Kiev ‘punishes’ civilians in Donetsk with travel permits and drugs blockade

[newthinking]

Kiev ‘punishes’ civilians in Donetsk with travel permits and drugs blockade
Shaun Walker in Donetsk
TheGuardian.com

Ukrainians in disputed areas suffer as Kiev restricts access to food, electricity and medicines


Patients at a hospital in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on Monday. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters

As the conflict in East Ukraine enters another hot phase, residents of the rebel-controlled territories say they are now stranded due to a new travel permit system introduced by Kiev, while aid organisations have warned that a medical crisis could be on the horizon as Ukrainian authorities refuse to let through vital medicines.

“Since November, a series of measures taken by the Ukrainian government has effectively cut off civilians living in rebel-controlled areas and made it increasingly difficult to provide humanitarian aid,” said a statement by Médecins sans Frontières. The organisation said it had tried to deliver medical supplies to hospitals in the frontline city of Gorlovka on two occasions last week and failed to get through.

The situation will only be exacerbated by a permit system introduced last week, requiring anyone who wants to cross the line between Ukrainian-controlled territories and the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics to apply for a special pass. Applications are only accepted in Ukrainian-held territory, with the catch-22 situation that those in rebel-held territories cannot get to the permit application centre because they need a permit to get there.

Oleg Izmailov, a local journalist, called the new system “both idiotic and a breach of human rights”.

The only option for residents of Donetsk and other rebel-held towns to obtain the permit is to drive to the first Ukrainian checkpoint and hand over the application to soldiers, explaining their reasons for wanting a permit. However, the soldiers only accept a few applications per hour, meaning people wait for hours in the cold to hand over the documents, and then have to drive back 10 days later to find out if they have been granted permission. On Monday morning there was heavy shelling around the checkpoint, forcing cars to turn back to Donetsk.

Full Story:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/26/ukraine-donetsk-travel-permit-medicines

[Jake Stern]

1. So basically they can't get the rebels so they've instead chose to kick the

people in the proverbial balls?

That oughta win hearts and minds