Statement of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center

According to Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center none of humanitarian missions delivered their aid to the civilian population in non-government-controlled areas (NGCA) of Donbas over the past 10 days. Now the humanitarian community is studying the causes of the current situation (requirements from non-government-controlled areas regarding the registration documents).

 

The convoy of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center with survival kits for local civilians have crossed the contact line on the 15th of July. The Humanitarian Center's issuing points in NGCA keep on operating due to survival kit reserves at Donetsk warehouse of the Humanitarian Center in Donbas Arena stadium. These reserves are getting exhausted.

 

The humanitarian situation across the contact line has escalated significantly during these days, and today the humanitarian assistance is needed there more than ever before.

 

On July 27, 2015, the Humanitarian Center's convoy consisting of 19 trucks with 20,000 survival kits leaves Dnipropetrovsk for Donetsk. The documents for the convoy are formalized, as always for almost a year, strictly in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine and in compliance with all rules and procedures.

 

Rinat Akhmetov set a goal for his Humanitarian Center to provide the maximum assistance to civilians on both sides of the contact line. The Humanitarian Center intends to seek for an opportunity to deliver humanitarian aid to children, elderly and disabled people.

 

We hope that the convoy will be allowed to NGCA and those, who desperately need help now, will be provided with survival kits. Otherwise we will have to close our issuing points in NGCA from the 29th of July.

 

The Humanitarian Center has been delivering survival kits to NGCA residents and IDPs for a year, and unfortunately, during this year it has experienced multiple constraints with humanitarian aid delivery (from active military actions and closed checkpoints to detention of cargoes by territorial defence battalions). However, our work for people in strict compliance with key humanitarian principles and strict adherence to the requirements of the law is the guarantee that sooner or later our convoys always reached their destination points. We hope that today's convoy is not an exception.

 

Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center is the largest humanitarian organization in the region. We know that each of more than half million people, who are getting our humanitarian aid, is waiting for it and really needs it.

 

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) there are more than 5 million Ukrainian residents who require humanitarian assistance, mainly in non-government-controlled areas of Donbas.

 

The humanitarian catastrophe is so large-scale that we can cope with the trouble of millions only by joint efforts of international and national humanitarian organizations, following the uniform and clear principles and rules. 

 

We call on the participants of Minsk settlement of the conflict to develop, agree and acknowledge the transparent rules of humanitarian aid delivery to Donbas as soon as possible. Humanitarian assistance shall remain beyond borders and beyond all conflicts always and everywhere.

 

Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center calls on everyone, who has any influence on this situation, to rise above political considerations and give an opportunity for all international and national humanitarian organizations to rescue people. This is dictated by international law and common humanity.

 

That is why humanitarian assistance shall always have green light and unobstructed passage. Humanitarian assistance shall always be beyond all borders and conflicts and above the laws adopted by either side. Any obstacles and limitations that constrain the humanitarian aid passage shall be eliminated. We cannot let civilians die from hunger and diseases.