Urgent appeal for action on humanitarian crisis in Oleshky
Residents in the temporarily occupied city of Oleshky are reportedly facing severe food shortages, with many resorting to eating grass and weeds to survive. Oleksii Sybiha, the head of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the dire situation, stating that essential resources such as medicine, clean water, electricity, and medical assistance are increasingly out of reach.
Sybiha pointed out that the suffering in Oleshky has a clear cause and perpetrator: Russia, the aggressor nation that has illegally occupied the area and is fully responsible for the humanitarian crisis and the loss of innocent lives. He urged international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to utilize their mandates and channels to ensure immediate and unhindered humanitarian access to the city.
He expressed gratitude to Michael O’Flaherty, the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, for drawing international attention to the plight in Oleshky. However, Sybiha stressed that statements of concern alone will not suffice; concrete actions are necessary. “Humanitarian access and safe evacuation must become a reality, as every day counts for those in need,” he said.
In a previous statement, O’Flaherty noted his concern regarding the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the city, underscoring that the suffering of its residents requires immediate international attention and action.
Context
- Oleshky has been under occupation since the early days of the full-scale war. Located on the left bank of the Dnipro River near Kherson, which was liberated in the fall of 2022, the city has been cut off from supplies since spring. Volunteers have been unable to evacuate residents, with estimates suggesting that between 4,000 and 6,000 people remain, including children. Access roads are reportedly mined, and humanitarian aid deliveries are met with gunfire from occupying forces.
- On May 7, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared a humanitarian disaster in Oleshky and called upon the international community to respond. The ministry has sought the ICRC’s assistance to facilitate the evacuation of civilians. Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets has indicated the urgent need to evacuate approximately 200 children trapped in Oleshky, citing that earlier delays were primarily due to the Russian position on maintaining a ceasefire during the evacuation process.
- The occupiers initially denied the existence of a humanitarian crisis, later acknowledging it while blaming Ukraine for the situation.
- Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has brought the situation in Oleshky before the UN Security Council. At a September 23 meeting, the Foreign Minister urged the international community to demand that Russia open humanitarian corridors and ensure the unobstructed delivery of aid to civilians. He highlighted Oleshky’s plight, urging, “If you remember only one thing from this meeting, remember Oleshky. Hear their cry for help. Demand that Russia open humanitarian corridors. Moscow is the sole cause of this catastrophe and the only obstacle to its resolution.”
