Weekly Update #162
April 7, 2025

Source: UNHCR collation of statistics made available by the authorities

EU-funded water stations sustain health services for over a million people in Kharkiv region, Ukraine

In 2025, 5 water treatment stations were installed in hospitals in Kharkiv city and region. This project, implemented by WHO in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and with financial support from the European Union (EU), ensures that hospitals in this war-affected area can operate independently, providing safe and clean water for patients and staff.

This is especially critical for Kharkiv city and surrounding areas, which experience daily attacks on infrastructure, frequently disrupting electricity and water supply systems.

“We feel inspired to continue our work thanks to WHO and its partners. We truly appreciate this support. Power and water outages still occur frequently, especially during heavy shelling. If we face a power outage, we can use generators. However, without water, the hospital cannot operate at full capacity,” said Dmytro Otchenashko, Public Procurement Specialist working on infrastructure projects at Chuhuiv Central Hospital named after M.I. Kononenko.

Ensuring safe water for medical facilities

A stable supply of purified water significantly improves the quality of medical services in frontline areas, particularly in Kharkiv city and the wider region, where groundwater contamination due to hostilities is frequent. Hospitals cannot rely on unfiltered groundwater when the central water supply fails due to the attacks on infrastructure, making additional water treatment systems essential.

“WHO thanks the European Union for supporting the initiative to install water treatment stations, which enable communities to rely on their health facilities. For example, Chuhuiv Hospital, 1 of the 5 hospitals equipped with a water treatment station, has a maternity ward where mothers and newborns have access to clean water – essential for their health – despite the ongoing threats of hostilities and service disruptions. Last year, 179 children were delivered at this hospital, and it continues to operate despite the ongoing hostilities in the Kharkiv region,” stated Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine.

Installed by WHO with EU support, each water treatment station undergoes several stages of purification, starting with mechanical filtration and disinfection. When needed, additional processes such as iron removal, water softening or reverse osmosis are applied to achieve the highest level of water purity, particularly crucial for surgeries, maternity wards and other critical care units.

WHO ensures that each system is equipped with the most energy-efficient solution, tailored to the specific needs of each hospital, recognizing that every facility faces unique challenges.

Strengthening health system resilience

This initiative is part of WHO’s broader emergency response and recovery project, which aims to enable health facilities to operate without interruption. As part of these efforts, WHO and its partners have equipped hospitals with essential infrastructure, including water treatment systems, heating units and generators, ensuring continued access to life-saving medical services.

Source: WHO

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UNICEF calls for immediate end to attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine as nine children reportedly killed in Kryvyi Rih

Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Regina De Dominicis

GENEVA, 5 April 2025 – “We are devastated by the horrific attack in Kryvyi Rih that reportedly killed at least nine children and injured many more, including one as young as three months old.

“A missile reportedly struck a residential neighbourhood in the Saksahanskyi district in the early evening, a time when many families gather ahead of the weekend, landing near a playground and tearing through homes, schools and a restaurant. Among the scenes of devastation, parents were seen weeping, cradling the body of their dead son. No child should ever suffer such terror. No parent should ever endure such pain.

“UNICEF and our partners are on the ground supporting affected families and coordinating with local authorities to deliver emergency assistance. The response is ongoing.

“More than 2,500 children have been killed or injured since February 2022, according to UN-verified data, and millions of young lives have been upended.

“Every child killed is a future stolen. The brutal use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure, which disproportionally harm children, must end.

"Children in Ukraine need peace. They need protection. They need a sense of hope for the future, not more grief and pain.”

Source: UNICEF

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IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has delivered a new ambulance and other medical equipment to help Ukraine provide adequate health care for the personnel operating its nuclear power plants (NPPs) in challenging conditions during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

The ambulance was handed over to the Emergency Technical Center of the national nuclear energy company Energoatom last Friday, during a 12-day IAEA mission to review the medical capacities of Ukraine’s three operating NPPs, the Chornobyl site as well as nearby hospitals and health facilities that provide critical medical support and care to plant staff.

