Kyiv, 15 August 2014 – “Today Ukrainian humanitarian cargo has been delivered to Luhansk region, it will be handed over to the Red Cross. Currently humanitarian cargo from Kharkiv has been unloaded in Starobilsk and was handed over to the Red Cross in accordance with all international rules and procedures. At the same time in Severodonetsk unloading of trucks that arrived from Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv is underway,” informed Iryna Gerashchenko, MP, envoy of the Ukraine’s President for conflict settlement in Donetsk and Luhansk regions at a briefing in the UkraineCrisisMediaCenter. “For the time being Ukrainian side has formed 71 trucks of humanitarian cargo, its general weight is approximately 800 tones, it includs food (Ukrainian potatoes, cabbage, carrot, flour and other products), personal hygiene products and other prime commodities,” she added.
At the same time Mrs. Gerashchenko stressed on the key problems as seen by the Ukrainian authorities and the Red Cross – these are heat and food preservation as the trucks are being unloaded at the temperature of +35C, as well as safety of cargo delivery to civilians. As Iryna Gerashchenko underlined: “For now militants bear complete responsibility over delivery of food and basic commodities to Luhansk locals. Ukrainian authorities have all opportunities to feed the people however they are not let into Luhansk, moreover civilians are not let out of Luhansk, they don’t let to create humanitarian corridor to evacuate the people from there.”
The overall amount provided from Ukraine’s state budget to purchase food and prime commodities constitutes UAH 10 million. In addition to that and according to the agreements with the European Union member states Ukraine will be provided with € 2,5 million to cover the needs of the humanitarian mission.
Wrapping up Mrs. Gerashchenko informed that Ukraine’s President reached agreement with the representatives of NATO member states as to the prosthesis of 50 most complicated injury cases of Ukrainian servicemen during ATO.
