A/HRC/40/CRP.3 Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine,”38 the President of Ukraine signed a decree establishing a list of residential areas, which are not controlled by the Government. 39 Meanwhile, Order No.1085 of the Cabinet of Ministers, also indicating these areas, remains in force, which could lead to inconsistent or interrupted payment of pension and social benefits.40 4. Freedom of movement, isolated communities and access to basic services Crossing the contact line is a humiliating experience. - A resident in Travneve, the village near the contact line. 39. Despite a 2.5-hour reduction in operating hours of the crossing points as of 1 December 2018, enforced as part of a shift to the winter operation mode, during the reporting period, there were over one million crossings of the contact line on average each month. OHCHR notes improvements of conditions at the crossing points made by the Government, however, civilians continue to wait in long queues and are regularly exposed to snow, ice and low winter temperatures, and inadequate sanitary and medical facilities, on both sides of the contact line. Since the beginning of 2019, 11 persons died while crossing the contact line in eastern Ukraine, reportedly due to health condition. 41 Four people died at the only crossing point in the Luhansk region open exclusively to pedestrians, near the government-controlled town of Stanytsia Luhanska. Civilians also face other risks when crossing the contact line. For instance, in December 2018 and February 2019, around 90 people were temporarily trapped in ‘no man’s land’ coming from territory controlled by ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ due to arriving at the Maiorske crossing point shortly before its closure.42 They were eventually let through by Ukrainian authorities. 40. According to the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan under a 2019-2020 Strategy, around 3.5 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian aid and protection services. 43 Many conflict-affected civilians in villages on both side of the contact line lack access to basic services. During the winter, heating was one of the main challenges for civilians living along the contact line. The cost of coal, which is traditionally used for heating houses, increased drastically during the winter, forcing civilians to collect firewood in nearby forested areas, making them even more vulnerable to landmines or being subject to fines for cutting down trees. 41. OHCHR notes that the Ministry of Defence has not progressed in finalizing the draft Resolution regulating the procedure for movement of persons and transfer of goods across the contact line. As a member of a working group created by the Ministry of Defence to develop the draft Resolution, OHCHR underlines the necessity to harmonize the draft Resolution with existing national norms and international standards, as well as key recommendations of the international community and civil society. 38 39 40 41 42 43 The text of the law is available at https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2268-19/ The decree establishing “Boundaries and list of districts, cities, towns and villages, parts of these areas, temporarily occupied in Donetsk and Luhansk regions” is available at https://www.president.gov.ua/ Cabinet of Ministers order No.1085 is available at https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/ According to monitoring by national and international organizations, in total, during the reporting period, 13 civilians died when crossing the contact line in eastern Ukraine. Social media posts by NGOs Right to Protection and Proliska, Representative of the Ombudsperson’s Office in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and the Joint Forces Operation of Ukraine, 6 December 2018 and 14 February 2019. See Multi-Year Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2019-2020. 13