Donetsk, Jul 23 - DAN. The Commission of the United Donbass Foundation public organisation at its first meeting this year approved humanitarian programme payments to 186 Donbass residents totalling nearly seven million rubles, Foundation chairman Oleg Balykin told a news briefing at Donetsk News Agency on Tuesday.

“The Commission held its first meeting on 19 January 2018 to review 395 applications from citizens in difficult circumstances; it approved 186 requests for help worth a total of 6,820,000 rubles,” Balykin said.

Two hundred and nine requests for aid were turned down as the Commission was unable to ascertain the gravity of the applicant’s circumstances or when incomplete packages of documents were submitted. The payments on the approved applications will start next week, he added.

In 2017, the Foundation made 1,474 payments totalling RUR 43,101,740 to the needy.

DPR launched United Donbass Foundation on 9 March 2017 as part of the Donbass people reunification programme. The programme envisions cash payments and provision of food and medications which can also be contributed by Donetsk People’s Republic residents. *jk