Denisova: Mariupol residents, who fled to occupied suburbs, starving

The Russian military turn the occupied and besieged populated localities in Ukraine into concentration camps, where civilians are starving, which is torture and a violation of international human rights instruments.

As Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova wrote on Telegram, residents of Mariupol, who fled to Manhush and Melekino escaping from the bombing of Russian invaders, are starving. The occupiers block the humanitarian convoys with food, medicine, basic necessities.

Also, according to her, the city of Chernihiv is suffering from a humanitarian catastrophe as there is no electricity, no heat, no water.

"Negotiations on evacuation and humanitarian corridor have been going on for almost a week, but the Russcists do not agree to it," Denisova added.

In addition, she noted, the occupiers blocked 14 trucks with humanitarian aid – hygiene products for children and adults, cans, meat, semi-finished products, baby food – to Kherson region.

Denisova noted that many medicines did not reach the region, including insulin, which is now in dire need of many residents.

Also, humanitarian aid cannot reach the localities in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Kyiv regions where hostilities are ongoing.

"Depriving civilians of food and medicines is nothing but torture and a direct violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights," the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights stressed.

She called on the international community to take decisive action to curb the aggression of the Russian Federation and to force the aggressor country to end the war in the territory of Ukraine.

On February 24, Russian president Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops shell and destroy key infrastructure, massively fire on residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages using artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and ballistic missiles.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Photo credit: Yevhen Maloletka

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