Some 150,000 refugees have arrived in Russia's Rostov region from Donbas since Feb 18 - authorities

ROSTOV-ON-DON. March 4 (Interfax) - Around 100 temporary shelters in Russia's Rostov region have been accommodating people evacuated from the Luhansk (LPR) and Donetsk (DPR) People's Republics, the regional governor's press service said, adding that more than 6,000 people are currently staying in these shelters.

"The governor has said that more than 149,000 people have arrived in the region from the DPR and the LPR since February 18. As many as 6,357 people, among them 3,244 children, are currently staying at 96 temporary shelters in the region. Some 13,000 people, including over 6,000 children, have been sent from the region to other parts of the country," the press service said.

More than 20,000 people have applied for a one-off payment, and some 17,000 have already received it, the press service said.

"I have visited the temporary shelters many times and am personally monitoring the situation to ensure that people are provided with everything necessary. These people can live in the Rostov region for as long as necessary. We will provide them with jobs, and their children will attend kindergartens, schools and universities," the press service quoted Rostov Region Governor Vasily Golubev as saying.

Since February 18, the authorities of the DPR and the LPR have been evacuating women, children and the elderly to Russia due to an escalation of the armed conflict. Refugees are first arriving in the Rostov region, from where some of them are being transported to other Russian regions.

Five billion rubles has been transferred to the Rostov region to pay 10,000 rubles to each person arriving from Donbas.