“Nuclear safety and security require a well-functioning workforce that has timely access to medical services, including mental health support. The personnel of these facilities have been working in extremely difficult circumstances for more than three years now, enabling the continued safe production of much-needed electricity. Their physical and psychological well-being is of paramount importance for nuclear safety and security,” Director General Grossi said.

In addition to the new ambulance – the third such vehicle provided by the IAEA to Ukraine – an ultrasound system was delivered to a specialised health care facility in the city of Netishyn, located close to the Khmelnytskyy NPP.

During the recent mission to Ukraine, IAEA medical and procurement experts discussed the impact of assistance delivered so far under its Medical Assistance Programme for Operating Personnel at NPPs in Ukraine as well as future needs with medical personnel and psychologists, both at the NPPs’ own health care units and nearby hospitals. The IAEA team also visited the National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine (NRCRM).

“It was a very important mission to obtain a better understanding of the many challenges and difficulties these medical professionals face daily in carrying out their extremely important work. Based on the team’s findings, we will be able to direct our medical support to where it is most needed,” Director General Grossi said.

Over the past week, the IAEA has also continued to provide other technical support and assistance to Ukraine to help maintain nuclear safety and security, with 120 deliveries since the start of the armed conflict valued at a total of 16 million euros.

Last week, the Kherson Regional Clinical Hospital received ultrasound and radiographic equipment. It was part of an IAEA initiative to support – through the delivery of equipment using nuclear or isotopic-based techniques – the areas severely affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in 2023. More deliveries are planned in the coming months.

Separately, State Enterprise USIE Izotop – involved in the management of radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – received vehicles to support their daily field activities in nuclear and radiation safety and security.

The recent deliveries of equipment were supported by Canada, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Malta.

Despite such assistance, the general nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine remains precarious, based on the assessments of the IAEA teams continuously deployed at all the NPP sites.

At the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the IAEA team reported hearing military activities at varying distances away from the site. The team continued to monitor nuclear safety and security, conducting a walkdown of the reactor buildings of units 1, 3 and 5 and of the turbine halls of units 1 and 2.

Elsewhere, the IAEA teams based at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs as well as the Chornobyl site reported hearing air raid alarms over the past week. At Chornobyl, the team also heard a loud explosion and a drone in the evening of 30 March.

Over the past week, the IAEA teams at the Rivne, South Ukraine and Chornobyl sites rotated, with newly-arrived staff replacing their colleagues who have been monitoring nuclear safety and security there for the past several weeks.

Source: IAEA

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WHO Country Office in Ukraine Annual Report 2024

This report provides an overview of the operations and activities of the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Ukraine during 2024. Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Country Office continued its work according to its core mandate. WHO supported the Government of Ukraine to manage the acute health impacts of the war, responding to health emergencies and pursuing existing priorities set out in WHO’s General Programme of Work (GPW), the European Programme of Work 2020–2025, the Biennial Collaborative Agreement 2023–2024 signed with the Government of Ukraine and the Country Cooperation Strategy 2024–2030. This report provides an account of the achievements of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine during 2024 in the context of the war’s devastating toll on health and the resilience of Ukraine’s health system in response. 

Source: WHO

Intensified Fighting and Frontline Updates:

• Eastern Front Focus: Heavy fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region. Russian forces are reportedly focusing efforts on securing ground west of the Oskil River, near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv Oblast.

• Contested Settlements: Russia claimed to have captured the village of Basivka in the Sumy Oblast, but Ukraine denied this, stating it's part of a disinformation campaign. Fighting and Russian attempts to send assault groups across the border in that area are ongoing.

• Donetsk Gains Claimed: Russian forces claimed to have taken control of the settlement of Katerynivka in the Donetsk region.

• Ukrainian Defense: Ukrainian forces reported repelling multiple Russian infantry attacks near several villages in the Kupiansk direction, including Kamianka, Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Nadiia, and Zahryzove. They are also focused on preventing Russian forces from crossing the Oskil River to reinforce their positions.

Strikes and Casualties:

• Deadly Kryvyi Rih Attack: A Russian missile strike on President Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih was particularly devastating, killing at least 20 people, including nine children, and injuring over 70. This attack on a residential area and a playground drew strong condemnation.

