Nearly four years after the start of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, the number of seriously injured civilians continues to rise, the non-governmental organization Handicap International (HI) reported on Thursday, January 29, in Munich. Among the victims of the Russian military aggression are people with burns and amputations, and there is currently an urgent need for assistive devices and specialists. “More and more people need physiotherapy, prosthetics and psychological support”, the statement said.
According to HI, about 300,000 people in Ukraine have injuries due to the war, some of which have led to amputations of limbs, hearing loss or vision loss. Before the war, Ukraine was home to about 2.7 million people with disabilities, who "are disproportionately exposed to violence and death and have difficulty accessing basic medical care and assistance," the NGO recalls.
Many people also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder
“There has been a significant increase in the number of requests for rehabilitation measures from people injured as a result of missile and drone attacks or after mine explosions,” says a physiotherapist from Dnipro, quoted by Handicap International. The organization specifies that apart from cases of severe physical injuries, many Ukrainians suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
According to data on the Handicap International website, since 2022, the organization has provided rehabilitation assistance to over 5,600 people and psychosocial support to around 19,000 people. It has distributed over 6,000 aid items and informed over 230,000 people about the danger of mines and unexploded ordnance.
Over 1,200 killed by cluster bombs in Ukraine
According to data from the international human rights organization “Human Rights Watch", since 2022, over 1,200 people have been injured or killed by cluster munitions. Experts suggest that the number of victims is much higher, as over 40 cases of cluster bomb use were registered last year, and the number of victims is not reported.
Author: Roman Sulima