Former mayor of Ukrainian city says people starving, humanitarian disaster approaching

The former mayor of a Ukrainian city said people are starving and a humanitarian disaster is approaching as the war with Russia continues. 

“Irpen, and its surroundings villages, are seeing an absolute humanitarian disaster. Russian soldiers occupied Vorzel, Hostomel, Zabucha and the Mylhailivka-Rubezhivka and won’t let residents leave their own homes,” the mayor of Irpen from 2014 to 2018 wrote on Facebook, according to a group of Ukrainian journalists. 

The former mayor said Russians are shooting at homes and threatening to kill the current mayor of Irpen. Hospitals have been shelled and some medical supplies have been taken by the Russians.

Along with the lack of food, other utilities such as electricity, water, communications and cellular connection are shaky in the city and neighboring villages.

He said the Russians are shooting at cars belonging to the Red Cross and not allowing the organization to get to the dead bodies. 

“Irpen, Bucha, Gostomel, Vorzel, MykhailivkaRubezhivka, Zabuchcha are at the center of a humanitarian disaster. We need a green corridor to help the citizens, but Russians won’d allow it. The local residents are being starved to death and kept in freezing cellars,” he concluded, calling on the international community to intervene. 

Russia and Ukraine have been attempting to coordinate a humanitarian corridor but Ukraine says Russia keeps breaking the agreements when they are reached. 

Thousands of troops from both sides have died while the U.N. says more than 400 civilians have so far been killed. However, the U.N. acknowledges their estimates could be a severe undercount.

More than two million Ukrainians have become refugees and fled to surrounding countries due to the war.