Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned of an acute humanitarian emergency affecting over 6,000 civilians, including around 200 children, in the occupied settlements of Oleshky, Hola Prystan, Stara Zburivka, and Nova Zburivka in the Kherson region. Civilians lack water, food, medical care, medicines, electricity, gas, and communications. Critical infrastructure has been destroyed. Russian drones target civilians attempting to evacuate or obtain food. Russian occupying forces are blocking evacuations and obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid, using civilians as a human shield.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The population in these areas has fallen sharply from approximately 40,000 to around 6,000, including a decline in Oleshky from 24,000 to roughly 2,000 residents. Ukrainian officials, politicians, and civil society leaders are calling for increased international access and monitoring, including engagement from UN agencies, Human Rights Watch, and other international humanitarian bodies, to assess conditions on the ground and determine the extent of civilian harm. Under drone siege The humanitarian situation in Oleshky has deteriorated sharply since the ministry issued its warning on May 6. Since May 26, no vehicles, including ambulances, have been able to enter or leave Oleshky, according to Ksenia Arkhipova, a volunteer from Oleshky now based in Ukraine-controlled territory, as roads leading in and out of Oleshky are heavily mined.