Humanitarian problems remain unresolved in Donbas as winter approaches - OSCE mission

The humanitarian situation in the parts of Donbas not controlled by Kyiv remains complicated, but people believe that there is still a chance of normalizing living conditions in the region, Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Alexander Hug has said.

Speaking at a press conference in Luhansk on Friday, Hug expressed concern over the general humanitarian situation in villages, as well as the readiness of the heating system and access to fuel ahead of winter.

Enormous inflation rates have also been observed in the territories not controlled by the Ukrainian government, he said. In particular, the OSCE has compared prices for key food products in Luhansk and has concluded that they have increased 5% since the beginning of September, Hug said.

Nevertheless, people in the regions are confident that normalization is possible, he said, adding that an ever-growing number of people are returning to their homes and local companies are resuming their operations.

Furthermore, the OSCE is troubled by the closure of all humanitarian programs since the middle of July. Today not a single international aid organization has accreditation in the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, to which international organizations have been unable to deliver aid. At the same time, the Doctors Without Borders organization has been allowed to operate in the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.