Weekly Update #130
August 26, 2024

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Key Figures:

Mobility within and from Ukraine, 2020-2024

Humanitarian Impact of Intensified Hostilities in Donetska and Sumska Oblasts – Flash Update #4

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Since 16 August, Donetska Oblast reportedly saw fighting nearing the urban centres of Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Toretsk. Between 16 to 22 August, the Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (HRMMU) verified 16 civilians were killed and 22 injured in the Ukraine-controlled part of Donetska Oblast, and one more was killed and 21 more injured in the occupied part of Donetska Oblast. HRMMU also verified 15 civilian casualties in Sumska Oblast.

The authorities and partners on the ground noted new damage to homes, education facilities and other civilian infrastructure. An attack on 20 August seriously damaged a transit centre for newly displaced people and damaged several multi-story residential buildings in Pokrovsk Town. Two civilians were affected at the transit site, which was later deactivated due to security concerns. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Mattias Schmale, who visited the site after the attack, condemned the attack and called for international humanitarian law to be respected.

On 18 August, the authorities called upon the residents of Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Selydove towns in Donetska Oblast to leave for safer parts of Ukraine. On 19 August, the oblast authorities announced the mandatory evacuation of children from Pokrovska Hromada, including Pokrovsk Town and 13 more towns and villages. Of the nearly 53,000 residents remaining in the town at that time, 4,000 were children, compared with 13,700 children before the escalation of the war, according to government estimates.

The pace of evacuation from Donetska Oblast increased significantly in light of the above. According to the authorities, between 20 and 22 August, up to 5,000 civilians were leaving the Ukraine-controlled areas of Donetska Oblast every day through organized evacuations and by their own means. As of 21 August, the authorities reported that all children had been evacuated from 90 towns and villages, with over 4,900 children remaining in 30 front-line locations in Kramatorskyi and Pokrovskyi raions.

In Sumska Oblast, people also continued to leave communities bordering the Russian Federation, although at a somewhat slower pace. According to the partners on the ground, displaced people preferred to stay within the Oblast.

The Health Cluster reported that the need to relocate hospitals in Donetska Oblast has become more urgent, with the health authorities requesting support for relocating hospitals from Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk. In Sumska Oblast, an Emergency Medicine Centre was facing a shortage of medicines and consumables due to the increase in patients. Health partners reported difficulties accessing areas near the front line due to the security situation.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

As the humanitarian needs in Donetska and Sumska oblasts continued to increase, in addition to conducting regular programming, humanitarian organizations mobilized emergency response to support people in the affected communities. Aid workers also assisted newly displaced people on the move and in their destination areas, including over 340 people evacuated by trains to Rivnenska Oblast in the west of Ukraine.

On 21 August, an inter-agency convoy delivered 13 tons of critical humanitarian supplies to front-line Kurakhivska Hromada in Donetska Oblast. The supplies included medical kits, adult diapers, individual hygiene kits, dignity kits for older people, solar lamps, jerry cans, kitchen sets and kits for winter response.

Cluster response in Donetska, Sumska and neighbouring oblasts

Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster partners provided daily technical support and facilitated referrals at the transit centre in Mezhova in Dnipropetrovska Oblast for evacuees from Donetska Oblast, ensuring an effective multisectoral response. Since 7 August, following the mandatory evacuation in Sumskyi Raion of SumskaOblast, nearly 100 people have been housed and assisted in collective sites and transit centres in Sumy City, accommodating around 45 evacuees daily.

Cash Working Group partners continued registering evacuees for multi-purpose cash assistance in Donetska and Sumska oblasts and neighbouring Dnipropetrovska and Poltavska oblasts receiving newly displaced people. As of 22August, nearly 800 people were registered to receive MPCA in Donetska Oblast; over 100 people were registered in the Mezhova Transit Site in Dnipropetrovska Oblast, and more than160 evacuees were enrolled in Poltavska Oblast. In Sumska Oblast, partners processed the list of over 1,800 evacuees registered with the governmental social protection services between 7 and 14 August. Partners also began to verify over 200 people registered with governmental social protection services between 15 and 19 August.

Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster partners provided hot meals and ready-to-eat kits to evacuees at transit centresi n Pokrovsk and Mezhova to bridge the time until cash assistance is processed. Additionally, institutional feeding was provided at Mezhova Transit Centre, allowing hot meals to be cooked directly on-site. In Pavlohrad Town, assistance included a mobile kitchen with a capacity to serve up to 1,000 meals daily. Hot meals were also provided at transit centres and collective sites in Sumska Oblast, with about 180 portions distributed daily. In addition, hot meals were provided for evacuated people at collective sites.

Shelter and Non-Food Items Cluster partners continued emergency response in Donetska Oblast, while the area of operation was shrinking due to security concerns to safeguard the responders. Between 9 and 19 August, partners provided over 850 people in Kurakhove, Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk with emergency shelter kits. In Sumska Oblast, over2,050 people were provided with emergency shelter materials and non-food items. Cluster partners supported recently displaced people at humanitarian hubs and the transit sites in Donetska and Dnipropetrovska oblasts with blankets, beds and kitchen sets and pre-positioning additional supplies to receive more evacuees. Over 2,600 people receivednon-food supplies to meet their basic needs in a transit centre in Sumska Oblast.

Fifteen Health Cluster partners engaged in the health emergency response in Donetska Oblast. They provided coordinated medical, mental health and psychosocial support at the newly established transit centre. In Reshetylivka, Poltavska Oblast, partners offered health support to evacuees from Donetska Oblast. The Health Cluster collaborated with local authorities to coordinate resources for hospitals undergoing relocation and supported the associated costs. In Sumska Oblast, 18 health partners provided essential health assistance as part of the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP). They donated treatment sets for war-wounded patients to a hospital in Sumy and formed rapid response teams for urgent medical and psychological aid during missile attacks.

Protection Cluster partners supported evacuation from front-line locations in coordination with local authorities, bringing people to transit and collective sites in Dnipropetrovska, Poltavska and Zaporizka oblasts. Due to the shortage of accommodations accessible for people with disabilities, cluster partners identified collective sites accessible for people with low mobility and facilitated transportation to those sites. At the Mezhova transit site, four cluster partners provided mental health and psychosocial support and legal assistance, addressing issues such as registering displaced people, housing allowances, restoring documents, and conducting activities for children. The Cluster, with the DonetskaOblast authorities, developed a leaflet on evacuation procedures, while other cluster partners provided evacuation support and protection services in receiving oblasts.

Child-friendly services were limited in Donetska Oblast due to the security situation. Instead, Child Protection partners provided services in NGO offices or through mobile teams. At an evacuation hub in Pokrovsk, awareness-raising activities were conducted along with psychosocial support for children and caregivers. Emergency psychosocial support kits for children were distributed together with brochures on coping with stress and information on case management services. Psychological First Aid was provided during evacuations. Legal consultations, case management services, assistance restoring and obtaining documents and guardianship, establishing "Child of War" status, and providing in-kind humanitarian aid were also offered. Similar support and cash assistance for children were offered by partners in Mezhova.

Support for newly displaced people in the west of Ukraine

Government-organised evacuations to the western oblasts of Ukraine continued. In August alone, Rivnenska Oblast received nearly 340 people displaced from Donetska Oblast, with new arrivals accommodated in two raions of Rivnenska Oblast. According to the authorities, some 270 places were still available for new arrivals. Rivnenska Oblast authorities have established an Evacuation Task Force to prepare for increasing evacuations. This task force, which includes state services and humanitarian partners, convenes before the arrival of each evacuation train from Donetska Oblast to address immediate needs.

Source: OCHA

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Key Messages:  Good harvests in the west improving food supplies despite southeast shortfall

This Key Message Update provides a high-level analysis of current acute food insecurity conditions and any changes to FEWS NET's latest projection of acute food insecurity outcomes in the specified geography. Learn more here.

