Over the past six weeks, attacks in Ukraine have increased, and the humanitarian situation has worsened. In the past few days, we have distributed kits with personal hygiene products to the population.
The early months of 2024 have been marked by an intensification of attacks in Ukraine. Just over two years since the start of the conflict, there continue to be civilian casualties and destruction in frontline areas and across the country, with a particular escalation in the northeast.
Persistent attacks on civilian infrastructure have caused the disruption of essential services, such as electricity and heating, for hundreds of thousands of people, also affecting the work of hospitals and schools.
“Over the past six weeks, the situation has worsened considerably,” says Evangelos Tsilis, head of the INTERSOS mission in Ukraine. “Together with other humanitarian organisations, we have intervened to provide aid to people who have taken refuge in collective centres in the city.” As a result of the escalation, around 12,000 people have been sheltered in transit centres in Kharkiv and at least 18,000 have been displaced throughout the region, according to the latest figures from the UN agency IOM (World Organisation for Migration).
“We have distributed essential goods such as personal hygiene and menstrual hygiene kits, including intimate soap, and reusable pads, with special attention to the elderly and women,” says Evangelos. “We were faced with a humanitarian situation that was difficult to manage, the needs are many, and unfortunately, a deterioration is expected in the coming months. As the attacks increase, more and more civilians will need humanitarian aid of all kinds”.
According to an analysis by ACLED -an organisation that analyses conflicts around the world- since the end of May, Russian bombardments, missiles, and air strikes have relentlessly hit the regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhia. Only two-thirds of the civilian casualties have been recorded in the Kharkiv region where, according to the UN Human Rights Office, around 35 civilians have been killed and 137 injured since May 10th.