MOSCOW. Jan 15 (Interfax) - The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry has transported over 14,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the Luhansk and Donetsk regions since August 2014, Deputy Minister Vladimir Stepanov said at a meeting of the committee for public support to residents of southeastern Ukraine.
"In the period from August, the month of the departure of the first humanitarian convoy, till today [we] have brought over 14,820 tonnes of humanitarian aid - food, medicines and construction materials - to the Luhansk and Donetsk republics. The primary needs of the local population were thereby met," Stepanov underlined.
The humanitarian aid helped restore over 2,200 social facilities and open 60 social canteens, he said.
"More than 250 medical stations opened on the LPR and DPR territories to offer surgeries amongst other types of medical assistance. We will airlift three children hurt in explosions to Moscow today," Stepanov continued.
One hundred and 50 social facilities, among them schools and hospitals, have been restored in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions thanks to Russia's humanitarian aid and another 393 facilities of the kind are being built and restored now.
"Over 176,000 children received gifts on New Year's Eve and during subsequent holidays. We are tasked to continue the restoration of vital social facilities. We will be supplying food, for instance, for the needs of operative services, and we are trying to maintain very close contacts with emergency services of those territories and their heads to coordinate every issue related to humanitarian aid," Stepanov said, adding that the issues were also coordinated with regional leaders.
The Emergency Situations Ministry will carry on relief assistance by sending convoys to Donbas, he said.
Eleven humanitarian convoys have reached the Donetsk and Luhansk regions from Russia since August of last year. The next humanitarian convoy will head for Donbas in late January or early February.