On February 16, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The number of citizens' appeals received by the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee on employment and social protection issues decreased by a quarter in 2011. The number of such applications to the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Population of the Regional Executive Committee decreased by 7.8%, the Administrator of Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Aleksey Matyushko, informed a BELTA correspondent. According to the interlocutor, the decrease in these appeals is due to the measures taken for the social protection of the population. In 2011, state targeted social assistance in the amount of Br13.0 billion was provided to almost 42 thousand low-income citizens. The main recipients of one-time social benefits were 3.3 thousand large families, 4.2 thousand single-parent families, 2.3 thousand families raising one or two minor children, and 2.2 thousand single citizens. 9.6 thousand children in their first two years of life were provided with free food products worth Br11.6 billion. In accordance with the order of the Regional Executive Committee in December last year, 3.9 thousand low-income families and citizens in all regions of the oblast received one-time material assistance for the New Year from local budgets totaling Br686.7 million. During the year, 568 citizens received one-time financial assistance due to difficult financial circumstances caused by unforeseen events, in the amount of Br290.8 million from the reserve fund of the Regional Executive Committee.