Many people in retaken Ukrainian areas 'unable to meet even their most basic needs': UN
The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is continuing, with around half of the population in the Kharkiv region needing food assistance, according to the United Nations.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that many of those living in areas retaken by Ukraine’s counteroffensive are “unable to meet even their most basic needs.”
“Nearly 140,000 people are believed to remain in the towns, villages and settlements in areas where control has changed, but they have extremely limited access to food, water, gas, electricity and medical services,” said Jens Laerke, an OCHA spokesperson.
In Izium, eastern Ukraine, only around 9,000 people from its original population of 46,000 residents have remained in the town. Those who stayed are now “completely dependent” on aid, says the OCHA.
"Markets and shops in Izium have been destroyed, or are closed. Families gather in the main town square to exchange their possessions and supplies to meet their basic needs,” Laerke added.
In the town of Kupiansk, which is in the eastern Luhansk region, only 4,000 of its original 28,000 residents have stayed in their homes.
Though fighting is still taking place in the area, the OCHA said it is able to deliver water, food, medicine, health services and essential household items to those in need.
The International Monetary Fund has also responded to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. It has agreed to give Kyiv around €1.3 billion for its food crisis assistance program.
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