Weekly Update #146
December 16, 2024

Source: UNHCR collation of statistics made available by the authorities

WHO Policy Brief: Strengthening the health security agenda in Ukraine

Ukraine is navigating significant challenges, including the ongoing war with the Russian Federation and the aftermath of the coronavirus diseasepandemic, which have severely impacted its health sector. Despite these difficulties, the country remains committed to its health reform journey initiated in 2014. The primary objective is to ensure universal health-care access and build a robust public health system that prioritizes prevention, preparedness, detection, and response, in alignment with the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005).

The critical need to enhance health security planning and capacities in Ukraine has become evident, particularly in light of the recently adopted Public Health System Law (October 2023), the National Recovery Plan (NRP), and the National Health System Development Strategy 2030. These initiatives are essential for the country’s recovery and sustainable growth and align with recommendations from the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of the IHR (2005) undertaken in 2021. The National Health Reform Strategy for Ukraine (2015–2020) has laid the groundwork for ongoing policy development. Recent legislation has established a legal framework for the public health system and outlined roles for key public health institutions. A draft National Health Strategy 2030 aims to strengthen the health system’s capacity to respond to emergencies.

Based on these precedents, developing a National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) is a pivotal reform aligned with Ukraine’s European Union (EU) accession pathway and the IHR (2005). This plan will ensure accurate costing and sustained funding, and enhance health security capacities. Adopting a NAPHS will bolster IHR core capacities, ensure sustainable health systems, and enhance emergency preparedness. It will also improve multisectoral coordination, support a One Health approach, and align with the NRP. 

The proposed next steps are to:

• mandate the establishment of a health security agenda governance mechanism to ensure the effective governance of NAPHS development, multisectoral approval and endorsement, and steer its implementation with related health security measures;

• develop a NAPHS, a detailed, costed and actionable capacity development plan that addresses biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear, environmental, and other health threats; and

• call for the highest level multisectoral national policy dialogues to prepare, approve and endorse the NAPHS to catalyse sustained cross-sector engagement through the implementation cycle.

By adopting a NAPHS, Ukraine will significantly advance its health security agenda and support Ukraine’s broader goals of EU accession and sustainable health system development.

Source: WHO

_________________________________________________________

UNHCR Romania Weekly Update

On 5 and 6 December, UNHCR, in partnership with the Romanian National Institute of Statistics, organized the third RefData Meet Up in Bucharest. The event was attended by 55 participants from NGOs, academia, authorities and several national statistics offices (NSOs) from different countries in the region and included remarks from State Secretaries Mr Razvan Popescu, Ministry of European Funds and Dr Tiberius Marius Brădățan, Ministry of Health and Mr Pablo Zapata, UNHCR Representative. The event focused on fostering collaboration with National Statistics Offices (NSOs), localising data collection and information activities, and improving the Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) in the coming years in order to analyse the needs of the refugee population in Romania and the region.

On 9 December, UNHCR conducted a workshop with refugee-led organizations (RLOs) and community- based organizations (CBOs) within the framework of UNHCR Grant Agreements for 2024. The UNHCR Representative thanked the RLOs and CBO for partnering with UNHCR and encouraged to continue joint efforts to support refugees. The event reflected on the achievements and challenges of 2024 projects and discussed the way forward for 2025.

Seven RLOs and one CBO from locations such as Suceava, Arad, Medias, Sibiu, Galati, and Bucharest participated. The workshop focused on lessons learned from the past year, with sessions designed to share insights, identify capacity-building needs, and foster collaboration. Participants also discussed strategies for future projects, including advocacy, information sharing, and improving outreach efforts.

Humanitarian Response and Advocacy

From 7 to 9 December, the National Competition on International Humanitarian and Refugee Law 'Nicolae Titulescu' took place in Bucharest, bringing together law students from Moldova and Romania. Six teams from universities across both countries showcased their knowledge and skills throughout the event. The Refugee Law contest tested students' ability to present arguments for and against various forms of international protection in a moot trial, as the student teams played the role of lawyers and General Inspectorate for Immigration (GII) officers. For the first time, the judging panel included representatives from the Court of Justice, GII and human rights lawyers.

