Lubinets carried out inspection at "Artek" camp in Zakarpattia: mould in shelters, rotten food, 12 children in one room. PHOTO
Following reports on social media of possible violations of children’s rights at the‘Artek’camp in Zakarpattia, the Verkhovna Rada’s Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, carried out an investigation which confirmed flagrant violations at the facility.
Lubinec announced this, as reported by Censor.NET.
"I saw information on social media about possible violations of children’s rights at the ‘Artek Zakarpattia’ camp. I immediately instructed my Representative in the Zakarpattia region, Andriy Kryuchkov, to carry out a monitoring exercise. When there are allegations of such violations, the response must be immediate. And this has been confirmed by the findings, which are simply appalling," the Ombudsman noted.
What was discovered at the camp?
As noted, at the time of the visit, there were 287 children from 10 regions of Ukraine at the camp, mainly from frontline regions and those most affected by Russian aggression. The children had been sent on holiday at the expense of the state budget.
- In the canteen, there were unsanitary conditions, flies and breaches of food storage regulations. Rotten fruit and vegetables were stored alongside fresh produce. There was no special dietary menu for children who required it.
- There were 12 children in each room. The furniture and bedding were worn out; there was a lack of proper storage space for personal belongings, and there was mould and mildew.
- There were not enough shower cubicles, and water was only available at set times. There was no adequate level of privacy.
Children’s safety
Lubinec also emphasised that the safety of children during air raid alerts is a major cause for concern. The shelters are damp and mouldy, with insufficient seating and a lack of necessary equipment.
The children said that during an air-raid alert they mostly stay inside the building and follow the ‘two-walls rule’.
"This is unacceptable! A child should not have to hide from a Russian missile behind two walls. There must be a safe shelter at a children’s camp," added the ombudsman.
In addition, problems have been identified on the camp grounds: there is no continuous perimeter fencing, adequate lighting or CCTV. Some of the play areas are in a state of disrepair. The swimming pool is out of order.
Lubinec demands that the violations be rectified
According to the ombudsman, letters have already been sent to the head of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration and the head of the Main Directorate of the National Social Service in Zakarpattia region.
He is demanding an investigation into who authorised the camp to operate under such conditions, the identification of the officials responsible, and the implementation of urgent measures!
"Based on the monitoring results, we are preparing a report with recommendations on rectifying the violations, as well as a formal submission. Each identified incident will be subject to a proper legal assessment.
Children, especially those who have come from frontline regions, have the right to safety, health and decent conditions. They came here to rest and recover, not to find themselves in danger again," emphasised Lubinets.
What led up to this
- It should be recalled that it was previously reported that children from Vyshneve in the Kyiv region, who were sent to the "Artek" camp in Zakarpattia for a health retreat following the Russian Federation’s attack on the town, are complaining about poor sanitary conditions, inadequate leisure activities and poor treatment by the camp staff.
- The Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office has stated that it is investigating media reports regarding the conditions faced by minors from Vyshneve at the children’s camp.
