reunification of the People of Donbass.

Every resident of Donbass region, including those living in areas temporarily controlled by Kiev, can apply to the Office and receive assistance. The body has temporary accommodation centres (TACs) at its disposal available for people who need temporary accommodation.

1276 IDPs now live in temporary accommodation of the Office, including 249 underage children. Since the beginning of the conflict 5120 referrals for temporary accommodation have been issued, 226 of them – in 2017. All the TACs are under the DPR Ombudsman’s inspection. The staffs of the Office monitor the TACs on the 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 3 and 9 June 2017, 40 persons have applied to the Ombudsman’s Office on the issues related to internally displaced persons, 3 of them were accommodated in the TACs of the Ombudsman`s Office in Donetsk.

There are currently 1406 housing spots available for IDPs. Among them: 1350 – in DPR Temporary Accommodation Centres (including TACs of Ombudsman`s Office); 439 – in TACs of the Ombudsman`s Office; 56 – in housing fund of the DPR.

It is necessary to remind that there are 8253 persons, including 2135 children under the age of eighteen registered since the beginning of the conflict. 68 temporary settlements have been established within the territory of DPR, 57 of them operate today, 11 of them are held in reserve. Currently, 2877 individuals live in the centres, including 567 underage children, 5376 persons live in the housing fund of DPR, including 1568 children under eighteen.

 

5. Employment of DPR citizens

The Republic Employment Centre operates in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The main tasks of the Centre are to assist the citizens in searching for employment and to organize professional development or retraining for citizens.

On June 6, 2017, a working meeting was held between the employees of the Snezhnyansk City Employment Centre and the trade union of “Udarnik mine” separate subdivision of the Torezantratsit State Enterprise.

In the course of the meeting, the Legal Adviser of the Employment Centre informed the participants of the meeting about the normative legal acts in the sphere of employment, about the procedure and terms for the provision of financial statements to the Employment Centre. He also told about the organization of temporary work, where both job seekers and employees working part-time. He informed about the organization of vocational training in the Employment Centre for professions in demand on the labor market.

Attention was also drawn to the possibility of obtaining information through the Hotline and through the official website of the Republic Employment Centre of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

The Republic Employment Center is the main state organ responsible for providing jobs to citizens.

According to their data, 16,1 thousands of vacancies were available in the common database as of 09.06.2017. As of 9 June 2017, there were 27,8 thousand individuals who seek for job, registered in the Republic Employment Centers. Among them: 22,7 thousand have been employed (9,5 of them – on permanent positions, 13,2 – temporarily).

Donetsk Centre of Vocational Education of The Republic Employment Centre organizes 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, 195 persons participated in those workshops.