11:59 31.05.2017

Some 35 civilians killed in Donbas from March until mid-April, more than 2,000 over 3 years of conflict

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Some 35 civilians killed in Donbas from March until mid-April, more than 2,000 over 3 years of conflict

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has confirmed 178 civilian casualties (35 killed and 143 wounded) in eastern Ukraine from March until May 14, 2017.

The total number of casualties among civilians in the period from April 14, 2014 until May 14, 2017 is more than 2,000 people and the number of civilians who were wounded is 7,000-9,000 people.

"The reason for the majority of victims is shelling, explosions on mines and explosive remnants of war," the humanitarian bulletin of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for March-April says.

The risk of death and injuries inflicted by blasts of dud mines and munitions remains high, accidents are reported almost daily, the OCHA also said.

These incidents caused 70 civilian casualties (22 killed and 48 injured) in March-April that is 94% higher than the data for the same period in 2016, when four were killed and 32 injured, the OHCHR said. Some 74.3% of these casualties were reported in the territories outside the Ukrainian government's control, where humanitarian access is limited (66.6% in 2016).

At the same time, shell attacks caused major damage to residential houses and vitally important infrastructure, in particular, electric power and water supply facilities, hospitals and schools, the document indicated.

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