Since Feb. 24, cities across Ukraine have been the target of devastating weapons strikes. Hundreds of thousands are fleeing their homes.

(Silver Spring, Maryland) — Since February 24, 2022, and the beginning of a large-scale military conflict in Ukraine, cities across the country have been the target of devastating weapons strikes. Main cities like Kharkiv and the capital, Kyiv, have been subjected to heavy bombing.

According to early reports, 100 civilians have been killed and 300 injured. Bombing and shelling in populated areas cause harm to civilians in a tragically predictable way, which has been systematically observed across conflicts. Humanity & Inclusion calls for an immediate end to the hostilities, and for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructures from the effects of war. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas must stop. Civilians in Ukraine must have access to humanitarian aid, and their movements must be protected when they flee the conflict.

A recurring pattern of harm

Recent conflicts marked by massive use of explosive weapons in populated areas – like in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq – but also in East Ukraine in 2014-2017 and in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 – show a recurring pattern of harm to civilians:

• When used in populated areas, 90% of the people injured and killed by explosive weapons are civilians. 400 civilians have already been killed or injured, mainly by explosive weapons in populated areas including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and air strikes, according to the United Nations. Reports in Kyiv and other cities, such as Kharkiv, show families bunkering down in subways and basements to protect themselves from bombing and shelling.
• During war between 2014 and 2021 in East Ukraine, more than 14,000 people were killed, including nearly 3,400 civilians. Civilians accounted for 89% of explosive weapons casualties, according to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-PAX.

Injuries caused by explosive weapons are complex, difficult to heal, may cause life-long pain or discomfort, and often lead to permanent disabilities. The psychological trauma due to bombing can also affect an entire population.

Bombing and shelling in populated areas damage and destroy civilian infrastructure, including vital services like hospitals, water supply, and schools. Even when a military infrastructure is targeted, an explosive weapon in a populated area is very likely to damage civilians and civilian infrastructures surrounding it.

“There is no such thing as a ‘surgical strike.’ We know that the imprecision or the power of the explosion causes inevitable damage to civilians," says Jeff Meer, U.S. Executive Director of Humanity & Inclusion. "A strike aimed at a military target, like an airport for example, can hit a residential area located almost 1,000 feet away.”

Bombing and shelling in populated areas also cause massive displacement of populations. So far, the United Nations reports that 400,000 people have fled Ukraine to protect themselves from combat, bombing and shelling.

Bombing and shelling result in massive contamination by explosive remnants of war, which pose a threat to civilians both during and after hostilities and prevents the safe return of refugees and displaced persons.

“Consequences of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas are tragically predictable," Meer adds. "Most of the people killed or injured are civilians. Widespread bombing causes complex injuries and psychological trauma. Populations are displaced and vital infrastructure like schools, hospitals, bridges, power plants, and clean water supply are destroyed. Explosive remnants are left behind, and can threaten the population for decades. There is only one solution: To stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.”

The use of forbidden weapons

Reports also mention the use of illegal weapons. According to Amnesty International, a preschool in the town of Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast, North-Eastern Ukraine, was hit on February 25 by cluster munitions – weapons banned by the Oslo Treaty since 2008. Civilians had taken shelter inside the school, but the attack killed three people, including a child. Another child was wounded. The attack appears to have been carried out by Russian forces, which were operating nearby.

Ukraine is already heavily contaminated by landmines, especially in East Ukraine where the former front was located since 2014, contributing to the forced displacement of between 1.3 and 1.6 million people. Anti-personnel landmines have been banned by the Ottawa Treaty since 1997.

The ongoing humanitarian situation

Almost 8 million people are affected by the conflict and 400,000 people have fled the country since the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Sunday. The U.N. estimates that the displacement could grow to as many as 5 million people. The U.N.’s refugee agency said half of those fleeing have entered or are en route to Poland, while other displaced civilians left for Hungary, Moldova and Romania.

In an emergency situation, people with disabilities or older persons often face great difficulties to meet basic needs, seek shelter, and flee conflict zones to protect themselves from violence. They are also facing obstacles accessing humanitarian aid.

“Humanitarian access will be a major concern," notes Humanity & Inclusion's Emergency Director, Fanny Mraz. "In 2021, humanitarian assistance was blocked for the most severely affected areas in the Donbass region, leaving the populations of Donetsk and Luhansk (specifically those in the ‘nongovernment controlled areas’) isolated and with limited to no access to basic services. The Covid-19 restrictions have worsened the situation.”

Emergency mission in preparation

Humanity & Inclusion is currently preparing to deploy an exploratory mission in Ukraine and in neighboring countries including Romania, Poland, and Moldova. It will consist of two teams focusing on humanitarian needs, security, access and operational context, response possibilities and partners identification.

Humanity & Inclusion will focus on the most vulnerable affected populations, including displaced families, refugees, women, children, people with disabilities, and elderly people - noting the very high percentage of people over the age of 60, and with chronic diseases in Ukraine.

