Restoring Donbas: main events December 7 – 13

16:55 / 13 Dec. 2015 / 1230

In Kiev took place the large-scale Forum devoted to reintegration and restoring problems of Donbas, the address help to IDPs can be increased considerably, uncontrollable territories are threatened by isolation. We will tell about these and other important events in our review of last week’s key news.

Donbas theme on Ukrainian territories

Holding in Kiev the Forum “Restoring Donbas and Ukraine” became one of the key news connected with a Donbas theme last week. Olexander Klymenko’s community initiative “Restoring Donbas”, the Ukrainian institute of analysis and management in policy and Institute of the strategic researches “New Ukraine” became initiators and co-organizers of this action, which took place on December 10.

Organizers of the Forum set a goal to create a public platform for searching the ways of Donbas restoring, social and economic development of Ukraine in modern conditions. More than 150 speakers and guests participated in the Forum — authorities, public, expert and scientific environment, business. Including – UNICEF, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young. Within the Forum the head of community initiative “Restoring Donbas” Elena Petryayeva with organizers of the Forum presented joint practices — “12 steps to peace and restoring of Donbas and Ukraine”.

Situation on the uncontrolled territory of Donbas

Meanwhile from the territories controlled by DNR and LPR arrives contradictory information. On the one hand, news about coal shipment renewal from the temporarily uncontrollable territory of Donetsk and Lugansk regions became positive. Press service of “DTEK Power” reported about it. In the message was reminded, earlier the Minister of Energy and coal industry Vladimir Demchishin told, that in his understanding all commands for deliveries renewal are already given. Coal shipment from the anti-terrorist operation zone was stopped on November 20.

Meanwhile  situation with the energy carriers on uncontrollable territories remains difficult — boiler rooms on all territory controlled by DNR (except New Azov region) were transferred to the minimum gas consumption mode, in connection with pressure decrease in the main  pipeline.

One more negative new was that next year DNR planned obligatory registration of all cars which don’t have DNR numbers, registered in Ukraine and in other states. However, it is reported that cars, which was registered in Ukraine, can be driven both with Ukrainian numbers, and with numbers of DNR.

IDPs from Donbas

On the leaving week it became known that the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers is suggesting to provide in the state budget for 2016 from funds of 2 billion 886,9927 million UAH for providing the monthly address help on accommodation and housing-and-municipal services payments to IDPs from Donbas and the Crimea. Such data contain in the explanatory note to the government bill No. 3000 “About the state budget for 2016” of September 14. It should be noted that this sum almost in 6 times more than the sum allocated to IDPs from the state budget in 2015.

The situation with housing provision to IDPs, still doesn’t look optimistical. Now, according to Interdepartmental coordination headquarters of GS emergency in Ukraine, local cities authorities are ready to provide IDPs 698 objects with various form of ownership. Here is possible placement of 11399 persons.

The law on the rights of IDPs still unsigned by the president. Public men and Donetsk regional organization “Committee of Voters in Ukraine” appealed to Petro Poroshenko sign this document last week.

The adviser of the Ministry of social policy for internally displaced persons in Donetsk region Alexander Voroshkov  urged representatives of business not to refuse from displaced persons employment. He told about it during the XI International forum “Opened Donbas” in Kramatorsk today. Voroshkov noted, that agrees with the results of opinion poll, which are recently sounded during a round table in the Donetsk regional state administration, inhabitants of the controlled part of Donetsk called three main problems. The first two of them are the prices and tariffs, and on the third place – employment.

Situation on block posts

On the beginning of new year in SBU fulfill a question of automatic admission extension to the anti-terrorist operation zone, if its term comes to end this year. This new was sounded by the speaker of SBU Elena Gitlyanskaya on December 10, became one of key in access control theme, not only for last week, but for some last months.

At the same time about checkpoints rules weakening was not told at the briefing in Kramatorsk. Deputy headquarters commander of anti-terrorist operation Taras Dzyuba accurately declared. He, in particular, quashed rumors that KPVV on the line of demarcation can “go on vacation” at the end of December. Remind, now KPVV operating time is defined by the order of anti-terrorist operation headquarters.

Thus an appeal of the OSCE to the sides of Donbas conflict to provide the population with free journey through check points on the line of demarcation during the forthcoming period of holidays he called political.

Meanwhile turns on checkpoints continues breaking records and creating difficulties to peaceful citizens.

So, in the morning of December 9 on Donbas more than 1500 cars waited in turns on the line of demarcation in the anti-terrorist operation  zone. On Thursday, December 10, on post in Artemivsk direction there was a critical situation – people in foot turn were compelled to wait for 8 hours at zero temperature. Buses went seldom this day, instead of regular big buses people between control points were carried by small “Bogdan”. The automobile turn reached huge sizes and moved extremely slowly. Same day in the morning on control points of entrance/departure «Zaytsevo” and “Georgiyevka” on registration waited on departure about 400 and 120 vehicles. Respectively 300 and 200 cars waited registration on these KPVV, on direction to the territory under Ukrainian control.

