Ukraine-Sammler: Mehr als 6.000 Tote in nicht mal einem Jahr

Bei den Kämpfen im Osten der Ukraine sind innerhalb noch nicht mal eines Jahres mehr als 6.000 Menschen ums Leben gekommen. Diese Zahl nannte der UN-Hochkomissar für Menschenrechte Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein am (heutigen) Montag bei der Vorlage eines Berichts zur Lage in dem europäischen Land. Vor allem im Januar und Februar dieses Jahres sei nach einer trügerischen Ruhe in den Monaten zuvor die Zahl der Toten wieder in die Höhe geschnellt – und vor allem seien Zivilisten betroffen:

The estimated number of people killed in eastern Ukraine since April 2014 has now passed the 6,000 mark, in spite of successive ceasefires, the UN Human Rights Office announced Monday, saying the escalation in fighting in recent weeks, particularly near Donetsk airport and in the Debaltseve area, resulted in hundreds of deaths, both civilian and military, and an untenable situation for those trapped or held hostage in the areas controlled by armed groups.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said the latest human rights monitoring report on the situation in Ukraine, released today, paints a picture of “merciless devastation of civilian lives and infrastructure.” Women, children, the elderly and vulnerable groups have been particularly badly affected. (…)
The ninth report of the UN Human Rights Mission in Ukraine, which covers the period between 1 December 2014 and 15 February 2015, refers to reports that heavy weaponry and foreign fighters, including from the Russian Federation, continue to flow into areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions controlled by the armed groups.
After a relative lull in December, the security and human rights situation in the east “dramatically deteriorated” in January and early February, the report states. Heavy civilian tolls of dead and wounded resulted from indiscriminate shelling of residential areas in both Government-controlled areas, such as Avdiika, Debaltseve, Popasna, Schastia and Stanychno-Luhanske, as well as cities controlled by the armed groups, including Donetsk and Horlivka. (…)
From mid-April 2014 to 28 February 2015, 5,809 people were documented as killed and 14,740 wounded in the east of Ukraine. Of these, 1,012 were killed and 3,793 wounded between 1 December 2014 and 15 February 2015. Given that full reports on casualties, especially near Donetsk airport and in the Debaltseve area, are still pending, the UN Human Rights Office estimates that the total number of people killed in eastern Ukraine by 2 March has almost certainly exceeded 6,000.

Den kompletten Bericht gibt es hier.

(Weiter nach Entwicklung.)

(Foto mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Jeroen Akkermans)