Lubinets: Preparations underway to evacuate people from Oleshky on left bank of Kherson region
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and Russia's human rights commissioner regarding the need to organize the safe evacuation of civilians from the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region, which is suffering from a humanitarian catastrophe.
"Every day, people in Oleshky suffer from a humanitarian catastrophe, large-scale destruction and destroyed civilian infrastructure. The city and nearby settlements remain without proper access to water, food, medical care and security," he said on the Ombudsman's Telegram channel.
According to him, the situation remains critical in Oleshky, Hola Prystan, Stara Zburiyivka and Nova Zburiyivka in Kherson region.
"Russian occupiers are blocking people from leaving and obstructing the supply of basic goods and medicines. The population has decreased from around 40,000 to approximately 6,000 people, including in Oleshky from 24,000 to about 2,000. In total, more than 6,000 people may need humanitarian assistance, including about 200 children. Most of them have limited mobility," Lubinets said.
In response to his appeal, the ICRC informed him of its readiness to facilitate the necessary measures to organize the departure of Ukrainian citizens from this territory.
"Work is currently underway with all relevant parties to develop safe evacuation routes. Once the decisions are agreed upon, concrete steps will be taken for the departure of civilians who need it. For our part, we have submitted to the ICRC a consolidated list of people who need assistance, including evacuation, and we remain in constant contact with them," Lubinets said.
The Ombudsman hopes that this work will result in real humanitarian solutions that will make it possible to organize the safe departure of civilians to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
As reported, on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine issued a statement drawing the attention of the international community to the serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in certain areas of the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region as a result of crimes committed by the Russian occupiers, who are grossly violating international humanitarian law.