Despite such situation, the prospect of events succession in the anti-terrorist operation zone tells about even big difficulties for persons who want to cross the line of demarcation. In particular, it is about prospect of uncontrollable territories total block. On the leaving week, the Cabinet of ministers of Ukraine finished the draft development about the restriction on goods, works and services deliveries on temporarily uncontrollable territories. The Head of Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people People’s Deputy Refat Chubarov reported about it. He emphasized that with adoption of this resolution trade relations (trading, supplying of goods, services) of the mainland of Ukraine with the territory of the Crimea and others temporarily uncontrollable territory will be completely stopped

Help of the humanitarian organizations

Considerable activity in solution of Donbas problems was shown by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In particular, the ICRC sent humanitarian aid on the territory, controlled to the official Ukrainian authority. According to the Ukrainian frontier guards, through the control points Novotroitsk followed 11 vehicles with humanitarian freight from the Red Cross. Cars carried goods of medical appointment, goods for hygiene and food for inhabitants of Donetsk region.

Besides, current week, on December 10, to Donetsk region arrived nine trucks with humanitarian aid of the International Committee of the Red Cross and “Dobrota” charity foundation. Vehicles transported over 140 tons of food and medicines for inhabitants of Donetsk region.

The help to IDPs and inhabitants of the anti-terrorist operation zone on the leaving week appeared by exclusively internal forces, thanks to work of the Ukrainian volunteers. On December 7 representatives of community initiative “Restoring Donbas” delivered the charitable aid to the front cities of Donbas. Freight with essentials was delivered to the cities of Kurakhovo and Avdeevka.

Blankets, towels, buckets, laundry detergents and means of personal hygiene (soap, shampoos, shower gels and toothpastes) were a part of the help. In total, volunteers gave 1100 units of goods to the temple of the Majestic icon of the God’s Mother located in Kurakhovo. As much — to the Saint Mary Magdalene’s temple located in Avdeevka.

Besides, since December 8 in the Kiev Center of the advisory help to IDPs, created by community initiative “Restorinf Donbas” began the next stage of the charitable help delivery to internally displaced persons from Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

IDPs are given also information help. So, on December 7 in Kramatorsk summed up the results of the project “Advokation and Legal Aid to Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine”. Its participants — the Danish council for affairs of refugees, the UN and All-Ukrainian fund “Right for Protection”. The representative of UN Agency for the rights of refugees Aslak Solumsmuen told about it. Except a legal aid immigrants were also given money for projects.

International situation

Last week became sated because of statements of the international structures. Especially UN officials.

So, the First Deputy UN Secretary General Jan Eliasson at a meeting of the Security council for Ukraine noted, that the Minsk arrangements on situation settlement on the east of Ukraine have to be executed. Thus, he urged all sides to open access for crucial humanitarian aid delivery to inhabitants of temporarily uncontrolled territories of Donbas and to guarantee a freedom of movement to civilians across the territory of all country.

On behalf of the UN Eliasson stated preservation about probability of conflict escalation on Donbas, having called a conflict zone “strongly militarized” and having emphasized non-performance of the majority of Minsk arrangements.

The secretary’s assistant on human rights Ivan Shimonovich became one more speaker from the UN for Ukraine last week. Except statistics about victims of the conflict, for the last three months was sounded intention from Management of the UN High Commissioner for human rights to increase the presence on Donbas. In particular — to open new office in Kramatorsk and to increase number of employees in Donetsk and Lugansk.

Such intention is quite justified, considering that according to the last report of the UN, during the conflict on Donbas, more than 9 thousand people were killed, and even more than 20 thousand are victims. Now in the conflict zone in the east of Ukraine 3,1 million inhabitants need help.

Against such activity from the UN, Minsk negotiators on the leaving week could not achieve any considerable results. However, some arrangements really have great importance. One of important achievements was that representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and “Doctors without borders” had an opportunity to visit penal institutions on the uncontrollable territory of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Negotiators in Minsk concluded that DNR and LNR have to provide the international organizations access to prisoners who are in imprisonment places on the uncontrollable territory of Donbas.

Besides, on December 8 at the tripartite contact grou meeting in Minsk was reached the agreement on 5 sites on Donbas mine clearing. The OSCE Representative Martin Saydik reported about it.

Saydik called conflicting sides on Donbas to release illegally detained persons as soon as possible. According to him, the question of illegally detained persons releasing and drawing up lists of missing persons stood on the agenda of the subgroup on humanitarian issues, which gathered on Tuesday in the Belarusian capital.

Representatives of USA commented on a situation on Donbas. So, the commander of USA land forces in Europe lieutenant-general Ben Hodges this week declared, that situation on Donbass impossible to call completely settled because of frequent cases of violence on the line of demarcation. And the Vice President of the United States Joseph Biden, who visited Ukraine at the meeting with the Ukrainian parliamentarians, representatives of Presidential Administration and members of the civil urged to adopt the law about elections on uncontrolled territories.

The restoring-donbass.com website - is an interactive platform, which was created by the "Restoring Donbas" community initiative of Oleksandr Klymenko. The latest news, blogs and analysis, background information and useful ads for IDPs and Donbas residents are available on the website.