Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nearly one million people have been forced to leave their homes because of fighting in eastern Ukraine, the United Nations’s refugee agency has said.
UN refugee agency teams on the ground are reporting families arriving in towns on the edge of the conflict zone with very few possessions and without proper winter clothes despite the Ukrainian winter’s sub-zero temperatures.
The number of displaced people remaining inside Ukraine is around 980,000 and still rising, according to figures collected by Ukraine's Ministry of Social Policy and released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In addition, UNHCR estimates around 600,000 Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring countries, particularly Russia.
Significant numbers of people have also fled to neighbouring Belarus, Moldova, Poland, Hungary and Romania, since February 2014.
A UNHCR spokesperson said: “Local authorities have begun to evacuate people from conflict areas, but many are still trapped by the fighting, including in basements and buildings under constant bombardment.
“The evacuations are being organized by the government helped by local volunteers,” he added.
The Ukrainian government says towns close to the frontline of fighting in the Donetsk region are having difficulty coping with the influx of refugees.
Those fleeing the fighting have left in a mixture of organised evacuations and under their own steam.
In a press release the UNHCR emphasised that collapse of public services previously administered from Kiev has “drastically worsened the plight of the civilian population in areas not under government control”.
“This has been further aggravated by restrictions to the movement of people and goods. The surge in fighting has further limited the supply of urgently needed goods in the conflict areas.”
In the last month unpredictable outbreaks of fighting in Ukraine’s Dontesk region have continued, with reports of civilians casualties.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments