The UN predicts a chemical disaster for Ukraine due to the fighting in Donbass
Ukraine could face a chemical disaster due to escalating hostilities near water infrastructure in the east of the country, special rapporteurs from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement on Friday.
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The Special Rapporteur on the human rights implications of environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and waste, Baskuk Tuncak, and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Leo Heller, expressed their views on the situation in eastern Ukraine.
“We are extremely concerned by recent reports of shelling in the area of water supply infrastructure in the Donetsk region, where chlorine and other dangerous chemicals are located. Damage to this infrastructure and destruction of water treatment plants could have dire consequences for the population and environment across large parts of eastern Ukraine,” the special rapporteurs said in a statement.
Experts warn that chlorine was used as a chemical weapon but was not listed as a weapon that must be controlled under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Chlorine can cause death from asphyxiation. Both experts called on all parties to the conflict to assess the possible impact of the destruction of water treatment infrastructure on the health of people living in the area, and to respect the tripartite group's July 19 decision that parties must respect demilitarized areas around critical infrastructure in Donetsk.
Earlier, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Neil Walker also expressed concern about the shelling of the Donetsk filtration station and the Verkhnekalmius filtration station.
According to him, any deliberate attempt to interfere with access to water or heating is a clear violation of international humanitarian law. He called on all parties to the conflict to respect such legislation and ensure security and basic needs for civilians.
As stated in the 18 report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in Ukraine, which was published on the 13 organization’s website in June, the death toll during the Donbas conflict exceeded 10 thousand, and almost 24 thousand more were injured.
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