Ukraine calls for urgent help for Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast amid shortages of water, food and medicine

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the international community to take concrete and urgent action to save Ukrainian citizens in Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast, where a humanitarian catastrophe has emerged as a result of crimes committed by Russian forces, who are grossly violating international humanitarian law.

Source: a statement by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Details: The foreign ministry stressed that the situation in the settlements of Oleshky, Hola Prystan and the villages of Stara Zburivka and Nova Zburivka in Kherson Oblast is of particular concern, as there are no proper conditions to meet the basic needs of local residents, including children. Russian forces are deliberately blocking people from leaving and obstructing the supply of basic consumer goods, food and medicine.

The population has decreased from 40,000 to about 6,000 people. In Oleshky, it has decreased from 24,000 to about 2,000.

Critical infrastructure has been effectively destroyed and there is no electricity or gas supply. The settlements are on the brink of survival. Civilians trying to buy food or leave the city in their own vehicles are being targeted by Russian drones.

More than 6,000 people may need humanitarian assistance in total, including about 200 children. Most of them have limited mobility.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said more than 220 direct requests for evacuation from these settlements have so far been submitted to various state bodies.

The information has also been confirmed by the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Ukrainian intelligence agencies and several international organisations.

The ministry said they also received harrowing testimonies from people who had lost loved ones in Russian attacks but were unable to bury them properly because of constant hostilities. Local residents cannot leave dangerous areas and are forced to survive in inhumane conditions, often without access to drinking water, food or essential medicines.

Quote: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Coordination Headquarters for Evacuation, has launched urgent consultations with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to find ways to rescue our citizens.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on international partners to exert pressure on Russia to comply with international humanitarian law, demand the creation of evacuation corridors and necessary conditions for safe passage. Information regarding these crimes will be submitted to international monitoring missions. Ukraine will officially raise this crisis [in Oleshky, Hola Prystan, Stara Zburivka, and Nova Zburivka] at the UN and OSCE platforms."

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