At least 12 civilians died on Friday in the latest round of fighting between pro-Russia separatists and Ukraine government troops in the Donetsk, officials told the Associated Press.
Five of the people died while waiting humanitarian aid outside a community center, the AP reported. Two people died when a mortar shell landed near a bus station.
As the AP reported:
Full-blown fighting between the Russian-backed separatists and government forces erupted anew earlier this month following a period of relative tranquility. Debaltseve, a railway hub which could prove a crucial link between the main rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, has become the main focus of hostilities.
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The fighting is precipitating substantial hardship among the civilian population, which has been unable to leave the area. Debaltseve has been without electricity, running water and household gas for more than a week.
The United Nations said it was concerned about the situation in Ukraine.
Neal Walker, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, has called for an evacuation of civilians.
"Indiscriminate shelling of civilians violates international humanitarian law and must stop," he said in a statement.