The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Friday released its special report on the condition of people with disabilities in Ukraine and offered recommendations according to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The CRPD said it is “gravely concerned” for people with disabilities who are trapped in conflict zones in Ukraine and worried that people with disabilities are not prioritised during evacuation.

Jonas Ruskus, Vice-Chair of the CRPD, urged for rapid de-institutionalization and investment in community services and called for the involvement of disabled people in decision-making processes. Ruskus commented that “[s]ome people with disabilities in Ukraine remain trapped in life-threatening situations and must be evacuated to ensure they can access basic needs like food and heating as winter approaches.” The CRPD urged Ukraine and the Russian Federation to immediately evacuate people with disabilities who remain in residential institutions and ensure that the evacuation is monitored by independent parties. 

Last month, human rights experts also raised the alarm over inadequate services for children with disabilities and the impact that the armed conflict has on key services. Experts stated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had “a disproportionate impact” on persons with disabilities.

The CRPD also released its country reports on Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Lao, New Zealand and Singapore.