In July 2024, Russian forces continued to launch attacks on population settlements and key infrastructure, most severely affecting front-line regions in the east. However, attacks on urban centers across Ukraine have also continued. Notably, on July 8th, Russian forces launched a large-scale missile attack on multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. This attack resulted in significant civilian casualties and damage to critical infrastructure, including the partial destruction of the largest hospital for critically ill children in Ukraine, where 34 people were killed. Between July 6th and 12th, Russian shelling and airstrikes caused at least 77 civilian deaths across the frontline regions of Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa, as well as Kyiv. Russian forces also struck energy facilities in Sumy and Chernihiv, railway infrastructure in Kharkiv, and port infrastructure in Odesa.

Widespread rolling blackouts continued in July, including extended outages in Kyiv for at least 10 hours daily. A 25 percent increase in power consumption due to unusually hot summer weather is exacerbating Ukraine’s energy crisis. While the Ukrainian state grid operator expects energy system improvements by August due to ongoing repairs to nuclear power plants, such improvements are contingent on the ability of repairs and maintenance to continue. The government is negotiating with the EU to lift electricity import restrictions to reduce energy deficits ahead of peak winter demand. Meanwhile, businesses have reportedly adapted to the blackouts with generators. Additionally, with support from Germany, FAO has distributed nearly half of a total planned 245 generators to food producers in frontline areas to support essential food production.

In July, harvests of spring barley, oats, spring rye, and winter wheat and rye are ongoing, the buckwheat cropping season is nearing completion, and corn crops are in the flowering stage of development. In western and central regions, cropping conditions for wheat, maize, and soybeans are mostly favorable to exceptional, according to GEOGLAM as of July 28th. Notably, farmers in western Ukraine have devoted increasing shares of their production to soybeans since the beginning of the conflict because it is more lucrative than staple grain production. However, the ongoing war and adverse weather have negatively impacted yields in the eastern and southern regions. In particular, southeastern Ukraine experienced below-average precipitation and hot, dry conditions from April to July 2024, leading to low soil moisture and poor crop conditions.

Cumulative rainfall in August is likely to be below average, exacerbating the impact of drier-than-average conditions on crop production, especially in southeastern Ukraine. While average rainfall is anticipated during the planting and cultivation of winter wheat and rye from August to mid-October, overall yield potential for summer and autumn crops remains at risk due to worsening dry spells and abnormal heat during the flowering and grain-filling period of cultivation. In late July, the Ukraine Grain Association slightly revised the 2024/25 harvest forecast from 74.6 million tons to 71.8 million tons. Over 22 million tons of grains and oilseeds had been harvested as of July 26th, 2024, including over 19 million tons of grain and over 3 million tons of oilseeds. Despite anticipated harvest deficits in the southeast, Ukraine is expected to remain a leading exporter of agricultural commodities during the 2024/25 marketing year.

Source: FEWS NET

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IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) lost connection to its only remaining off-site back-up power line yesterday, leaving it once again precariously reliant on a single power source, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) was informed by the ZNPP that the plant’s 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna 1 back-up power line was disconnected yesterday due to a short-circuit at approximately 16:00. The ZNPP confirmed that the Ukraine dispatcher had put the line under maintenance and that it was re-connected at 15:30 today.

The ISAMZ team was informed by the ZNPP that the cause of the short-circuit or the possible damage to the line is unknown. The team has confirmed that the line has been restored.

The latest outage follows reports of military activity in the region and beyond. The IAEA team have reported hearing explosions near the ZNPP over the past 24 hours.

“This all too often occurrence whereby Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is once again forced to rely on only one external source of electricity to maintain its essential nuclear safety and security functions underlines the vulnerability of this major facility,” Director General Grossi said. “This is not sustainable and it is essential that strengthened efforts be taken now to uphold the five concrete principles for protecting the facility.”

During the outage, the ZNPP was connected to its only remaining 750 kV Dniprovska line. Before the conflict, the ZNPP had four 750 kV and six 330 kV power lines available.

Source: IAEA

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Mass evacuation from Pokrovsk as fighting approaches

As the front line approaches Pokrovsk, Ukraine, a mandatory evacuation order has been declared for the city and surrounding towns and villages including Selydove, Myrnohrad, and Novohrodivka, effective from August 20.

