Battle rages in eastern Ukraine amid failed peace talks
by Daily Sabah
ISTANBULFeb 11, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah
Feb 11, 2015 12:00 am
With mediating efforts to build peace in eastern Ukraine, the civilian death toll from the conflict continues to rise as fighting has intensified in the rebel-held areas
The repeated diplomatic efforts to end the months-long conflict in eastern Ukraine have failed to bring peace to the region, as civilian casualties increase with 5,500 Ukrainians reportedly killed, and more than 12,900 people injured. Amid the worsening humanitarian situation, the U.N. have called for a de-escalation of the conflict and the protection of civilians by declaring a cease-fire in the east of Ukraine.
The months-long crisis in Ukraine's east is still unresolved despite a series of mediating talks. The mediating efforts between the EU, Ukraine and Russia have led to no significant improvement in ending the months-long pro-Russian separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine. Previous talks have not produced a breakthrough over issues relating to the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine so far. The Russian position is still too far removed to reconcile, therefore the conflicting interest of Russia over the Ukrainian crisis is preventing a sustainable settlement between Kiev and the eastern Ukrainian separatists. Russian President Vladimir Putin still rejects the charges that the Moscow government has backed, armed and financed the pro-Russian separatist groups in the embattled east of the country, while calling the conflict-torn region a part of Russian territory.
The Trilateral Contact Group consultations organized by the Vienna-based Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), were held in Minsk, Belarus. Members of the contact group representing Kiev, Moscow, OSCE and representatives of the pro-Russian separatists held additional talks on Tuesday.
In response to the increasing needs of the displaced and other conflict-affected people, the U.N. announced the 2015 Strategic Response Plan for Ukraine in order to "provide life-saving assistance and ensure non-discriminatory access to quality essential services." It is estimated that around 1.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Some 900,000 of them are living mainly in the five most-affected regions that were targeted for aid, the report suggests.
The conflict has come at the cost of an increasingly high death toll. The suffering of civilians from the months-long crisis has led to worsening humanitarian conditions. The number of affected people from the ongoing crisis is reportedly 5.2 million, including around two million children.
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