Weekly Update #12
May 16

General humanitarian situation

During the past week, eastern parts of Ukraine continued to face the fiercest fighting. On 5 May, airstrikes in Kramatorsk (Donetska oblast) were reported to result in 25 civilian casualties and damages to more than 30 apartment buildings, three educational facilities and one health facility. Just a few days later, on 8 May, a school in Bilohorivka (Luhanska oblast), where an estimated 90 people had been taking shelter, came under attack, reportedly leaving dozens of people dead. UN Assistant Secretary-General and Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine Amin Awad expressed his profound shock at reports of an attack, which, he said, “is yet another stark reminder of the cruelty of this war.” Furthermore, on 10 May, local authorities in Kharkivska oblast reported that 44 bodies of civilians had been found under the rubble of a five-storey building in Izium, which is considered to have been destroyed in March. Eastern Luhanska oblast, which is currently one of the most conflict-affected oblasts in Ukraine, is now reported to be left without water, electricity and gas, as well as with disrupted mobile communications, with scores of homes and multiple civilian casualties reported during the past week. Southern and south-eastern Ukraine also continued to be affected by ground fighting and airstrikes, including one of the largest port cities in the Black Sea basin (Odesa, Odeska oblast), while central parts of Ukraine were targeted by missile attacks.

The ongoing fighting largely prevented rescue efforts and evacuation of civilians from hard-hit settlements, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped with little food, water and often without access to essential services and medication. The delivery of humanitarian aid remains exceptionally challenging, with only small levels of assistance being provided in the areas currently affected by active hostilities.

Despite enormous challenges, a third evacuation operation coordinated by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from Mariupol (Donetska oblast) and surrounding areas, another Ukrainian port city on the Azov Sea that has so far faced the most severe consequences of the ongoing war, was successfully completed on 8 May.

Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Osnat Lubrani confirmed that over 170 civilians from the Azovstal steelworks, where hundreds of civilians had sought shelter, and from areas around Mariupol were evacuated to Zaporizhzhia (Zaporizka oblast, south-east). This brings the total number of people evacuated from Azovstal to 152 civilians; 100 of them came to Zaporizhzhia with the convoy. In addition, over 500 were evacuated from Mariupol and surrounding areas. Following the start of the third evacuation operation, Governments of the Russian Federation and Ukraine announced that all civilians, including women, children and older people, had been evacuated from the Azovstal plant. The UN, however, does not have the means to verify this information. In the meantime, the UN is committed to further working with parties to the conflict to ensure that those who want to leave have the guarantees to do so safely and in the direction of their choice.

While hostilities are currently concentrated in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, directly affecting the safety and security of civilians, the mine contamination reported in residential areas in the east, as well as in the north of Ukraine previously affected by active fighting, continues to pose a threat to people’s lives.

Even before the start of the war, eastern Ukraine was among the most mine-contaminated regions in the world – ranking fourth in casualties from explosive remnants of war (ERW) and mines, according to Landmine Monitor (2021). On 5 May, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi announced the launch of an International Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Demining. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine, which is to support the new coordination centre, reported that, as of 11 May, it has disposed of more than 102,000 explosive devices, including over 1,900 aerial bombs, since 24 February. At this stage, it remains hard to estimate the extent of mine contamination across Ukraine.

Civilian casualties and damages to civilian infrastructure. As the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) continues to verify the cases of civilians killed or injured, the civilian toll of the ongoing war becomes more apparent. As of 10 May, the number of civilian casualties stands at 7,256 civilian casualties in the country: 3,496 killed and 3,760 injured, according to OHCHR. More than half (3,793) of all casualties so far verified have been recorded in Government- and non-Government-controlled areas (GCA and NGCA) of Donetska and Luhanska oblasts. The actual number of civilian casualties across Ukraine is likely considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.

