UN: Over 1.5 mn displaced in Ukraine, Kiev prevents aid delivery to east

 More than 1.5 million civilians have been forced to leave their homes due to the conflict in south-eastern Ukraine, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest report.

“Renewed fighting in the east of the country has resulted in additional displacement, civilian loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, all resulting in increasing humanitarian needs,” the report said.

As of January 21, 921,640 people were classified as internally displaced persons and another 600,000 fled as refugees to neighboring countries, mostly Russia. Moreover, Kiev restrictions on access to the eastern regions “have produced new difficulties for the established supply schemes for state target programs and humanitarian aid delivery.”

OCHA states that at least 5,086 people were killed and 10,948 injured between mid-April 2014 to January 21, 2015, citing the office of OHCHR and WHO. At least 262 of the dead, including seven children, were killed between January 13 and 21, the report added.