The humanitarian situation in the parts of the Donbas not controlled by Kyiv remains complicated, but people believe that there is still a chance of normalizing living conditions in the region, Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Alexander Hug has said.
Speaking at a press conference in Luhansk on Oct. 2, Hug expressed concern over the general humanitarian situation in villages, as well as the readiness of the heating system and access to fuel ahead of winter.
Enormous inflation rates have also been observed in the territories not controlled by the Ukrainian government, he said. In particular, the OSCE has compared prices for key food products in Luhansk and has concluded that they have increased 5 percent since the beginning of September, Hug said.
Nevertheless, people in the oblasts are confident that normalization is possible, he said, adding that an ever-growing number of people are returning to their homes and local companies are resuming their operations.