In a press statement published on 10 May, the Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Matilda Bogner noted that they had so far recorded hundreds of educational and medical facilities destroyed or damaged in areas affected by hostilities across the country. She further noted that, in many areas, armed forces – from both sides – have been using schools as their bases and have placed heavy military equipment in the vicinity of schools.

Bogner further added that, throughout Ukraine, at least 50 Christian, Jewish and Muslim places of worship of different denominations had been damaged as a result of hostilities. More than half of the buildings have sustained severe damage and cannot be used. She then highlighted that the high number of civilian casualties and the extent of destruction and damage to civilian objects strongly suggest violations of the principles governing the conduct of hostilities, namely distinction, including the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks, proportionality and precautions.

Investigation of alleged war crimes

At the end of last week, Amnesty International published a report ‘He’s Not Coming Back’: War Crimes in Northwest Areas of Kyiv Oblast, which is based on dozens of interviews and an extensive review of material evidence of alleged war crimes. Amnesty International documented unlawful airstrikes on Borodianka and extrajudicial executions in other towns and villages, including Andriivka, Bucha, Vorzel and Zdvyzhivka (Kyivska oblast, north).Amnesty International said that in Borodianka, for example, it found that at least 40 civilians were killed in “disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks,” which devastated an entire neighbourhood and left thousands of people homeless. In Bucha and several other towns and villages located north-west of Kyiv, Amnesty International documented 22 cases of unlawful killings, most of which were apparent extrajudicial executions.

Economic impact

The ongoing war is projected to cause Ukraine’s economy to shrink by nearly a third this year, the latest forecast from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) shows. Ukraine’s GDP is expected to suffer negative growth of 30 per cent in 2022, a downward revision of ten percentage points compared to the Bank’s projections published in March. EBRD notes that the war had brought to an abrupt halt an economic recovery that had begun last year. Moreover, Ukraine’s GDP growth is forecast to bounce back to 25 per cent next year, provided that substantial reconstruction work is by then already underway. The duration of hostilities, nuances of the post-war settlement, the extent of reconstruction and the level of return of civilians to Ukraine are considered important factors to the recovery’s speed, EBRD says.

Moreover, according to EBRD’s estimations, between 30 and 50 per cent of businesses have stopped their operations completely, causing about half of all employees to lose their jobs and income. EBRD further notes that although the National Bank of Ukraine fixed the exchange rate on 24 February, limited cash withdrawals and introduced capital controls by preventing most cross-border transactions, huge production and logistical disruptions have caused inflation to rise 13.7 per cent year-on-year in March 2022, and it is likely that inflationary pressures will persist throughout the year.

Needs in affected areas and IDP-hosting settlements

On 10 May, REACH published its Humanitarian Situation Monitoring focused on affected areas in eastern and southern Ukraine and selected IDP-hosting settlements along evacuation routes or in main areas of arrival. Data collection was conducted between 13-20 April through over 220 telephone interviews with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local authorities’ key informants in 44 settlements (towns or villages). Among assessed settlements in areas affected by active hostilities, the level of humanitarian needs was the highest in Mariupol, Rubizhne (Luhanska oblast), and Avdiivka (Donetska oblast). The most frequently reported concerns across assessed affected urban centres were disruptions to transportation or fuel supply, access to medical services, security concerns, access to food, as well as access to financial services. Access to drinking water and disruption to the water supply remained critical in several settlements affected by hostilities, particularly in Mariupol, Avdiivka, Toretsk (Donetska oblast), Rubizhne, Sievierodonetsk (Luhanska oblast) and Mykolaiv (Mykolaivska oblast, south), where continuous disruption to the water supply was reported by key informants. In IDP-hosting communities, the most common types of information needed by internally displaced persons (IDPs) was about humanitarian assistance and organizations providing assistance, how to access financial assistance and how to access shelter or accommodation.

