Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 17th Jan. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine on Tuesday said in a new report issued that the hundreds of people across the country were killed or wounded in drone and missile strikes in past 10-day period between 29 December and 8 January alone.
Danielle Bell, head of the monitoring mission stated “Civilian casualties had been steadily decreasing in 2023 but the wave of attacks in late December and early January violently interrupted that trend”.
HRMMU verified that at least 592 civilians were killed or injured last month, a 26.5 per cent increase over November, representing “an alarming reversal of a downward trend” observed earlier in 2023.
The actual increase is likely higher as some casualty reports are yet to be verified.
HRMMU has verified reports of 86 killed and 416 injured and the high number of civilian casualties in December continued into early January.
It noted that the recent wave of attacks began on 29 December with missiles and drones that pounded cities and towns across Ukraine.
The most extensive attacks and the highest numbers of civilian casualties happened on that day and on 2 January but fatalities have continued, HRMMU stated.
It cited the 6 January missile attack on the small town of Pokrovsk and nearby Rivne village, located near the frontline in the east.
The mission noted two families – 6 adults and 5 children were buried in rubble after their homes were struck. Some of the bodies are still missing despite days of rescue and recovery efforts.
In Novomoskovsk East, the blast from a Russian missile injured 31 civilians, including 8 passengers on a minibus which was destroyed during the morning commute.
Some 40 per cent of the population, 14.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
Over 4 million people are internally displaced and 6.3 million have sought refuge elsewhere, mainly in neighboring countries.
UN launched a $4.2 million appeal to support humanitarian operations for 2024.