The evacuation order applies to children, families with children, the elderly, and people with reduced mobility, who have been urged to flee with only their most essential possessions as active hostilities occur less than 6 miles from the city. Volunteers, rescuers, and authorities are all involved in the evacuation efforts as Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams provide medical assistance.

According to local officials, more than 59,000 people reside in the Pokrovsk region. The majority are fleeing the war by train, with carriages fully occupied. Entire families, often accompanied by their pets, are boarding these evacuation trains.

"I left everything behind,” says Raisa Epshtein, an 83-year-old resident of Myrnohrad who recently suffered a stroke. “It’s a nightmare. At night, we trembled and flinched with every explosion. Everything is closed: the market, shops, and pharmacies have been shut for a long time. It’s terrifying; everyone is on edge. My hometown is being destroyed, with houses and lives lost right before my eyes."

MSF is providing medical consultations to evacuees on the railway platform in Pokrovsk and is on duty at train stops.

The evacuation trains are stopping in Dnipro, the major city closest to the front line. Some evacuees are heading to relatives in safer regions, while others are seeking refuge in shelters for internally displaced people in the western part of the country.

"MSF will continue to operate in Pokrovsk as long as security conditions permit,” says Gianpietro Campedelli, MSF project coordinator in Ukraine.

Source: MSF

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To date, nine mobile rehabilitation units of the Ukrainian Red Cross have been operating across five regions of Ukraine, providing rehabilitation services to nearly 200 beneficiaries

Providing support to people who need additional services after treatment and the acute phase of rehabilitation is one of the main areas of work of the Ukrainian Red Cross. The services are available to various groups, including war veterans, older adults, people with disabilities, and vulnerable populations living in remote areas with limited access to rehabilitation services. The number of visits and the routes taken by the rehabilitation units are typically adjusted based on the needs of the local population.

The Ukrainian Red Cross continues to provide rehabilitation services to residents of remote communities. Recently, the mobile rehabilitation unit from the Ivano-Frankivsk regional branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross visited several beneficiaries recovering from serious illnesses.

The project is being implemented with the support and supervision of partners within the Movement and in cooperation with regional health.

Source: Ukrainian Red Cross

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Women take the lead as handlers in UNDP's Technical Survey Dogs project for demining in Ukraine 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is proud to announce the launch of an innovative project in Ukraine that is set to transform demining operations and create critical methodologies for mine action.

This initiative features the deployment of sixteen Technical Survey Dogs (TSDs) alongside eight women handlers, and is a collaborative effort involving UNDP, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and APOPO – a non-profit organization renowned for its innovative use of trained animals. The project is being generously funded by the Netherlands and Spain.

The project will focus on training and accrediting TSD teams to conduct thorough surveys in previously occupied territories, with the objective of establishing National Mine Action Standards that are specifically tailored to the unique context of Ukraine. Over the next seven months, the teams are expected to survey around 1,800 square kilometres of land in Kharkiv Oblast, thereby enabling the safe return of invaluable land for productive use.

The use of TSD teams should speed up mine clearance in Ukraine significantly: A fully trained Technical Survey Dog can cover an area around 1,500 square meters per day, compared to a human deminer’s 20-50 square meters per day. TSDs ignore scrap metal and only detect explosive scent, meaning that, in certain conditions, they are much faster at finding landmines than metal detectors.

The various project partners cited the significance and importance of this partnership:

• UNDP Resident Representative Jaco Cilliers emphasized the significance of establishing robust standards, stating, “The introduction of Technical Survey Dogs aligns with our commitment to developing national mine action standards that are uniquely adapted to Ukraine’s context.

• MAG head Jon Cunliffe added, “Deploying Technical Survey Dogs enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of our demining missions. Their abilities allow us to survey areas more comprehensively, identifying hazards with precision, which is crucial for ensuring communities can reclaim their land safely.

• The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands to Ukraine Alle Dorhout highlighted the critical role of international collaboration in tackling land contamination hazards. "This project exemplifies our dedication to improving safety in the places where there was fighting," Dorhout said. "

• The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain in Ukraine Ricardo Lopez-Aranda Jagu said: I’m proud to say that in 2024 Spain foresees to continue supporting demining efforts in Ukraine through the UNDP programme, including this progressive and inclusive project that elevates the role of women in critical humanitarian efforts and strengthens international cooperation.”