Throughout December, UNHCR is organising six information sessions for refugees in Bucharest to explain the new Emergency Ordinance 96/2024, which provides support to refugees from Ukraine. These sessions are focusing on social assistance and access to health care for those holding Temporary Protection documents and are organized with the support of local authorities and WHO. So far three sessions took place between 3 and 5 December, with Ukrainian refugees actively participating. On 3 December, as part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, the refugee-led organisation EDNAE hosted an exhibition showcasing handcrafted pieces created by refugee women in Suceava. The artwork was reflecting the resilience, empowerment and hope that refugee women experienced. The event was attended by 30 individuals from the community. The handcrafted pieces will be presented to the MADE51 platform to explore potential collaboration and provide refugees with opportunities to earn a livelihood from their work.

Key Figures

175,331 refugees obtained temporary protection in Romania (as of 31 October 2024).

17,161 refugees enrolled for cash assistance in 2024.

23,336 refugees provided with protection counselling services and legal support since January 2024.

8,554 refugees supported with livelihood and employment services since January 2024.

Source: UNCHR

_________________________________________________________

WFP Situation Report (December 12, 2024)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Escalating attacks and rapidly shifting frontlines have resulted in WFP losing access to 160 frontline settlements.

• Five of WFPs distribution centers were attacked in November.

• WFP scales up multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to support evacuees in transit centres.

• 23 ha out of 50 ha of land cleared under the humanitarian mine action programme are under cultivation; estimated yield is the equivalent of 160,000 loaves of bread.

• The Third International Food Security summit was held; an additional USD 35 million pledged in financial support to the Grain from Ukraine Program.

The ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, particularly in regions like Donetsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson, has severely compromised humanitarian operations. Rapid territorial shifts and intensifying ground engagements have limited or obstructed access to some areas, with WFP losing reach to approximately 160 frontline settlements, impacting around 23,000 beneficiaries.

Over the last two months, 18 WFP distribution sites (five In November) have been attacked by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), impacting WFP’s cooperating partner’s ability to provide assistance to local populations. These increased humanitarian access challenges have led to distribution delays or cancellations, impacting 65 percent of WFP’s 1,100 food distribution points, which are mobile and often operated from trucks. 

WFP reached 791,885 Ukrainians through a combination of bread, rapid response rations, 30- day rations, and institutional feeding to meet the specific needs of various populations. Most of WFP's in-kind support goes to frontline communities.

WFP reached 10,800 beneficiaries with double distributions in the Donetsk region and provided around 3,000 ready-to-eat (RTEs) food rations to evacuees from Donetsk and Kharkiv in centralized transit centers. 

WFP disbursed almost USD 14 million to 642,418 people in need through various cash-based assistance modalities.

WFP is scaling up multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to support evacuees in transit centres in Izyum and Kharkiv and supporting those affected by recent attacks in Sumy. WFP is also delivering a second round of MPCA to those previously supported (Jan–Sept) in Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia.

WFP transitioned an additional 25,800 people from in-kind to cash-for-food in areas where markets are recovering, bringing the total assisted with cash-for-food to 224,000 in November across Dnipro, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhia regions. 

Humanitarian Mine Action

After the operational season, a successful demining effort in Yaremivka presents a promising agricultural recovery. For example, The Fondation suisse de déminage (FSD) has cleared a 50-hectare site, with 23 hectares now cultivated. Projections indicate an anticipated wheat yield of 80 mt - equivalent to approximately 160,000 loaves of bread, symbolizing significant local food security and agricultural land restoration.

Grain from Ukraine

The Third International Food Security Summit was held in Kyiv under the "Grain from Ukraine" humanitarian programme, strategically timed with Ukraine's Holodomor Remembrance Day. The event brought together global leaders, ministers, international organizations, and food security experts to address critical global hunger challenges. Participating countries pledged USD 35 million in additional financial support to the Grain from Ukraine Initiative. An additional seven countries were added to the initiative. 

Source: WFP

Russia launches huge attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure

Russia has launched a huge attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which authorities said was the 12th large-scale attack on energy facilities this year.

Ninety-three missiles and more than 200 drones were used - but 81 of the missiles were shot down, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The strikes targeted sites in western Ukraine, damaging energy facilities in several regions, some seriously. Authorities in Ivano-Frankivsk said it was the worst attack on the region so far.

