The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 10,000 civilians have been internally displaced after the occupation of Crimea by Russian forces and subsequent fighting in eastern Ukraine. At least one-third of them are children, and some of them have been displaced twice after fleeing Crimea for the east, according to the UNHCR. Forty-five percent of them have settled in the centre of the country, while 26% went to western Ukraine.
Fighting resumed today particularly in Slovyansk, where residents said at least six buildings — including a petrol station, two shopping centres and two apartment buildings — had been hit by mortars yesterday.
A 'three-sided contact group' on “the realization of a peaceful plan in east Ukraine” has been established and met yesterday. The meeting was attended by Ukrainian President P. Poroshenko, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany P. Klimkin, special representative of the Secretary General of the OSCE H. Tagliavini, and Russian Ambassador to Ukraine M. Zurabov.
Poroshenko stated that “During this week we must stop the shooting. For me, every day that people die, every day that Ukraine is paying such a high price, is unacceptable.” This is contrary to Russian news agencies that continue to claim the Ukrainian government is actively trying to 'wipe out' Slovyansk and Eastern Ukraine.
Comments
Post a Comment