A/HRC/45/CRP.8 Electrical power facilities/lines 37. During the reporting period, OHCHR recorded eight incidents of damage to electrical infrastructure: six in armed group-controlled territory (four in territory controlled by ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ and two in territory controlled by ‘Luhansk people’s republic’), and two in Government-controlled territory of Donetsk region. 38. For example, on 7 April, an electric substation in armed group-controlled Ozerianivka (Donetsk region) was hit during shelling, resulting in several hours of power cuts to water and sanitation facilities in Donetsk, Horlivka and Makiivka that services thousands of people in the area. On 20 June, a power line was damaged by shelling near Government-controlled Pivdenne (Donetsk region) affecting water supply in the area. 39. OHCHR recalls that international humanitarian law prohibits attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. C. Impact of the conflict and COVID-19 on the population in the conflict zone “I don’t need humanitarian aid; I want it all [the conflict] to end.” – A resident of Lopaskyne. 40. During the reporting period, hardships faced by the conflict-affected population were further exacerbated in the context of COVID-19, impacting freedom of movement and the enjoyment of economic and social rights. Access to quality healthcare, sources of livelihoods, including pensions, and family links were of particular concern. 1. Remedy and reparation to civilian victims of the conflict Loss of life and heath 41. During the reporting period, draft law No. 1115 ‘On the status and social protection of civilians who suffered as a result of hostilities and armed conflicts’ continued to be developed.17 As of 31 July 2020, the draft was not ready to be tabled in Parliament. 42. By 31 July, an Inter-Agency Commission to establish the nexus between disability and conflict-related injuries18 had granted 106 civilians with disabilities (53 men and 53 women) the same social benefits as war veterans. However, the process of obtaining this is cumbersome and places an excessive burden on applicants. As a result, many civilians with conflict-related disabilities have not yet submitted or re-submitted their applications to the Commission. 43. OHCHR is also concerned about unreasonable delays in civil lawsuits seeking compensation for damages related to the conflict. One woman filed a case against the Cabinet of Ministers in February 2018 demanding compensation for the death of her father who was killed by shelling in the Government-controlled town of Kurakhove (Donetsk region) in February 2015. In 2020, the court proceedings were frequently postponed, with the next hearing scheduled for 10 September. Loss of housing and property 44. OHCHR welcomes the progressive development, during the reporting period, of a draft law that would establish a comprehensive compensatory mechanism for the loss of housing and other property by civilians affected by the conflict19. However, OHCHR regrets 17 18 19 12 See OHCHR, Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 16 November 2019 to 15 February 2020, para. 32-34, available at www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/29thReportUkraine_EN.pdf See OHCHR, Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 16 November 2019 to 15 February 2020, para 35. See OHCHR, Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 16 November 2019 to 15 February 2020, paras. 32-34.