Food security

Initial results from a Premise survey on current and potential food security issues, including how respondents obtained food in the last week, satisfaction with food access, strategies to adapt to limited resources and availability of food staples (e.g., rice, flour, meat) showed the highest levels of satisfaction with food access in the westernmost oblasts (e.g., Lvivska, Rivnenska), with the lowest levels of satisfaction in Kharkivska (east), Khersonska (south) and Kyivska oblasts. Flour shortages were most pronounced in Kharkivska oblast, followed by Khersonska and Sumska oblasts (north-east), and meat shortages were most pronounced in Kyivska oblast, followed by Luhanska and Sumska oblasts. Despite many major cities remaining under the control of the Government of Ukraine, the number of respondents living with very limited food stocks is worryingly high: almost 38 per cent reported they would need to purchase food within the next two days. Plans are being made to collect more detailed data on these concerns in eastern Ukraine to enable early alerts when certain areas may need emergency food aid.

Displacement

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) published the latest round of the Ukraine Internal Displacement Report (29 April – 3 May) on 10 May, capturing the situation and needs of IDPs and the non-displaced population in the country. It provides insights into previously not covered areas such as cash assistance (please refer to the multipurpose cash section of OCHA’s Situation Report). As of 3 May, IOM estimates that slightly over 8 million people have been displaced within Ukraine, which represents a 4 per cent increase since 17 April. Nearly half of the displaced population (49 per cent) originally resided in eastern Ukraine. IOM also estimates that over 2.7 million people have returned to their places of residence: around 47 per cent returned from another city/area within their oblast of residence, and slightly over 46 per cent returned from another oblast in Ukraine. Out of the estimated 2.7 million returnees, 13 per cent or 353,000 people indicated an intention to relocate again due to the situation in their places of residence. IOM says this trend confirms their preliminary understanding that some returns are not permanent and can be temporary or recurrent. In addition, among 8 million IDPs, 26 per cent indicated that they have an immediate intention to return to their places of habitual residence in the next two weeks.

As of 10 May, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that nearly 6 million people have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Together with an estimated number of IDPs, the total number of people displaced by war is now slightly over 14 million people. According to UNHCR, the majority of people have crossed into Poland (over 3.2 million), followed by Romania (nearly 890,000 people) and the Russian Federation (over 770,000). Separately, the Russian Federation reported that, since 24 February, more than 1.2 million people, including more than 211,000 children, have crossed into its territory. The UN does not have the means to verify the number of people who crossed international borders reported by the UN Member States.

At the same time, while the coordinated efforts of the UN and ICRC have allowed the evacuation of over 600 people from Mariupol and nearby areas, the Government of Ukraine at the national and local levels did not report on any other evacuations taking place during the past week. In the meantime, evacuation from Luhanska oblast to GCA of Ukraine is reported to be not possible at the moment, while there are allegedly some opportunities for civilians to leave Donetska oblast. In its latest Humanitarian Situation Monitoring report, REACH also notes that respondents singled out restrictions on movement in and out of settlements in areas affected by hostilities, particularly from Mariupol and Rubizhne, noting that logistical assistance to evacuate older persons, sick and people with disabilities from eastern Ukraine is urgently required.

Protection

148,524 people have received targeted protection assistance at border crossing points, online and in locations where people have fled. This includes protection counselling and services, including psychosocial support and legal aid. The overall figure includes some 70,000 people who received protection information, support or counselling; almost 50,000 people who received information and counselling through hotlines; over 14,800 people who received legal counselling or assistance; over 12,815 people who received psychosocial support or psychological first aid; more than 4,870 who received social support. This is in addition to some 1,740 protection monitoring missions.

UNHCR partner R2P continues to provide legal consultations for people living in Dnipro reception centres. Inquiries primarily relate to compensation for destroyed housing, IDP registration, social benefits, labour issues and restoration of personal documentation. Additionally, at the Dnipro railway station, UNHCR partner Proliska conducts protection monitoring and provides consultations to evacuees regarding longterm housing, accessing aid, and receiving compensation for destroyed housing.

