A/HRC/45/CRP.8A/HRC/45/CRP.8
31.
International humanitarian law
protects civilian objects, requiring all
parties to an armed conflict to
distinguish between civilian objects
and military objectives, and to refrain
from targeting civilian objects.13
Educational facilities
32.
Between 1 January and 31 July
2020, 13 schools and kindergartens
were damaged or affected by shelling
and SALW fire.14 Of 17 incidents
recorded by OHCHR, 13 occurred in
territory controlled by ‘Donetsk
people’s republic’, and four in
Government-controlled territory (three
in Luhansk region and one in Donetsk
region).
33.
The vast majority of incidents occurred in the morning or evening, when neither
children nor personnel were present. The only exception was the incident of 21 March, in
which a girl was injured by light weapons fire in a yard of a functioning school in armed
group-controlled Oleksandrivka (Donetsk region).
34.
In most cases, damage was moderate, with walls and windows being hit by shrapnel
or stray bullets. For instance, on 30 April, shrapnel from shelling damaged the window glass
of a school in Government-controlled Zolote-4 (Luhansk region). On 27 June, the windows,
walls and floor of a school in Petrovskyi district of armed group-controlled Donetsk were
damaged as a result of light weapons fire. On 16 July, the facade of the same school was
damaged by mortar shelling.
Water and sanitation facilities/pipes
35.
From 1 January to 31 July 2020, OHCHR recorded 46 incidents affecting 16 water
and sanitation facilities15: 43 incidents in territory controlled by ‘Donetsk people’s republic’
(including 34 in which no physical damage was caused 16), and three in Governmentcontrolled territory of Donetsk region.
36.
For example, on 26 February, while workers of the South Donbas Waterway were
repairing a pipeline in armed group-controlled territory of Donetsk region, several shells
exploded 400-700 meters from them. On 20 May, fourteen dayshift workers of the 1st Lift
Pumping Station of the South Donbas Waterway sought cover in a bomb shelter due to
shelling in the vicinity. On 9 July, a worker of Popasnianskyi Waterway was injured by
shelling while his team was repairing a pipeline near Government-controlled Novotoshkivske
(Luhansk region).
13
14
15
16
Customary international humanitarian law, Rule 7.
School No. 10 in Horlivka and the secondary school in Oleksandrivka were hit twice, and school No.
116 in Donetsk was hit three times.
Of particular concern, the 1st Lift Pumping Station of the South Donbas Waterway was affected ten
times, Horlivka City Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) was affected five times, Donetsk Filter
Station was affected eight times, and Holmovskyi WTP and Sewage Pumping Station No. 2 were
affected ten and two times, respectively.
Thirty-three of these incidents were due to shelling, and one incident was due to SALW fire. In all but
one of these 34 incidents (which did not cause any damage), one or more workers were present and
had to interrupt their tasks to take cover in a bomb shelter. Of the 34 incidents, shelling or SALW fire
was reported by the facility as taking place “at” (nine times), “very close to” (18 times) or “close to”
(seven times) the facilities. For example, on 28 February, workers at the Donetsk Filter Station
reported hearing bullets pass over their heads while working in multiple locations, such as in the
boiler room, main pumping station, and chlorine storage.
11
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