Ahad 05 Apr 2015 13:46 WIB

OSCE warns of 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Eastern Ukraine

Red: Julkifli Marbun
A Ukrainian national flag flies atop the traffic control tower of the Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International airport hit by recent shelling in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, September 30, 2014. Seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed when separatist shelling hit t
Foto: REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
A Ukrainian national flag flies atop the traffic control tower of the Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International airport hit by recent shelling in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, September 30, 2014. Seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed when separatist shelling hit t

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KIEV -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Friday that residents of eastern Ukraine are suffering from a serious humanitarian disaster due to the impact of the conflict between governmental forces and pro-independence insurgents.

"A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in eastern Ukraine right before our eyes," Michael Bociurkiw, a spokesman for the OSCE monitoring mission to Ukraine, told reporters.

Many people living in Lugansk and Donetsk regions are suffering from medicine shortages and have no proper access to healthcare due to the damage to medical infrastructure caused by the conflict, Bociurkiw said.

He added that some vulnerable groups of people are also experiencing problems with getting social benefits, humanitarian aid and other essential assistance from the authorities.