The launch of the Technical Survey Dogs project marks a significant milestone in Ukraine's ongoing efforts to enhance mine action capabilities. It underscores the collaborative partnership between UNDP, MAG, APOPO, and the generous support of the Netherlands, Spain, and the European Union, which is also funding the initiative.

Source: UNDP

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Humanitarian situation in Pokrovsk region deteriorates

The humanitarian situation in the Pokrovsk region has severely deteriorated over recent months. As of today, Pokrovsk city is situated approximately 10 kilometers from the front line. Since 20 August, the continuous shelling of Pokrovsk city and nearby settlements — including Hrodivka, Novohrodivka, Selidove, and Myrnohrad — has triggered the urgent evacuation of families with children.

Currently, more than 59,000 people remain in the Pokrovsk community, of which 4,000 are children. The rate of evacuation has surged significantly, with around 600 people leaving the area daily, compared to 600 evacuations per month previously. Most people seek refuge in the nearby Dnipro region. CARE estimates that 50,000 newly displaced persons will need assistance here.

Key services such as food supermarkets, banks, and other social services have begun their own evacuation processes from Pokrovsk. CARE and its partner organization Avalyst are still operating in Pokrovsk. Apart from distribution of 1,300 hygiene kits to elderly people and those with limited mobility, CARE is offering crucial psychological and legal assistance to the affected people. Additionally, CARE is preparing urgent cash assistance for those evacuated from Pokrovsk.

Darya Romanenko, Area Director of CARE Ukraine in Eastern Ukraine, stated, “Women of all ages and children enduring relentless shelling are in desperate need of assistance and reassurance that they will not be abandoned in these dire conditions. Many have been forced to evacuate repeatedly, which deepens their trauma. We deeply value the unwavering commitment of our partners who remain on the ground, providing vital support despite the perilous situation. At the same time, we are actively developing contingency plans to ensure their continued efforts from alternative locations such as Sloviansk or Dnipro, safeguarding their safety while maintaining our support for the affected communities.

“The situation in Pokrovsk has deteriorated, and it became frightening for my children and me."

- Olga, an internally displaced person from Kurakhovo currently residing in Pokrovsk.

Alyona Pylypchuk, Protection Coordinator at Avalyst, added, “We are prepared to continue our work for residents during this challenging time. People need our psychological and legal advice and support, so they do not feel abandoned during their time of trouble.”

CARE calls for urgent humanitarian assistance

CARE urgently calls on the international community to increase support for the humanitarian response in order to make a vital difference in providing essential aid, safety, and reassurance to those who have lost everything.

With financial support from the European Union, CARE and Avalyst have been able to support more than 5,000 people since the Pokrovsk community center’s opening in September 2023 until August 2024.

Source: CARE

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ACAPS Thematic Report: Ukraine - Overview of Child Protection Risks, 21 August 2024

More than 3.2 million children in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian assistance, having experienced displacement, the loss of and separation from caregivers, mental and physical harm, aggravated pre-existing risks of violence and neglect, and limited access to education and other services. Children have also experienced conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and have been casualties of armed violence (OCHA 03/01/2024 and 10/05/2024; Protection Cluster 29/03/2024).

The ACAPS Analysis Hub released a report that explores  key protection risks that children in Ukraine are facing and the vulnerabilities of different groups of children to these risks. It aims to provide an improved understanding of child protection risks for humanitarians to develop more targeted interventions addressing the specific challenges that different groups of conflict-affected children are facing.

This report is based on a secondary data review and six in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in March 2024 with key government institutions and local NGOs. It covers the two years after the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, focusing on the 2023–2024 period to provide information relevant to the current stage of the war, which has become protracted.

• Between one-sixth and one-fifth of children in Ukraine are projected to meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Researchgate 09/2023). Actual rates may be higher (Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 03/2022; Decentralization 10/02/2024; Rating Group 27/02/2023).

