You're reading: Human rights commissioner calls on conflicting parties in Donbas to abide by humanitarian law

Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muiznieks, who visited Kyiv and Donbas earlier this week, calls on the conflicting parties in Ukraine "to strictly respect the provisions of international humanitarian law and to do their utmost to reduce the suffering of civilians."

In an interim report on his trip posted on Facebook, the commissioner expressed his concern about the position of vulnerable groups in the conflict area in eastern Ukraine.

“The continuing armed conflict in eastern Ukraine has a devastating impact on the life of communities in the vicinity of the contact line. Facilities such as schools, hospitals and kindergartens are being destroyed, the most vulnerable groups – people with disabilities, old persons, mothers with children – suffer from lack of food, medication, water, sanitation,” Muiznieks said.

He encouraged the conflicting parties “to take practical steps in order to facilitate access of humanitarian aid to the affected communities on both sides of the dividing line and in the buffer zone.”

“It is also important to take concrete and pragmatic steps towards minimizing the existing barriers severely affecting freedom of movement across the contact line,” Muiznieks said.

The commissioner urged Ukrainian authorities “to do their utmost to facilitate access and protect the right to freedom of movement of the citizens and residents of Ukraine living in the conflict-affected areas.”

Muiznieks said also that he would like “to return to Ukraine early next year.”