E. Ukraine death toll exceeds 9,000 despite drop in fighting: UN report

More than 9,000 people have been killed in the 21-month-old conflict in eastern Ukraine even though the fighting has substantially eased in recent months, the United Nations (UN) said on Wednesday.

According to the report released by the UN human rights office, at least 9,098 people, including combatants and civilians, have been killed and 20,732 others have been wounded during the confrontation in Donetsk and Lugansk regions since April 2014.

At least 47 civilian were killed in eastern Ukraine between mid-August and mid-November, although certain areas, the report said, have witnessed a significant reduction of hostilities since a fresh ceasefire three months ago.

According to the report, the new casualties were caused mainly by the remnants of the conflict, such as landmines and improvised explosive devices planted in the battlefields.

The report also highlighted a challenging humanitarian situation in the restive area, noting that an estimated 2.9 million people living in the territory are facing difficulties in exercising their economic and social rights, in particular, accessing quality medical care, accommodation, social services and benefits.

The humanitarian situation is "particularly difficult" near the contact line of the recent fighting, where people are experiencing limitations of cross-border movement, which disrupts their family and communal links, the report noted.

Crisis in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April 2014 when Kiev launched offensives against pro-independence insurgents in a bid to retake the cities and towns seized by them.

On Sept. 1 this year, the ceasefire regime was established in the conflict-affected areas that resulted in a period of fragile calm, though sporadic clashes between the confronting sides still occurred. Endi