Hundreds Killed During Ukraine Ceasefire, Says UN
The United Nations said Wednesday that at least 331 deaths were recorded in eastern Ukraine since last month's cease-fire agreement between pro-Russian rebels and government troops.
According to the United Nations, not less than 3,600 people have been killed over six months of fighting. However, the report said that some of the deaths recorded since the Sept. 5 truce deal may include people killed before that date.
Fighting between the separatists and Ukrainian military is going on in the rebel-held city of Donetsk and in the towns of Delbaltseve and Schastye. Defence officials in Ukraine said Tuesday that the pro-Russian rebels were fighting hard to seize the Donetsk airport.
U.N. High commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussien, said in a statement that the crisis must be solved so that the people of eastern Ukraine can regain their right to education, health care, housing and employment. The U.N. estimates that around 5 million people in eastern Ukraine are deprived of their basic rights.
"While the cease-fire is a very welcome step toward ending the fighting in eastern Ukraine, I call on all parties to genuinely respect and uphold it, and to halt the attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure," Hussien said, reports the Associated Press.
The U.N. report mentions the Ukrainian authorities as saying that more than 4,500 residential buildings were damaged in the fighting.
Elaborating further, it says that nearly 22 settlements are deprived of running water while 93 settlements have no electricity.
Noting that the pro- Russian rebels were terrorising the people in areas under their control, the report said that the rebels were also indulging in killings and abductions.
However, the report also mentions allegations of human rights violations by some volunteer battalions fighting along with the Ukrainian army.
"The (Kiev) government needs to exercise more control of all its forces, including the volunteer battalions, and to ensure accountability for any violations and crimes committed by their members," it said, reports Reuters.
