Hundreds of schools in Ukraine damaged and destroyed by military attacks
Schools were damaged in Nikishine while being used by rebel fighters between September 2014 and February 2015 Picture: Yulia Gorbunova Human Rights Watch
Hundreds of聽schools in eastern Ukraine have been attacked by both Ukrainian聽government forces and their Russian-backed militant opponents in聽the past two years, forcing many of them to close, according to Human Rights聽Watch.
Schools on both sides of the line of contact which separates聽the combatants have been hit and many, especially in聽rebel-controlled areas, remain too damaged to reopen, HRW said yesterday.
Both sides have deployed forces in and near schools, turning聽them into military targets. Even schools that were not being聽occupied have been attacked, the rights organisation said in its report titled Studying Under Fire.
国产视频淐ivilians, including children, on both sides of the line of聽contact have been bearing the brunt of this protracted war,国产视频澛爏aid Yulia Gorbunova, Ukraine researcher at HRW.
国产视频淎ll parties to the conflict have a responsibility to聽protect children and to make sure that their hostilities don国产视频檛聽cause further harm to their safety and education,国产视频 Gorbunova聽added.
School Number 42 in Vuhlehirsk was struck six times in January and February 2015 Picture: Yulia Gorbunova/Human Rights Watch
More than 9000 soldiers and civilians have been killed聽since the conflict broke out in April 2014, when pro-Russian聽separatists rose up following Russia国产视频檚 seizure of Ukraine国产视频檚聽Crimea region.聽Fighting continues despite a year-old ceasefire agreement.
Last week the head of the Organization for Security and聽Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors implementation of聽the ceasefire deal, voiced deep concern over escalating violence聽in eastern territories.
When military forces occupied schools, they often destroyed聽school furniture and equipment and left behind heavy artillery聽or unused munitions, HRW said.
In one case, HRW researchers found undetonated landmines in聽the school grounds, apparently thrown off a supply truck while聽it was parked in the schoolyard.
Progress has been made in repairing and reopening damaged聽schools, particularly in government-controlled areas of Luhansk聽and Donetsk regions, thanks in large part to leadership by聽parents and teachers, HRW said.
But local authorities and school administrators in many聽places told researchers the risk of renewed fighting made them聽reluctant to fund or carry out school renovations.
Students from School Number 2 in Stanytsia Luhanska have to attend classes in a small building after their school was destroyed in August 2014 Picture: Bede Sheppard/Human Rights Watch
Ukrainian authorities do not recognise school documents聽issued in rebel-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, so聽some parents in rebel-held areas send their children to schools聽in areas under government control, HRW said.
The journey across the line of control is slow because of聽travel restrictions imposed by the Ukrainian government and can聽be dangerous, due to sporadic shelling and the presence of聽mines, HRW said.
国产视频淭eachers and parents on both sides of the contact line have聽shown tremendous commitment to continue children国产视频檚 education聽despite the war,国产视频 Gorbunova said.
聽国产视频淭he warring parties should also do a lot more to avoid聽irreparably harming children国产视频檚 safety and education,国产视频 she added.
The researchers visited 41 schools and kindergartens between聽September and November 2015, in both government-controlled areas聽and territory controlled by Russia-backed militants.聽聽聽
NOTE: Attacks on education across the world have been increasing in recent years. Students, teachers and school buildings have been attacked in more than 70 countries in recent years 国产视频 by armed groups, state soldiers and criminal gangs.
To counteract this, more than 50 countries have now signed the Safe Schools Declaration. It commits them to protect education from attack and to use the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, covers humanitarian news, women国产视频檚 rights, corruption and climate change.