The United Nations has warned that the lives of 2.7 million people with disabilities in Ukraine are in danger due to the Russian invasion. The United Nations Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities said in a statement that people with disabilities “have little or no access to emergency information, shelters and safe havens and many have been separated from their support networks.” He added: “There are ongoing reports that many people with disabilities, including children, are trapped or abandoned in their homes, care facilities and orphanages, without access to life-saving medicines, oxygen supplies, food, water, sanitation, support . for daily living and other basic benefits “. The commission also notes that women with disabilities are at increased risk of rape and sexual violence by Russian forces. Russia has bombed a home for the disabled in the past. As more than 4.8 million people have fled Ukraine over the war, the UN commission notes that very few of these people – or even those internally displaced – are disabled, indicating that few have been able to flee their homes. . A spokesman for the US-based Partnership for Inclusive Strategies, which helps remove people with disabilities from Ukraine, told the Independent that there was a “lack of wheelchair support” and a “severe lack of transport”. A disabled Ukrainian, Oleksandr Nikulin, told Insider’s Ryan Prior about his trip outside Ukraine and how he now helps other people with disabilities cross the border. He said, “Transporting refugees with disabilities often requires a lot of special tools, experienced workers and accessible accommodation, which can be expensive. Many of the refugee catering organizations are not equipped to deal with refugees with disabilities.” Anna Kaminski, a volunteer at the Ukraine-Poland border, told Insider that “she has not seen any special provisions for the arrival of the elderly or disabled.”
