The month-long conflict in eastern Ukraine has come at a cost of an increasingly-high death toll, with a large increase in the numbers of internally-displaced people (IDPs), according to the latest Ukraine situation report of this year released by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The OCHA figures show that 610,413 people were internally displaced as of Dec. 25, and 593,609 Ukrainians fled to neighboring countries as of Dec. 24. OCHA reported that there were "at least 4,771 people killed, including 298 from flight MH-17, and 10,360 wounded in eastern Ukraine as of Dec. 24." As the sporadic clashes continue in rebel-held areas, the Strategic Response Plan 2015 for Ukraine has yet to be announced.
Those who chose to stay in conflict-hit areas have been suffering from a humanitarian crisis, as continuing reports show that vulnerable groups in areas outside of Ukrainian government control face significant issues with state services such as the risk of starvation, "winterization," "high unemployment rates, lack of economic opportunity and eroded purchasing power." Basic services and infrastructure have been heavily affected by the violence, and houses and buildings have been destroyed during heavy clashes.
"As winter sets in, the already desperate situation in eastern Ukraine is being made even worse by the volunteer battalions preventing food aid and medicine from reaching those in need. It is no secret that the region is facing a humanitarian disaster with many already at risk of starvation," said Denis Krivosheev, acting Director of Europe and Central Asia for Amnesty International, in a statement released on Dec. 24. Regarding the blocked food aid, Amnesty International stressed the significance of aid delivery to regions in dire need of humanitarian help.
The situation was relatively quiet in the army operation area in Ukraine's south-eastern regions last night, although the Ukrainian army's positions came under fire three times, said Ukrainian military spokesman Leonid Matiukhin at a press briefing on Dec. 30, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
Regarding the fragile situation in Ukraine, the United States urged Russia to "to use its leverage and influence with the separatists that it supports to implement the commitments of the Minsk agreements immediately, including returning control of the international border to Ukraine, and working towards a peaceful resolution," while stressing the importance of maintaining Ukraine's territorial integrity for the stability of the region in a press statement released by U.S. State Department on Dec. 29.
Following pro-Russian rebels self-proclaiming the existence of the Donetsk People's Republic in April, instability has prevailed in eastern Ukraine. After declaring their independence, clashes have increased throughout the region where government forces have stepped up operations.
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