OSCE monitors evacuation of civilians

KYIV/DEBALTSEVE – Monitors from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)on February 6 completed a full day of monitoring of the evacuation of civilians from the heavily-shelled city of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine. SMM patrols were dispatched early that morning to Debaltseve after all sides agreed to an eight-hour temporary truce. The truce allowed several hundred civilians to leave Debaltseve. The SMM followed approximately 50 buses coming from Donetsk and Kramatorsk, which, after entering Debaltseve, collected civilians at assembly points in the city. Those who wanted to leave the city were given the choice of one of two destinations. The SMM then followed these buses on their respective journeys to Donetsk and Kramatorsk. The SMM chief monitor, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, said: “I call upon all sides to continue efforts to facilitate evacuations from areas where civilians are impacted. Localized ceasefires should be used to ease the conditions of civilians – particularly the most vulnerable – who find themselves trapped by the violence of the conflict. The silence of the weapons should also be used as an opportunity for dialogue and the resumption of consultations towards a sustainable cease-fire and the full implementation of the Minsk documents.” The temporary truce came after OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ivica Dačić, on February 3 called on all actors in and around Debaltseve to establish a local temporary truce. Previously, Col. Andriy Lysenko of the Ukraine Crisis Media Center reported that Ukraine’s Emergency Service on February 3 had evacuated 188 people, including eight children, from the towns of Debaltseve and Svitlodarsk in Donetsk region. On February 2, Ukrainian Railways provided free transportation for 235 internally displaced persons who left the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone. And on January 30, 310 people were evacuated from Debaltseve, 60 people from Avdiyivka, 28 children from Shchastia, 62 people from the village Troitske. Transit checkpoints were organized at railway stations in the cities of Sloviansk and Kostiantynivka. They will be used not only as transition points, but also as centers for psychological and medical care as well for resolving social and domestic issues of internally displaced persons, Col. Lysenko said. (Ukraine Crisis Media Center)