What Conflict Can Wrought

The situation in Ukraine is rapidly deteriorating. Starting with the populous movement in Kiev on February 20th, 2014 which left 100 dead and led to the ousting of, then president, Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine has been a country on the brink. They have been struggling with having enough coal reserves and natural gas, which they usually import from Russia, to keep their citizens warm and with electricity. Only in October did Russia agree to once again sell Ukraine natural gas. This deal had to be brokered by the EU. All of this in the background of a conflict which has claimed more lives than Americans lost in the entire Iraq war. Now however, after a truce signed in August between Russia, Ukraine, and the Eastern Separatists, the separatists are launching a new offensive.

Now why is this conflict a disaster, and what makes this new development important? 

This conflict is a disaster for several reasons. Chief among them I believe to be the number of displaced people due to the conflict; however, other issues include: 7.5% reduction in GDP in 2014, 48% hryvnia value drop against the dollar, 17-18% predicted inflation, cancellation of pensions/welfare/ and pay for public workers who remain in the conflict region, electricity vulnerability, water vulnerability, civilian casualties, military casualties, and vulnerability and damage done to hospitals and schools in the conflict region.

Currently the Rebels are trying to capture Debaltseve from the Ukrianinan government forces because it is laying on the main train track between the major separatist cities of Luhansk and Donetsk. Currently those there have no access to electricity or water and are at major risk of being surrounded. Amnesty International claims that the population of the city has fallen from 25,000 to around 7,ooo. The impact this lack of access to essentials will have on the civilian population still there is not yet apparent but will no doubt soon be seen through numbers of those who may soon die from expose, military action, dehydration, or starvation.

Further information can be obtained from:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/ukraine-debaltseve-s-residents-reaching-breaking-point-2015-02-03
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-30/ukraine-economy-set-to-drop-75-in-fullblown-financial-crisis
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ukraines-economy-is-on-the-rocks-and-needs-western-help/2014/12/22/741a2de8-8a04-11e4-a085-34e9b9f09a58_story.html