• Between 24 February 2022 and 30 June 2024, the hostilities killed at least 600 children and wounded close to 1,500. Actual numbers are likely higher (OHCHR 08/07/2024). There have been cases of CRSV against children; most known perpetrators are Russian soldiers (OHCHR 18/10/2022; OHCHR 29/08/2023; OHCHR 25/09/2023; OHCHR 18/03/2024; Kyiv Post 22/02/2023).

• The risk of family-based violence against children may have increased because of the war’s impact on parents’ mental health and the increase in poverty rates – factors that, in other crisis contexts, have been linked to a higher likelihood of children experiencing violence or receiving less warmth from caregivers (WB 10/2023; Cambridge 05/04/2023; Acta

Psychiatr Scand 10/01/2023; Sage 10/03/2019; Trauma Violence Abuse 13/09/2019).

• At least 19,500 children have been forcibly transferred across Russian-occupied territories or deported to Russia, according to Ukrainian authorities. The actual figure is likely higher, estimated at 150,000 (Children of War accessed 11/07/2024; Ukrinform 17/02/2023; Yale University 14/02/2023).

• Of the children who went missing after February 2022, nearly 2,000 remain missing according to Ukrainian authorities (Children of War accessed 09/07/2024).

Factors increasing children’s vulnerability to protection risks

Multiple factors play major roles in increasing vulnerability to protection risks.  Among them are:

• Gender plays a critical role in heightening specific protection risks. Girls appear to be more at risk of sexual violence, including sexual exploitation. Boys are more at risk of death or injury from shelling. In the Russian-occupied territories, boys are militarised and prepared for conscription as adults.

• Children living in Russian-occupied territories are at heightened risk of exposure to war-related traumatic events, including CRSV and armed recruitment. They are also vulnerable to forcible transfer, deportation, and adoption in Russia.

• Children living in frontline areas are at heightened risk of injury or death from shelling. They are also more at risk of deteriorating mental health, becoming separated or unaccompanied from their caregivers, a lack of aid from family support services, and a lack of education access.

• Children in residential institutions are at heightened risk of neglect, deprivation, and child trafficking. In the Russian-occupied territories, they are more at risk of forcible transfer, deportation, and adoption in Russia.

• Unaccompanied and separated children appear to be at particularly high risk of experiencing distress, sexual violence, and child trafficking. In Russian-occupied territories, they are also at higher risk of forcible transfer, deportation, and adoption in Russia.

CHILDREN’S VULNERABILITY

Violence against children:   includes but is not limited to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect, and deprivation (UNICEF accessed 08/03/2024; WHO 29/11/2022).

Separation from family or caregiver The separation of children from their family or caregiver can be intentional or unintentional.  Unintentional separation includes accidental separation as a result of conflict-related chaos

and child abduction.

Forcible transfer and deportation of children: Ukraine has the second-highest child institutionalisation rate in Europe. Prior to the full-scale invasion, between 90,000–120,000 children were in institutional care, approximately 58,000 of whom part-time (HRW 13/03/2023; UNICEF 10/06/2022; EC 07/2022; Reuters 09/09/2022). In the context of Ukraine, the term ‘institutions’ refers to a range of residential facilities, including children’s homes, children’s care homes and baby homes, a range of boarding schools for children. 

Association of children with armed forces or groups: The association of children with armed forces or groups refers to all people under the age of 18 that an armed force or group recruits or uses in any capacity, including but not limited to playing a direct part in hostilities (UNICEF 30/01/2007; GPC accessed 16/02/2024 c). There are verified cases of Russian Armed Forces using children as human shields in 2022 (UNGA 05/06/2023). Ukrainian authorities also claim that from 2022–2023, Russian forces used children to set up roadblocks, plant fake mines, or spy for the Russian army, sometimes unwittingly

Constraints on children’s education According to Ukrainian authorities, the hostilities had damaged nearly 3,800 schools and other educational facilities in Ukraine, including 365 destroyed (Education in Emergency accessed 10/07/2024). The damage or destruction of education facilities relative to the number of existing facilities has been highest in Donetska, followed by Kharkivska, Luhanska, and Khersonska oblast

Active hostilities and the damage, destruction, or conversion of schools into military facilities in some areas of Russian-occupied territories also constrain in-person education (Nova Kahovka 05/02/2023; Ukrainska Pravda 26/02/2023 and 12/08/2023; Kochegarka 03/03/2023; Ukrinform 11/07/2023).

