Humanitarian Coordinator (A.I.) for Ukraine, Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, condemns deadly attack on Chasiv Yar [EN/RU/UK]
I am appalled by the latest attack that hit a municipal dormitory for vulnerable people in the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetska oblast on the evening of 9 July. At least 34 civilians were killed, including a child, when the building where they had been seeking shelter was hit and collapsed. Another nine people were rescued from the debris and are now hospitalized.
On behalf of the United Nations in Ukraine, I send my most heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish those injured a speedy recovery. No person should face what millions in Ukraine are going through now, seeing their loved ones killed because of a war. Yet, this attack is only one reminder that in this war, as in other conflicts, civilians pay the highest price.
Over the last days, we saw, once again, the horrifying news of people being killed, injured and dozens of houses and other critical civilian infrastructure being damaged on both sides of the front line. The use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas of Ukraine, particularly multiple launch rocket systems, ballistic and cruise missiles, is taking a heavy toll on civilians in this country.
In the first 11 days of this month alone, at least 135 civilians, including 6 children, were killed and 280 injured by such weapons in Government-controlled territory, and at least 24 civilians were killed, 4 of them children, and another 86 injured in non-Government-controlled areas, according to the data verified by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The actual numbers, however, are likely much higher as we continue to corroborate information received during this period.
The parties to the conflict have an obligation under international humanitarian law to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure in times of war. I urgently call on them to respect the law and protect the people of Ukraine. They have suffered enough.
Kyiv, 12 July 2022.
For further information, please contact:
Saviano Abreu, OCHA: +380 504 223 943, deabreuisidoro@un.org
Viktoriya Hrubas, OCHA: +380 50 382 4541, viktoriya.hrubas@un.org
OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int