Report paints horrific picture as Ukraine death toll passes 6 000

UNITED Nations rights leaders yesterday decried the merciless devastation of civilian lives and infrastructure in Ukraine as the death toll passed 6 000, and warned that targeting civilian areas could be a crime against humanity.

The UN’s ninth report on the situation in violence-racked Ukraine paints a bleak picture and warns there has been a serious escalation of the conflict since the beginning of the year.

“More than 6 000 lives have now been lost in less than a year due to the fighting in eastern Ukraine,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.

He called for respect of a fragile February 15 peace deal and a halt to “the indiscriminate shelling and other hostil- ities that have created a dreadful situation for civilians”. In Geneva for the launch of the report, UN Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic said the targeting of civilian areas could constitute a war crime and if widespread and systematic, a crime against humanity.

Their comments came amid a relative calm along the frontline in eastern Ukraine that has raised hopes that Kiev and proKremlin rebels holding parts of the east are moving towards implementing the ceasefire.

The report detailed how the conflict was affecting civilians, including arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearances committed mainly by armed groups but also in some cases by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

It pointed to suspicions of summary executions, including Ukrainian soldiers found with their hands tied with white electrical cable at Donetsk airport after it was taken by armed groups in January.

It also voiced deep concern over attacks and pressures on journalists in the country.

Altogether, it found that 5 665 people were killed and 13 961 wounded from the beginning of the conflict in April to the middle of last month.

But Zeid’s office said the escalation in fighting in recent weeks, especially near Donetsk airport and around Debaltseve, had left hundreds of civilians and fighters dead, sending the toll past the 6 000 mark.

The escalating violence had created an untenable situation for those trapped or held hostage in the areas controlled by armed groups, it said.

Heavy weaponry and foreign fighters, including from Russia, were continuing to flow into the rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Lugansk, the report found, warning that this was fuelling the conflict.

“All aspects of people’s lives are being negatively affected,” Zeid said.

“Many have been trapped in conflict zones, forced to shelter in basements with hardly any water, food, heating, electricity or medical supplies.”

Simonovic said the armed groups had stated they would not allow the evacuations of people from social care institutions, such as the elderly or bed-ridden. Nothing had been done to evacuate prison inmates either. – AFP