Multipurpose Cash Assistance

Since the beginning of cash enrolment in Ukraine on 17 March, 275,850 people have been enrolled by UNHCR to receive cash assistance and 157,716 of them have received their first payments. Cash enrolment was launched in Cherkasy Oblast on 9 May, and continued in ten other oblasts – Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Poltava, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Zakarpattia and Zaporizhzhia

Core Relief Items

To date, 402,905 people have benefitted from core relief items and food assistance across eastern, central and western Ukraine. This includes 82,131 people who received food assistance and 23,787 who received emergency shelter assistance; the remaining 297,000 people received core relief items or winter clothes.

UNHCR, as part of interagency humanitarian convoys, has reached some 65,000 people in the hardest hit areas with life-saving assistance since the beginning of the war. Access to the hardest hit areas remains extremely challenging with continuing security risks, both for affected civilians as well as humanitarian actors.

To respond to those being evacuated from Mariupol, UNHCR pre-positioned 3,000 self-care kits, which include dry food and hygiene items, to be distributed by NGO Posmishka immediately upon people’s arrival in Zaporizhzhia. As of 9 May, 500 people had received this assistance. In addition, UNHCR is providing 500 solar lamps, 500 mattresses, 1,000 towels and 1,000 bed linens at the reception centres in Zaporizhzhia.

In the past week, UNHCR delivered blankets, mattresses, solar lamps and hygiene kits to bomb shelters in Kharkiv city and oblast benefitting 2,124 people, including 230 children. UNHCR also delivered mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits and utensils to a temporary accommodation centre in Verkhnedniprovsk,nDnipropetrovsk Oblast, and 500 kitchen sets and 1,000 pieces of tarpaulin to Korosten, in Zhytomyr Oblast.

Additionally, over the last two weeks, UNHCR provided core relief items, including bed linen, hygiene kits, utensils and shelter repair kits, to people whose homes had been damaged by shelling in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast. In Vinnytisa oblast, UNHCR delivered 2,500 blankets to Haysyn and 500 blankets and 265 kitchen sets to Bar in Zhmerynka rayon. In Zakarpattia, UNHCR delivered core relief items to support 1,918 people in Mukachivskyi and Berehivskyi districts. Additionally, UNHCR partner Proliska delivered infant food, hygiene items, and towels to 12 reception centres in Dnipro, benefiting 8,203 people.

So far, UNHCR has supported 154 reception centres and collective centres run by the Government to increase their capacity to host IDPs. A total of 37, 858 additional sleeping spaces at these centres have so far been created.

REGIONAL UNHCR KEY FIGURES

Hungary

• Some 7,000 people provided with protection support by UNHCR and partners, including legal information provision, counselling and psychosocial support (since 21 March)

• 1 Blue Dot operational

Protection

UNHCR and partners, including Cordelia, Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC), Menedék and Next Step have provided information, counselling, psychosocial support and protection referrals to almost 7,000 refugees. This includes at Záhony train station, help / info points and temporary shelters across the country. This includes counselling provided by UNHCR at Záhony Railway Station on 6 - 7 May for some 400 individuals, where UNHCR counselled many individuals directly on trains as they awaited travel onward to Budapest.

A Blue Dot was established in Záhony train station providing information, legal and social counselling, and a safe space for children and persons with vulnerabilities recently arrived.

UNHCR continues assessing shelters across the country to identify persons in need of assistance and support with registration with the National Directorate- General for Aliens Policing (NDGAP) to access temporary protection and associated services. UNHCR also

maintains a daily presence at Záhony train station to provide information, legal and social counselling, protection assistance and referrals for persons with specific needs.

Through partner Cordelia, UNHCR is working to improve the health status of refugees in reception and refugee shelters through the provision of psychosocial services including specialized medical care, psychiatric assessment and social counsellingfor persons with vulnerabilities, including those experiencing signs of trauma and distress associated

with the effects of the conflict.

