Residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions affected by the conflict are currently in dire need of humanitarian assistance, and the restriction of the work of entry-exit checkpoints on the contact line has a negative impact on their livelihoods, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Osnat Lubrani has said.

"The measure intended to help save people's lives has hit hard the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of conflict-weary people. The restrictions on movement are dividing families and exacerbating their conflict-induced depression, anxiety and stress," according to the statement of Lubrani, released by the press service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine on Monday.

"After 12 months of stringent movement restrictions, it is clear that the conflict-affected people are reaching a breaking point. They desperately need humanitarian assistance to hold on until life can return to some form of normality," she said.

According to Lubrani, today marks exactly one year since the almost complete closure of all crossing points in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. The closure has led to a drastic 97% decrease in the number of people able to cross the contact line compared with before March 21, 2020.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator also said that the humanitarian community in Ukraine continues its efforts to ensure that all people in need, wherever they reside, receive appropriate support and in a timely manner. "All relevant actors must facilitate the transit and delivery of humanitarian relief. On-going restrictions on the ability of humanitarian actors to assist people in areas beyond Government control prevent the people in need from getting the help they need and deserve," she said.

I count on the commitment of all actors to avoid politicization of humanitarian aid and ensure that all urgently needed critical assistance that is ready to be delivered, including life-saving health supplies, is permitted to reach those in need in accordance with International Humanitarian Law, she said.