Civilian casualties, infrastructure damage continue to increase in Ukraine: UN

GENEVA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- As heavy fighting continues in Ukraine, reports of civilian casualties and civilian infrastructure damage continue to increase, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Tuesday.

In its latest Humanitarian Impact Situation Report issued Tuesday, OCHA said that as of midnight on Feb. 27, it confirmed at least 406 civil casualties, including 102 deaths, with the real figures feared to be much higher.

Across the country, especially in eastern Ukraine, water infrastructure has suffered severe damage, and repair work has been hindered by ongoing shelling, OCHA said.

As thousands of people continue to flee violence, there is a desperate need for food, water and shelter to deal with the massive influx of internally displaced people, OCHA added in the report.