UNHCR has provided support through grants to two Ukrainian refugee-led organizations. The Foundation of the Association of Ukrainian Volunteers provides educational, including kindergarten, opportunities for refugee children and operates a humanitarian assistance centre. The second organization, Lexis, organizes events and information sessions for Ukrainian refugees and the local Ukrainian community

Core Relief Items

Partners and municipalities in Hungary have an indicated increased needs for hygiene supplies. UNHCR will provide 10,000 standard hygiene kits from mid-May to refugees in need. Between 25 April - 9 May, UNHCR partner Next Step provided hot meals and core relief items to some 400 refugees.

Moldova

• 42,807 people have received multipurpose cash assistance as of 8 May from a target of 150,000 people

• 1,275 refugees departed to Austria, France, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania as part of the EU Solidarity Platform

• 7 Blue Dots operational

• 6,446 refugees have been supported at the Blue Dots so far

• 50,000 + received protection information through distributed materials

• 7,895 refugees received protection support via UNHCR managed Green Line helpline

Protection

There are currently seven Blue Dots operational in Moldova. Some 6,446 people (more than 50 per cent children) received support provided by UNHCR, UNICEF and partners at Blue Dot centres.

There are Protection Desks at each of the 8 cash enrolment centres in Moldova. When refugees are enrolled for cash assistance, persons with specific needs are identified by the Protection Desk staff. Protection Desk and enrolment staff also provide home

visits for people with reduced mobility.

From the beginning of May, UNHCR Moldova, as part of a regional initiative, rolled out new profiling and protection monitoring tools. UNHCR now manages the Green Line – a free helpline(0800 800 11) to strengthen the two-way communication channel to address refugees and host community’s questions, needs and concerns. Between mid-April – 6 May, some 7,895 calls were received. The helpline is staffed by 10 staff and is open daily between 8am and 5pm. Furthermore, the UNHCR Moldova Help page has now been visited over 263,708 times by refugees seeking information.

UNHCR and partners are developing a strategy for transitional accommodation, including criteria to assess suitability of housing options within host communities. The strategy envisages working with local partners and volunteer groups to establish committees within communities to identify host families and determine the suitability of their space for refugees.

Comprehensive GBV referral pathways have been developed, shared and continue to be updated based on service mapping for all regions. 212 frontline partner, government and NGO staff have been trained on GBV safe disclosure and referral to increase access

to support.

So far in the context of the Solidarity Platform, 12 Member States - including Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain - as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland have made pledges to transfer 19,870 refugees from Moldova.

Multipurpose Cash Assistance

Some 42,807 refugees have been enrolled and issued bank cards for multipurpose cash assistance in Moldova since 25 March. So far, eight enrolment centres are operational, with mobile teams covering other locations. A total of 100 cash enrolment staff have

now been trained.

Core Relief Items

UNHCR currently has a stockpile in Moldova of more than 106,674 blankets; 19,992 solar lamps; 17,600 jerry cans; 15,012 pillows; 11,540 winter coats; 10,000 mattresses; 4,852 sleeping bags; 4,655 family tents; 3,600 quilts; 3,114 winterization kits; 3,050 plastic tarpaulins; 9,209 kitchen sets; 990 thermoses; and 10 rub halls.

Poland

• 60,969 refugees enrolled for multipurpose cash assistance as of 9 May from a target of 360,000 people

• 7 Blue Dots operating with additional locations underway

• 6,199 refugees have been supported at the Blue Dots so far

• 127 trucks have been dispatched from Poland to Ukraine with core relief items to benefit hundreds of thousands of people

• 1.4 million visits and almost 3 million views of the UNHCR Poland Help Page

Protection

There are currently 7 Blue Dots operating in Poland,including at the two UNHCR cash enrolment centres in Warsaw as well as in Krakow and Poznań , at the Tesco reception centre in Przemyśl and ‘Light’ Blue Dot points at the Medyka Border Crossing Point and

Korczowa.