Moscow said the attack was in response to a Ukrainian strike on a military airbase in south-west Russia using US-made missiles.

Last month, US President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use US-made ATACMS missiles to strike targets inside Russia.

The first attacks using the long-range missiles occurred the following day, with Russian authorities stating at the time that the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, had been hit.

Kyiv had been using ATACMS missiles since October 2023, but only on Russian-held targets within Ukrainian territory.

Russia's attacks came on the coldest day of the Ukrainian winter so far, with temperatures around -6C.

Along with the damage caused in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, energy and infrastructure facilities were damaged in the Lviv and Ternopil regions.

No critical or residential infrastructure was hit in the Kyiv region, according to Ruslan Kravchenko, the area's governor.

Five out of the country's nine operating nuclear reactor units have been operating with reduced power.

As a result of the attack, the Ukrenergo National Power Company had to increase power supply restrictions on Friday, with rolling blackouts being introduced in all regions.

Ukrenergo added that during the day on Friday, electricity would be imported from Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In total, Russia has captured and retaken about 2,350 sq km of territory (907 sq miles) in eastern Ukraine and in Russia's western Kursk region.

Source: BBC

_________________________________________________________

Nato must switch to a wartime mindset, warns secretary general

The head of Nato has said it is time to "shift to a wartime mindset", as he warned the military alliance's members were not spending enough to prepare for the threat of a future conflict with Russia.

Secretary general Mark Rutte said Moscow was "preparing for long-term confrontation with Ukraine and with us", describing the current security situation as the worst in his lifetime.

"We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years," he said in his first major speech since becoming secretary general in October, urging members to "turbocharge" their defence spending.

His comments come weeks before president-elect Donald Trump takes office, having previously suggested the US would not protect Nato allies that were failing to spend enough on defence.

Source: BBC

_________________________________________________________

‘Abandoned’: Ukraine war veterans who fought Russia feel snubbed, forgotten

Hundreds of thousands of discharged and often disabled servicemen like him are locked in a new battle – this time, a bureaucratic one to officially become “war veterans” and get their payments and benefits.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion began almost three years ago, the system of conscription and medical centres that deal with war veterans cannot handle the influx of newly discharged servicemen.

Because of bureaucratic hurdles that last for months or even years, the servicemen are unable to obtain their war veteran status in order to start receiving pensions.

The status also makes them eligible for tax breaks, subsidies for utility payments, cheap mortgage loans, free farmland or land lots for building a house, free healthcare and higher education.

“We have a million people in the military service, and only 40,000 got their veteran status. This is very wrong,” Vitaly Deinega, a deputy defence minister at the time, told the LB.ua website in July 2023.

“The process of getting [the status] is so unacceptable that it thwarts one’s wish to serve this country,” he was quoted as saying.

After a string of scandals and dismissals at the defence ministry, the process has been digitised and simplified – but still resembles a battle to many discharged servicemen.

Such cases “are numerous and regular”, Lomsky’s lawyer Volodymyr, who withheld his last name, told Al Jazeera.

“They used to fight with weapons in their hands, and now have to fight bureaucracy trying to get what they are owed,” he said.

After getting the veteran status, ex-servicemen have to push for their access to free healthcare – and often fail.

Source: Aljazeera

US gives $20bn to Ukraine funded by seized Russian assets

The US has given $20bn (£15bn) to Ukraine, funded by the profits of seized Russian assets.

The economic support forms a significant part of a $50bn (£39bn) package agreed by G7 member nations announced in June.

Funding the aid through frozen assets means Russia has to "bear the costs of its illegal war, instead of taxpayers," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

It comes a matter of weeks before US President Joe Biden is replaced by Donald Trump, who has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine quickly upon taking office.

The president-elect has characterised financial support to Kyiv as a drain on US resources, casting doubt on whether aid will continue under the new administration.

The US Treasury said on Tuesday that it had transferred the $20bn to a World Bank fund, where it will be available for Ukraine to draw from.

Money handled by the World Bank cannot be used for military purposes.

The administration had hoped to dedicate half of the money to military aid, the Reuters news agency reported, but this would have required approval from Congress.

There were months of delay, amid political wrangling in the House of Representatives, before $61bn of military aid for Ukraine was approved in April.

Source: BBC