Needs for rehabilitation, psychosocial support, shelter assistance, access to food supply and water and sanitation, the inclusion of people with disabilities in humanitarian aid, and logistic support for humanitarian organizations, among others, will be the main sectors explored by Humanity & Inclusion.

“Almost 400,000 people have already taken refuge in countries neighboring Ukraine and thousands of others are displaced within Ukraine," Meer notes. "In such a situation, when a large part of the population flees an armed conflict, the main humanitarian needs are foreseeable. People need shelter; they need to have access to food and clean water. We also have to ensure that injured people, people with disabilities and vulnerable people like the elderly, receive the rehabilitation care they need. We must deliver psychological support to ease the shock caused by violence and displacement. The displaced population is mainly comprised of families with children.”

Media contact

For media inquiries, please contact Lucy Cottle at [email protected].

About Humanity & Inclusion

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent international aid organization, working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster for 40 years. Working alongside people with disabilities and people living in situations of extreme vulnerability, our action and testimony focus on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions, and promoting respect for their dignity and basic rights.

Humanity & Inclusion has set up development programs in more than 60 countries and intervenes in numerous emergency situations. The network of eight national associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) mobilizes resources, jointly manages projects, and increases the impact of the organization’s principles and actions. The organization has numerous prizes to its name, including the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the 1996 Nansen Prize, and two 2020 European Union Horizon Prizes for innovation. Humanity & Inclusion acts and campaigns in places where “living in dignity” is no easy task. 

(Geneva) – The International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC), of which Humanity & Inclusion is a founding member, strongly condemns the alleged use of cluster munitions yesterday by Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict, and the death and injury of civilians, as reported by The New York Times and other sources. ICBL-CMC is alarmed by the threat of further harm to civilians including humanitarian mine action partners, following yesterday’s largescale escalation by Russia.

We call for an immediate halt to use of the internationally banned weapon, and urge all parties to guarantee protection of civilians, respect for international humanitarian law, and the international norm banning use of cluster munitions and landmines.

Cluster munitions were previously used in the conflict in Ukraine between July 2014 and February 2015, though the extent of existing contamination is unknown. Cluster munitions are indiscriminate weapons that overwhelmingly kill and injure civilians, and leave a deadly legacy of contamination threatening lives and hindering recovery for years to come.
Russia remains outside of the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Ukraine has not joined the
Convention on Cluster Munitions, though it is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

ICBL-CMC works for a world free of landmines, cluster munitions, and other explosive remnants of war, where all lives are protected. A world where contaminated land is cleared and returned to local populations for productive use and where the needs of affected communities and survivors are met and their human rights guaranteed.

Interviews available

• Anne Héry | Advocacy Director
• Alma Taslidžan Al-Osta | Disarmament and Protection of Civilians Advocacy Manager

Please contact Mica Bevington ([email protected]) or Lucy Cottle ([email protected]) to arrange. 

About ICBL

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) is a global network of non-governmental organizations, active in some 100 countries, that works for a world free of antipersonnel landmines, where landmine survivors can lead fulfilling lives.

About Humanity & Inclusion

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent international aid organization, working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster for 40 years. Working alongside people with disabilities and people living in situations of extreme vulnerability, our action and testimony focus on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions, and promoting respect for their dignity and basic rights. Humanity & Inclusion is one of six founding organizations of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.

Humanity & Inclusion has set up development programs in more than 60 countries and intervenes in numerous emergency situations. The network of eight national associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) mobilizes resources, jointly manages projects, and increases the impact of the organization’s principles and actions.  The organization has numerous prizes to its name, including the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the 1996 Nansen Prize, and two 2020 European Union Horizon Prizes for innovation. Humanity & Inclusion acts and campaigns in places where “living in dignity” is no easy task. 

Right now, Humanity & Inclusion teams—including emergency response, rehabilitation and logistics specialists—are in Ukraine and surrounding countries responding to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Weapons experts are available for media interviews. Please contact [email protected].

Ukraine Crisis - HI Operational Update (May 2022)

Read the latest updates

Send emergency aid to Ukraine

Humanity & Inclusion in Ukraine 

Since the start of a new large-scale conflict in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, intensive bombing of the country’s major cities has resulted in multiple civilian casualties. Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing violence inside the country or taking refuge in neighboring countries.

Humanity & Inclusion's emergency response is underway. Teams in Ukraine & Moldova include experts in rehabilitation, logistics, mental health and psychosocial support, basic needs, and the inclusion of persons with disabilities and older people. 

In addition to providing specialized rehabilitation services, psychosocial support and cash distribution, among other initiatives, Humanity & Inclusion is distributing assistive mobility devices such as wheelchairs, canes and walkers. A mobile mental health team is visiting centers housing displaced people. Humanity & Inclusion is working alongside fellow actors responding to the emergency to help implement inclusive humanitarian aid and ensure that populations experiencing the most vulnerability can access vital resources. In Lviv, our rehabilitation specialists are caring burn victims and patients requiring amputations, as well as training physical therapists on treating conflict-related injuries. In eastern Ukraine, where the needs are greatest, our teams are distributing mobility devices and hygiene supplies.

