Death toll in east Ukraine conflict exceeds 3,700 - UN

The death toll as a result of the conflict in eastern Ukraine has grown by 25 people over the past week to reach 3,707, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported Friday, according to TASS.

The Office’s report said 9,075 people have been wounded in the region. The previous report said the number of wounded was 8,871.

The UN OCHA underlined that the assessments are reserved and are provided by the UN mission monitoring the human rights situation in Ukraine and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the WHO believe the real death count is way higher, the report said.

According to UN data, the population keeps fleeing the conflict-torn areas. As of October 17, Ukraine had 415,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). A week ago, the number was 402,000. The number of refugees has nearly not changed at all and now totals 427,000 people most of whom have hidden in Russia.

Some 5.2 million people currently reside in areas affected by hostilities, the OCHA said.

The UN also expressed concern over continuation of hostilities in eastern Ukraine despite agreements reached between the parties to the conflict. It lamented that the affected population is still vulnerable and needs support.