A total of 6,199 people have been counselled through the Blue Dots as of 9 May. Protection teams provided 3,121 interventions and over 1,334 referrals at the Blue Dots. The UNHCR Help Poland page continues to be the most visited UNHCR Help country site globally. It has surpassed 1.4 million visits and has almost reached 3 million views, with some 100,000 visitors from Ukraine. The Help site has been updated with additional health and MHPSS-related content and contacts and key GBV referral numbers and services. UNHCR also launched its child-friendly page on UNHCR Poland Help page (in Polish and Ukrainian).

Multipurpose Cash Assistance

As of 9 May, 60,969 individuals (29,313 families) have been enrolled for cash assistance in Poland through five cash enrollment centres in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznań and Ostróda.

Core Relief Items

127 trucks have travelled from the logistics hub in Rzeszów, Poland, to Ukraine to dispatch hundreds of thousands of core relief items to five warehouses in Ukraine for distribution to the increasing numbers of IDPs in need.

These include: 147,294 high thermal blankets; 66,500 regular blankets, sheets and bed linen; 51,800 solar lamps; 53,580 thermoses; 46,200 sheets of tarpaulin to repair shelters; 30,000 towels; 20,000 quilts; 15,900 kitchen sets; 14,700 pillows; 12,500 jerry cans; 10,000 sleeping bags; 5,700 mattresses; 5,175 winter jackets; 10 Rubb halls as well as thousands of hygiene products.

Romania

• 2,679 refugees enrolled for cash assistance as of 9 May from a target of 80,000 people

• Some 14,141 refugees provided with information and counselling in person or over the phone

• 7 Blue Dots operating in Romania

• 10,372 people supported to travel to Romania from Moldova through fast-track transfers

Protection

To date, over 14,141 people have received protection support, advice, referrals and information in person or remotely through helplines. Information requested largely focuses on accommodation, transportation, medical services, school enrolment support, job opportunities and temporary protection, residence rights and benefits.

UNHCR is organizing a comprehensive protection training focusing on child protection, GBV, AAP and PSEA in Suceava on 13-17 May for authorities, volunteers and NGO partners from Siret, Sighet and Maramure border crossing points, as well as for Ukrainian refugees. The same training will be conducted for Iași and Galați.

GBV Referral pathways, which include information on some 21 NGOs and three governmental institutions, have been finalized and shared with all protection actors to enhance access to information and protection services including psychosocial support for those in need of GBV services and support. UNHCR is also in discussion with the Director of the National Agency for equal opportunities between men and women and Domestic Violence (ANES), on further areas of collaboration on GBV, including through hotlines for

domestic violence.

UNHCR child protection teams are engaged with UNICEF, the National Child Protection Authority and county-level child protection authorities on the identification and registration tool the Government is developing for UASC, contributing inputs for the national-level tool’s development

UNHCR and IOM continue to jointly facilitate fasttrack transfers from Palanca border crossing point with Ukraine, in Moldova, to Huși, Romania. As of 9 May, more than 10,372 people had been transported to Romania through this mechanism.

Multipurpose Cash Assistance

As of 9 May, 2,679 individuals (1,000 families) have been enrolled to receive multipurpose cash assistance. Detailed Information about UNHCR’s Cash Programme in Romania is being uploaded on www.dopomoha.ro and on the UNHCR Romania Help page. The programme is being scaled up to reach a total of 80,000 people.

Core Relief Items

UNHCR has three warehouses in Bucharest for storing core relief items. UNHCR uses its storage hub to deliver humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine and pre-position items for contingency needs in Romania.

To date, 15 trucks have been dispatched to Ukraine with 43,218 blankets, 4,200 plastic tarpaulins, 14,800 jerry cans and 2,304 solar lamps. Pre-positioned stock in Romania for needs in Ukraine currently includes: 75,700 blankets; 28,200 jerry cans; 9,164 solar lamps; 2,025 kitchen sets. On 18 April, 8,800 jerry cans, 21,408 blankets, 2,340 kitchen sets and 5,400 solar lamps from the Romania Hub for Ukraine were delivered into Uzhhorod and Chernivtsi.