Humanity & Inclusion previously worked in Ukraine from 2015 through 2017, offering rehabilitation care and promoting access to care for those constrained by conflict.

Prior conflict between government forces and independence movements starting in 2014 in Ukraine resulted in chronic insecurity in several of the country’s regions. The conflict was triggered by mass demonstrations in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities in late 2013, leading to the fall of President Yanukovych in February 2014. Fighting made it difficult for people with disabilities and others to access critical services. Parts of the country are heavily contaminated by landmines.

Our Past Work

Humanity & Inclusion had operations in Ukraine from 2015 through 2017, fostering a culture of dignity, access, and inclusion for ALL people with disabilities.

Read on to learn more about our past work in Ukraine, and consider investing in our future.

Rehabilitation

Humanity & Inclusion provided at-home rehabilitation care to limit the onset of complications from injuries or the functional limitations of older people or people with reduced mobility who had a difficult time accessing care services as a result of the conflict. We also built the capacities of health facilities and care staff and supplies rehabilitation equipment and mobility aids.

Inclusion

The organization worked with other agencies to make sure that people with disabilities and individuals living in situations of extreme hardship could access emergency health services.

Mine risk education

Between October 2015 and February 2016, with the support of UNICEF, Humanity & Inclusion provided risk education on mines and explosive remnants of war to children and teenagers living along the contact line between government forces and independence movements. 

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INEW Statement
The military invasion of Ukraine, including use of heavy explosive weapons in and around major cities and other populated areas, raises grave concerns over the protection of the civilian population.

“The use of explosive weapons including airstrikes, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles, and bombs near major towns and cities poses a grave and foreseeable risk of death and injury to civilians, including harm from damage and destruction to vital civilian infrastructure and essential services”, warns Laura Boillot, Coordinator of the International Network on explosive Weapons (INEW).

“INEW calls on all parties to stop the use of heavy explosive weapons in towns, cities and other populated areas due to the high risk of harm to civilians”, she added.

The intensification of conflict in recent days has been accompanied by the use of explosive weapons, including airstrikes, MLRS Grad rockets, missiles, and mortars, endangering civilian lives. The OSCE Special Monitoring mission has reported a sharp increase in explosions over recent days including over 1,400 explosions on 23 February 2022 alone.

The situation is unfolding rapidly, with widespread reports of explosions and rising numbers of civilian casualties. Some incidents of concern include: shelling in residential areas that injured at least 4 civilians and damaged homes and civilian infrastructure in the Donbas region in Ukraine; Human Rights Watch reports that a school on the contact line in Donbas was hit, with one of the shells landing in the kindergarten’s recreation room; shelling that  struck Shchastya Power plant and two major pumping stations in the Dontesk region that serve over 1 million people with potable water and were rendered inoperable.

The use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas poses a grave and foreseeable risk to civilians, resulting in death, injuries and psychological harm, and destroys homes, hospitals, schools and vital infrastructure and services upon which civilians rely. Explosive remnants of war pose an ongoing threat to civilians during and after hostilities and impedes the safe return of refugees and displaced persons. Designed for use in open battlefields, explosive weapons have shown a consistent pattern of harm over the past decade with a devastating civilian casualty rate of 90% when used in the context of populated areas such as towns and cities.

Armed conflict in Ukraine – where artillery shelling has been reported on a regular basis over the past eight years – has been deadly for civilians, who account for 89% of casualties caused by explosive weapons. The conflict has caused over one million people to flee and has left much of the region’s housing and infrastructure severely degraded, regularly leaving people without water, gas or power for days and weeks on end.

Parties to conflict have an obligation to uphold international law and to protect the civilian population, including from harms caused by damage to and destruction of vital civilian infrastructure and services.

Interviews available

• Anne Héry | Advocacy Director
• Alma Taslidžan Al-Osta | Disarmament and Protection of Civilians Advocacy Manager

Please contact Lucy Cottle to arrange [email protected] 

About INEW

The International Network on Explosive Weapons calls for immediate action to prevent human suffering from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. INEW was established on March 29, 2011 at a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. INEW is governed by a Steering Committee whose members are Action on Armed Violence, Article 36, Center for Civilians in Conflict, Humanity & Inclusion, Human Rights Watch, Norwegian People’s Aid, Oxfam, PAX, Save the Children, SEHLAC, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. A number of other individuals and organizations were also involved in the establishment of INEW.

About Humanity & Inclusion

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent international aid organization, working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster for 40 years. Working alongside people with disabilities and people living in situations of extreme vulnerability, our action and testimony focus on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions, and promoting respect for their dignity and basic rights. Humanity & Inclusion has set up development programs in more than 60 countries and intervenes in numerous emergency situations. The network of eight national associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) mobilizes resources, jointly manages projects, and increases the impact of the organization’s principles and actions. Humanity & Inclusion is one of six founding organizations of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. The organization has numerous prizes to its name, including the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the 1996 Nansen Prize, and two 2020 European Union Horizon Prizes for innovation. Humanity & Inclusion acts and campaigns in places where “living in dignity” is no easy task.