Active hostilities and the damage, destruction, or conversion of schools into military facilities in some areas of Russian-occupied territories also constrain in-person education (Nova Kahovka 05/02/2023; Ukrainska Pravda 26/02/2023 and 12/08/2023; Kochegarka 03/03/2023; Ukrinform 11/07/2023).

Since September 2022, schools have been required to follow Russia’s education curriculum, including the imposition of Russian identity and Russian views of Ukraine (Crimean HRG 15/05/2020; BBC 25/09/2022 and 23/08/2022; Pravda 06/11/2022). Russian has become the only language of instruction, and learning Ukrainian or about Ukraine has been banned or limited, depending on the territory (CCD Telegram 14/03/2023; PON 04/09/2022). Even speaking Ukrainian with peers at school has led to threats of separation from family (PON 04/09/2022; AI 11/12/2023 b). The Russian National Guard and Police have also been installed in some schools.

By 2023, most families who initially chose not to send their children to Russian-run schools had been forced to do so (AI 11/12/2023 b). Some children continued to study with Ukrainian teachers outside official schools; at the start of the 2022–2023 school year, about 100,000 children in Russian-occupied territories were engaged in remote education in Ukrainian

schools, making up about 10% of the total number of students in Donetska, Luhanska, Khersonska, Kharkivska, and Zaporizka oblasts before the full-scale invasion (BBC 25/09/2022; AI 11/12/2023 a; Govt. Ukraine 13/10/2022; SSU accessed 02/03/2024).

Source: ACAPS

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Helping Kharkiv’s residents see a brighter future

In Kharkiv, Ukraine, UNOPS and the government of Japan are working to restore housing damaged in 2022, bringing hope and a sense of normalcy to a city still under fire.

The city of Kharkiv, once home to 1.5 million people, became one of the first major Ukrainian cities to face the full brunt of the Russian invasion in February 2022. It endured months of relentless shelling and missile strikes, leaving behind a trail of devastation and displacement. The threat to Kharkiv remains constant. The city continues to be targeted by strike drones, missiles and gliding bombs, many of which evade air defenses due to Kharkiv's proximity to the Russian border.

With funding from the government of Japan, UNOPS has been working since 2023 to restore housing in Kharkiv. The project focuses on repairing buildings damaged in 2022 that retain structural integrity – replacing windows and doors, and fixing roofs and facades. The goal is to provide residents with safe and habitable living spaces and help revitalize communities shattered by war.

The project's impact extends beyond providing safe housing. It offers employment to construction workers, like Lilia and her colleagues, and engages a local NGO in community mobilization work, contributing to the local economy and providing a sense of purpose during a difficult time.

The project is repairing several hundred apartments, as well as common areas and building exteriors in around a dozen multi-apartment buildings. With extra funding from the government of Japan, the project was extended until December 2024 and will continue to provide essential support to the people of Kharkiv, helping them rebuild their lives and their city.

In response to the ongoing war and the harsh winter conditions in Ukraine, UNOPS, in partnership with the government of Japan, launched a comprehensive winterization project aimed at supporting vulnerable communities in the Kharkiv region. In collaboration with local partners, this project addresses the urgent need for restoring critical infrastructure and providing essential supplies to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected population.

The primary focus of this initiative is to repair and revitalize multi-apartment buildings in Kharkiv’s Kyivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts, which have suffered extensive damage due to ongoing shelling and missile attacks. These repairs are crucial for providing safe, warm, and secure homes for thousands of residents before the harsh winter fully sets in. The project includes the restoration of around 20 buildings, focusing on the repair of windows, walls, and utility systems.

Source: UNOPS

Family art center “Otradnoe” in Kharkiv The creativity center has been offering learning assistance and creative afternoon care for children and young people for many years, as well as social counseling for adults and parent-child activities. (courtesy of Caritas Internationalis)