Aid Charities Say They’ve Been Frozen Out of Eastern Ukraine

Separatist authorities in self-declared, Russian-backed republics in eastern Ukraine have imposed new regulations that effectively block Western humanitarian groups from operating in the region, The Washington Post reports. The “accreditation” measures took effect in July in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People ‘s Republic and require Western charities to provide detailed information about their offices, staffs, and medical supplies.

Tomas Kocian of Czech charity People in Need, said no international aid groups are now active in the region except Medecins Sans Frontieres, which has been allowed to continue working in Donetsk. The International Committee of the Red Cross told Russian state media that it has been blocked from separatist-controlled territory. The new rules do not apply to Russian organizations.