The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to help residents of the occupied Kherson region
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine announced a sharp deterioration in the humanitarian situation in certain areas of the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region. Officials called on the international community to pay attention to the critical situation of local residents.
These are Oleshki, Hola Prystan, Stara Zbur’ivka and Nova Zbur’ivka in the Kherson region, where there are no proper conditions to ensure people’s basic needs. Exit from these settlements is artificially blocked, and the supply of essential goods is being prevented. The population there has decreased from 40,000 to about 6,000 people, and in Oleshki – from 24,000 to about 2,000.
“Critical infrastructure has been virtually destroyed, and electricity and gas supplies are absent. Settlements are on the verge of survival. Civilians trying to buy food or leave the city using their own vehicles are becoming targets for Russian attacks using drones,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry noted that more than six thousand people in these areas may need humanitarian assistance, including about 200 children. Most local residents are immobile.
“We also have terrible testimonies from people who lost their loved ones as a result of Russian attacks, but are unable to properly bury them due to constant hostilities. Local residents are unable to leave dangerous areas and are forced to survive in inhumane conditions – often without access to drinking water, food and necessary medicines,” the ministry stressed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reported that it had begun urgent consultations with international partners, in particular the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The department is discussing possible ways to save Ukrainians who have found themselves in a difficult situation due to Russian actions. It is separately noted that government officials are working to involve international organizations.
“We call on international partners to put pressure on Russia to comply with international humanitarian law, create the necessary conditions and evacuation corridors for people to leave.
The Ukrainian side will also raise the issue of the critical humanitarian situation in Oleshki, Holya Prystan, as well as Starya Zbur’ivka and Novaya Zbur’ivka at the UN and OSCE sites. Information about Russian crimes will be transferred to international monitoring missions,” the ministry said in a statement.