Slovakia

• 2 Blue Dots operating in Slovakia

• 732 refugees enrolled for cash assistance as of 9 May from a target of 34,500 people

Protection

Two Blue Dots have been set up at a registration centre at Bottova in Bratislava, and in Gabčíkovo.

UNHCR, as co-lead of the Child Protection Sub-Working Group, continues service mapping for child protection services and directories in order to finalize referral pathways to be used by all protection actors to ensure that all children have access to the specialized support that they require.

In the past week, UNHCR trained some 200 border police officers and frontline authorities in eastern Slovakia on GBV response, safe disclosures and referrals, as well as child protection and PSEA.

Core Relief Items

To date, UNHCR has conducted rapid assessments of 21 tented shelters and transit facilities, as well as temporary accommodation centres.

Multipurpose Cash Assistance

UNHCR enrolment activities for cash assistance started on 2 May at five registration centres (Michalovce, Nitra, Humenné, Žilina and Bratislava). To date, 732 people have been enrolled for cash assistance.

FINDINGS FROM IOM`S UKRAINE INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT SURVEY-ROUND IV

Protection

In Ukraine, together with the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, IOM has launched a nationwide trafficking prevention information campaign, which is being shared through national television and radio channels, social networks, and outdoor advertisements promoting IOM’s 527 Migrant Advice and Counter-Trafficking Hotline. The campaign reached more than one million Ukrainians during the first few days after launching. In addition, IOM has distributed approximately 10,000 awareness-raising leaflets in the last ten days.

In Hungary, IOM provides rapid vulnerability screening assessments in the border area, including in shelters provided by local municipalities, and at the Budapest information point. The mission also aims to raise awareness on protection risks and to refer vulnerable persons for in-depth screening and tailored assistance. From 3-9 May, IOM provided counselling and information to 85 persons. Since the start of the war, approximately 1,198 persons have received information and referrals.

In Moldova, from 3-5 May, IOM’s mobile protection teams reached 238 refugees in Glodeni, Ciadir-Lunga, Congaz, and Kirsovo. The refugees were informed about the risk of human trafficking and the available protection services in Moldova. Furthermore, 22 refugees received legal counselling, 98 refugees received social protection counselling, and two refugees were referred for assistance. The mission also provided similar protection support to third country nationals. Vulnerability screenings and pre-departure counselling were provided for third country nationals from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

In Slovakia, from 4-10 May, IOM provided direct legal assistance, referrals, and information to 173 beneficiaries through strategically located information points. During the same period, the mission provided legal counselling to 183 beneficiaries through its Migration Information Centre (MIC). From 24 February to 10 May, IOM provided information and legal counselling to 2,709 beneficiaries through MIC, including 1,427 Ukrainian refugees and 1,282 third country nationals. In total, the MIC website recorded 232,688 users and 617,061 page views.

Site Management

In Slovakia, IOM continues to support the government with information provision to displaced persons in the Gabcikovo accommodation facility on legal matters, including the national legal framework for the protection of vulnerable cases, access to social welfare benefits, and employment pathways. IOM has also launched Slovak language courses for those staying at the site and prepared the first Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) information sessions for young people.

In Slovakia, Kosice warehouse received 24,360 blankets from BHA-USAID and 2,000 mattresses, 63,000 blankets and 80,000 towels from the government of Canada as in-kind support.

Also in Slovakia, from 4-10 May, 29 trucks were sent directly to Dnipro, Ukraine from IOM’s warehouse in Kosice, Slovakia for further distribution in the east of the country. In total, during the reporting period, IOM Slovakia sent 41 trucks of goods to Ukraine, totalling a volume of 656 metric tons.

On the global level, 12 of 12 flights carrying in-kind donations from the government of Canada have landed in Hungary and Poland, totalling approximately 333,500 relief items. The items are transferring through Kosice and Rzeszow warehouses on their way to Ukraine.

FAITH AND INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITY RESPONSE

https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/