UN aid reaches eastern Ukraine

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Friday reported that aid convoys have reached conflict-affected populations in the non-government controlled area of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, a UN spokesman told reporters here.

"It was the first delivery in five months for thousands of people who had their homes damaged or destroyed during the conflict," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.

Two separate convoys of 25 trucks each travelled with support from the World Food Programme and local partners to deliver supplies.

The first Thursday delivered 23,000 roofing sheets, he said, adding that the second delivered cement, bricks, roofing material, tarpaulins and nails as well as kitchen sets and jerry cans on Friday.

UNHCR estimates that some 10,000 houses in non-government controlled areas of Luhansk have been damaged as a result of the conflict.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documented 69 civilian casualties in June, including 12 dead and 57 injured, and 73 civilian casualties in July, including eight dead and 65 injured, the highest figures since August 2015. The average of 71 casualties for these two months was more than double the monthly average of 34 from September 2015 through May 2016.

In total, from mid-April 2014 to July 31, 2016, the UN human rights office has documented 31,690 casualties, including 9,553 killed and 22,137 injured in the conflict area in eastern Ukraine, including Ukrainian forces, civilians and members of the armed groups. Endite