UNHCR: Residents of 120 frontline localities suffer from shelling and mines

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) informs that residents of 120 populated localities near the contact line suffer from shelling and landmines.

As Ukrinform reports, the UNHCR presented the results of monitoring of safety in the conflict-affected communities in eastern Ukraine to the Luhansk Regional State Administration officials and local authorities.

“The situation was monitored in 156 populated localities in the 20 km zone along the contact line, including 98 populated localities in the 0-5 km zone and 58 localities in the 5-20 km zone. The monitoring covered 61 populated localities in Luhansk region and 95 populated localities in Donetsk region. The total population of the monitored localities was 360,700 people,” the statement reads.

According to the report, 120 (77%) localities (239,500 inhabitants) experience safety problems. In particular, 87 localities with 221,600 inhabitants in the 0-5 km zone suffer from ceasefire violations, shelling, mine contamination, damages to civilian buildings, civilian casualties and critical infrastructure damages.

"Access to social and administrative services is an important criterion for assessing the situation. Thus, a critical degree of severity was recorded in 35% of localities. The situation has worsened in 2021 with the introduction of decentralization reform," the statement reads.

Residents of 153 localities (276,000 people) face problems with access to at least one social / administrative service. A total of 19,000 people in small localities do not have access to social services or the Pension Fund or both.

It was also found that 152 (97%) localities have gaps in access to livelihoods and commercial services. Residents of 50 localities noted that it was potentially possible to find job in neighboring areas but public transport was not available in 60% of those localities. The public transport timetable is also sometimes a problem.

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