• Kyiv and Kharkiv Strikes: Both Kyiv and the Kharkiv region experienced Russian missile and drone attacks. In Kyiv, one person was killed, and a building housing state-owned foreign language broadcasting channels was damaged. Kharkiv also reported casualties and damage to power lines due to multiple attacks.

• Russian Claims of Strikes: Russia claimed to have conducted "high-precision" strikes on Ukrainian military targets, including a meeting of unit commanders and Western instructors in Kryvyi Rih, alleging significant casualties. Ukraine has dismissed these claims as disinformation.

• Energy Infrastructure Targeted: Russia accused Ukraine of multiple drone attacks on its energy infrastructure in the Bryansk, Rostov, and Voronezh regions, as well as in Crimea. Ukraine has not confirmed these attacks.

Diplomatic and Political Developments:

• Ceasefire Discussions: While Russia states that President Putin supports a ceasefire, they also mention a "huge number" of unanswered questions. The US has indicated it will know in the coming weeks if Russia is serious about peace.

• US-Ukraine Minerals Deal: A team from Kyiv is scheduled to travel to Washington to discuss a deal that would give the US access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals.

• International Condemnation: The United Nations condemned Russia's "reckless disregard" for civilians following the deadly strike on Kryvyi Rih.

• Ukrainian Call for International Response: Ukraine initiated an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to address the Kryvyi Rih attack, calling for a robust international response.

Military and Technological Developments:

• Ukrainian-Made Robot: Ukraine's Defense Ministry approved a new domestically produced ground robot, the D-21-12R, equipped with a large-caliber machine gun for surveillance, fire support, and targeting lightly armored vehicles.

• Indian Component in Russian Weaponry: For the first time, Ukraine's intelligence reported finding a component made in India in a Russian weapon.

General Situation:

• The overall situation remains highly volatile, with intense fighting concentrated in the east and continued long-range strikes affecting various parts of Ukraine.

• Both sides accuse each other of targeting civilian infrastructure.

• Diplomatic efforts towards a ceasefire continue, but significant obstacles remain.

• International support for Ukraine, particularly military and financial aid, remains a key factor in the ongoing conflict.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The Kyiv Independent, ISW, Jurist News, PBS, Ukrinform, Sky News, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (Summarized by Google Gemini)

Source: Radio Free Europe

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$18 million 'Ukraine2EU' program launched to support Ukraine’s eventual European Union accession

The European Union is launching the Ukraine2EU program worth 16.7 million euros ($18 million) to support Ukraine’s preparation for EU membership, officials announced on April 1.

This was stated during the "Ukraine's Accession to the EU: The Choice Has Been Made, It's a Matter of Time” conference.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budris emphasized that the initiative aims to help Ukraine navigate the complex accession process, especially during wartime, with a goal of EU membership by 2030.

“Ukraine's membership in the EU is crucial for the security and stability of Europe,” Budris said.

The three-year program, implemented by Lithuania’s Central Project Management Agency, will provide strategic support to Ukrainian institutions and civil society involved in European integration efforts.

Sweden and Denmark reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s EU future and urged continued reforms, particularly in the fight against corruption.

“Moving along the European path still requires significant efforts from Ukraine, but it has already come a long way in extraordinary conditions,” Danish Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre stated. “The Ukrainian people can count on the support of their European friends in the process of gaining EU membership.”

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova added that Ukraine2EU is designed to build institutional capacity and ensure steady progress in Ukraine’s transformative journey toward EU membership.

Ukraine applied for EU membership at the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The country has made quick progress, achieving candidate status within months, with the initial negotiations formally launching in June 2024.

There are six accession negotiation clusters, consisting of several individual chapters. Negotiations prepare a candidate country to become an EU member.

The EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, said that Ukraine could potentially join the bloc by 2029 if it successfully implements necessary reforms.

Source: Kyiv Independent

Seminarians from Lviv Greek Catholic Seminary of the Holy Spirit participate in supervised bereavement ministry trainings at city cemeteries. This project is being funded by ICMC. (Photo credit: Bohdan Pempus)