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Briefing note on the status of civilians who acquired disabilities due to the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine

Countries
Ukraine
Sources
NRC
Publication date
Origin
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Background

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, seven to nine thousand civilians have been injured as a result of the armed conflict lasting more than four years in eastern Ukraine . At the same time, it is impossible to determine the exact number of people affected by the conflict, due to the lack of official statistics.

Nevertheless, there have been local attempts at recording some figures. The Department of Social Protection of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration has established a register for civilian casualties and deaths during the period of the AntiTerrorist Operation (ATO) in the government controlled areas (GCA). The register contains information on 552 wounded civilians, including 27 children. The Donetsk Oblast State Administration, however, does not maintain the same register. But the local Department of Health counted 102 injured people in 2016 and 94 in 2017.

This incomplete collection and analysis of data on civilian casualties is problematic as civilians continue to experience significant health problems due to the ongoing armed conflict, with 13 people reportedly injured in October 2018.