A sympathetic account of the situation faced by the inhabitants of the pro-Russian separatist provinces in eastern Ukraine, which have declared their independence as the Peoples Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. Their separatist stance and the hard-line attitude of Kiev, egged on by the United States and the other Western powers, have led to a bloody armed conflict that, coupled with the bitter winter, has worsened the already precarious existence of the region's inhabitants. Thus far, the death toll from the conflict stands at more than 6,000, while one million residents have been displaced due to the bombardments and destruction. Aid from Russia, while significant, only covers 10% of demand, posing the specter of a true humanitarian catastrophe. teleSUR
