A view of a damaged residential building in Chernihiv, Ukraine on April 11. Photo: Andre Luis Alves/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is putting an estimated 2.7 million people who have disabilities at risk, the United Nations said Thursday.
Driving the news: The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities warned of reports that people with disabilities are "trapped or abandoned in their homes ... with no access to life-sustaining medications, oxygen supplies, food, water, sanitation [and] support for daily living."
- "People with disabilities have limited or no access to emergency information, shelters and safe havens, and many have been separated from their support networks, leaving them unable to respond to the situation and navigate their surroundings," the UN group said.
The big picture: Few people with disabilities are reported to be internally displaced or to have crossed Ukraine's borders, "indicating that many of them have not been able to flee to safety," the group wrote.
- The committee also warned that women with disabilities face an increased risk of rape and sexual violence.
The bottom line: "The continued military attacks leave people with disabilities extremely vulnerable and at grave risk of harm," the UN group said.
Go deeper ... Dashboard: Russian invasion of Ukraine