(MENAFN- QNA) More than 6,000 people have died in eastern Ukraine since the start of the conflict almost a year ago, the UN human rights office says.
According to the latest human rights report released by the UN Office for the High Commissioner (OHCHR), the surge in fatalities in the Eastern European country has continued despite successive ceasefires as Government and rebel forces have escalated their fighting in recent weeks, particularly near the airport in Donetsk and in the area around the town of Debaltseve. The clashes have resulted in hundreds of deaths, both civilian and military, and "an untenable situation" for those trapped in the strife-torn areas.
"It is imperative that all sides comply with the provisions of the Minsk Agreements and halt the indiscriminate shelling and other hostilities that have created a dreadful situation for civilians – in stark disregard of international humanitarian law and human rights law," the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, warned in a press release.
At the same time, the High Commissioner observed a dangerous shift in the nature of the conflict following a series of recent deadly terrorist attacks in the cities of Kharkiv and Odessa and another suspected attack in Mariupol on 24 January.
The fighting has also sparked a massive outflow of refugees and displaced persons. Last month, the UN refugee agency reported at least 943,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs), with Ukraine's Ministry of Social Policy today counting some 980,000 people as currently internally displaced.
Meanwhile, over 600,000 Ukrainians have fled the country, seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, particularly the Russian Federation, but also Belarus, Moldova, Poland, Hungary and Romania, since February 2014.
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