'Over 100,000 Mariupol residents have no water, food access since April': Ukrainian Mayor

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate, with Russian forces fighting with Ukrainian armies to capture more and more territories, over 100,000 people who are currently living in Mariupol have had no access to drinking water and food since April, stated the Mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boychenko on June 1, reported Ukrainian Pravda. He also stressed on the urgent need to create a green corridor and urged international communities to help Ukraine.

"The situation continues to remain very difficult. In the city, the occupying forces and the OPZZ troops, who have taken control of the city, are holding over 1,00,000 people as their hostages. He added that earlier, they killed more than 22,000 people, and now they are preparing to once again commit war crimes by not doing anything for the supply of drinking water.

Mariupol residents still do not have access to food and water: Vadym Boychenko

Boychenko added that the number of deaths in the captured city is increasing, and there are also spontaneous burials. He also expressed concern over the increasing cases of various diseases caused by temperatures and heavy downpours.

He further accused the Russian occupiers and said, "The region is facing an outbreak of dysentery and cholera that could kill thousands of Mariupol residents. Since April, the residents of Mariupol are facing an acute crisis of food, and there is no proper access to drinking water."

He further said that Russian forces are forcibly holding over 100,000 people in Mariupol and urged help from the international community and called for the urgent need to create a green corridor. "We need to unite to face this problem, unite international partners, the UN, the Red Cross—and create sustainable green corridors so that our Ukrainians can go to the controlled territory of our state," he said.

Russia-Ukraine War

Ever since Russia launched its aggressive military operation against neighboring Ukraine on February 24, hostilities between both nations have led to several thousand deaths and massive destruction in Ukraine. On Wednesday, embattled President Zelenskyy stated that his nation is losing up to 100 soldiers every day, and asserted that the situation is becoming "difficult" in the eastern Donbas region.

In an interview with the American broadcaster Newsmax, Zelesnkyy said that the fighting has intensified in mainly Severodonetsk and Lysychansk regions. If Severodonetsk is entirely captured, it will be one of the biggest victories for Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. 

"The situation in the east is very difficult. We are losing 60 to 100 soldiers every day and there are around 500 wounded in action. So we are holding our defensive perimeters," said Zelenskyy. 

Image: AP