Nataliya Didyk: Luhansk and Donetsk regions may face the humanitarian disaster

Kyiv, June 5, 2014 – The crisis in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions caused serious humanitarian problems, and the public is actively involved in their solution. “As a result of public monitoring in the eastern regions of Ukraine, we see nonconformity of official statements and real situation. The residents of Donbas and Luhansk region feel abandoned by the state. If appropriate measures are not taken the community will experience an explosion that will lead to irreversible consequences of a humanitarian catastrophe,”- said the founder and coordinator of the “Circle of People’s Trust” Nataliya Didyk during a briefing at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center.

The public representatives from all the regions of Ukraine who had gathered at the initiative of the “Circle of People’s Trust”, almost 100 kilometers from Slovyansk, in the presence of observers, international organizations, the UN, the OSCE and the EU Delegation from May 30 to June 1, conducted a three-day meeting on the topic “Uniting Ukraine due to the community”. The purpose of the meeting was to find the solutions to problems of people forced to move out of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and the Crimea, by the community. Underlining the scale of the situation the representatives of the “Circle of People’s Trust” led the figure of 70 thousand migrants only from Donetsk and Luhansk regions (excluding the Crimea).

Following the meeting a proposal on measures was developed to solve the situation, which will be included into the official statement to the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the newly-elected President. The representatives of the initiative stated the requirements of the “Circle of People’s Trust” to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to protect the population, namely: the need for adoption of the Law “On the introduction of the legal regime of martial law on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions” and the Law “On the status of displaced persons”. These laws can provide residents of these regions, forced to move, with state protection and resolve their legal status.

The call to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “Circle of People’s Trust” includes the following requirements:

  • to block the state border of Ukraine in all the places of mass penetration of saboteurs to the territory of Ukraine, and not only in official places of crossing the state border;
  • to restore the system of local public authorities and law enforcement agencies to secure territory if their work resume is impossible;
  • to investigate the known facts of treason of the military structures and ineffective use of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
  • to prosecute officials of local authorities, local councilors and deputies of Ukraine that supported separatists and were directly involved in organization of their activity by providing them with money and weapons.

“Citizens’ defense is the direct responsibility of the state. The failure of this function may be regarded by the public as a disability or interest in such state of things and such consequences. So we do hope to be heard and are ready to cooperate with the authorities of Ukraine”, – said Nataliya Didyk.

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