Weekly Update #149
January 6, 2025
Weekly Update #149
January 6, 2025
Embedded Files
January 6, 2025
REFUGEE SITUATION
REFUGEE SITUATION
(as of 16 December 2024)
(as of 16 December 2024)
General Figures
General Figures
Refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe
6,253,700
Last updated December 16 2024
Covers those granted refugee status, temporary asylum status, temporary protection, or statuses through similar national protection schemes, as well as those recorded in the country under other forms of stay
Refugees from Ukraine recorded beyond Europe
560,200
Last updated December 16 2024
Covers those granted refugee status, temporary asylum status, temporary protection, or statuses through similar national protection schemes, as well as those recorded in the country under other forms of stay
Refugees from Ukraine recorded globally
6,813,900
Last updated December 16 2024
Estimated number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ukraine (as of Aug 2024)
3,669,000
Source: UNHCR collation of statistics made available by the authorities
Slovakia threatens to cut benefit for Ukrainians
Slovakia threatens to cut benefit for Ukrainians
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to cut financial support for more than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees as a dispute with Ukraine over Russian gas supplies escalates.
On 1 January, Kyiv shut off a pipeline that for decades was used to supply Central Europe with Russian natural gas.
Slovakia had been the main entry point and the country now stands to lose millions of euros in transit fees.
The UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) estimated last month that there were 130,530 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia out of 6,813,900 globally.
The prime minister of the EU state said he would propose halting electricity exports to Ukraine and also "sharply reducing" financial support for Ukrainians who have found shelter in Slovakia.
He said there was no risk of Slovakia itself suffering from gas shortages, as it had already made alternative arrangements.
But Fico added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to turn off the taps would deprive Slovakia of 500m euros (£415m; $518m) in transit fees from other countries.
He said his party was ready to debate "halting supplies of electricity" and the "significant lowering of support for Ukrainian citizens in Slovakia".
"The only alternative for a sovereign Slovakia is renewal of transit or demanding compensation mechanisms that will replace the loss in public finances," he added.
Last month Zelensky accused Fico of helping Putin to "fund the war and weaken Ukraine".
"Fico is dragging Slovakia into Russia's attempts to cause more suffering for Ukrainians," the Ukrainian president had said.
Poland has offered to support Kyiv in case Slovakia cuts off its electricity exports - supplies that are crucial to Ukraine, whose power plants come under regular attack from Russia.
Poland's government called Ukraine's shutdown of Russian gas supplies "another victory" against Moscow while the European Commission said the EU had prepared for the change and most states could cope.
Moldova, which is not in the EU, is already suffering shortages.
Russia can still send gas to Hungary, Turkey and Serbia through the TurkStream pipeline across the Black Sea.
Source: BBC
THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
On 19 November, Ukraine marked 1,000 days since the start of the fullscale invasion, as largescale aerial attacks and fighting continue to impact civilians and damage energy and other critical infrastructure. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that at least 165 civilians were killed and 887 injured in Ukraine in November, a significant increase from the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, OCHA reported on 27 November that since the beginning of 2024, more than 50 aid workers have been killed or injured since the start of the full-scale invasion.
UNHCR and partners continue to provide psychological first aid, emergency shelter material, emergency cash assistance, essential items, and legal counselling to families affected by recent attacks inside Ukraine, complementing the response of local authorities. As of end-November, UNHCR and partners have delivered 1.56 million multi-sectoral services to people in need; additionally, UNHCR and partners have stepped up efforts to deliver assistance to help people stay safe and warm this winter, delivering 242,100 multi-sectoral services as part of UNHCR’s 2024-25 winter response plan and the broader inter-agency response.
So far in 2024, UNHCR and partners have reached 593,258 individuals reached with different forms of assistance in RRP countries, including 81,810 individuals with multi-purpose cash assistance, and 130,277 individuals with socio-economic inclusion, including livelihoods support.
Emergency Response: On 21 November, in response to recent missile attacks on Dnipro, UNHCR and partner Proliska assisted affected households with emergency shelter materials to cover damaged housing, provided blankets and portable solar lamps, psychological support and consultations on registering for compensation for damaged property. To respond to needs following daily attacks on Sumska region during November, Proliska delivered emergency shelter kits to over 2,800 people, as well as essential items (blankets, thermoses, solar lamps etc.) and on-site psychosocial and protection support to affected communities.
Protection: On 25 November, two community centres were inaugurated in Dnipropetrovska region. Between July – November, UNHCR and partner Tenth of April (TTA) rehabilitated the premises and hygiene facilities, provided furniture and equipment and installed projectors and screens. The opening of the centres will help IDPs integrate into the host community, have the same access to social services as the residents of the community, while promoting economic and livelihood activities. On 26 November, UNHCR and partner Rokada opened a child-friendly space in Drohobytska community in Lvivska region, providing a safe environment for children affected by war.
Cash assistance: So far in 2024, UNHCR has distributed multi-purpose cash assistance to 521,700 war-affected people, IDPs, recent evacuees from frontline areas, returnees, and people with specific vulnerabilities to help cover the cost of basic items like food, medicines, clothes, accommodation and utilities. Around $144 million has been disbursed so far this year, which includes cash support for winter needs, reaching 210,100 people as of 5 December (in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Policy and the Pension Fund of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories).
Shelter: So far in 2024, UNHCR has supported over 7,100 families with durable housing solutions. In November, UNHCR equipped over 200 protective shelters in Dnipro city’s educational institutions with 1,500 solar lamps, 12,000 blankets, and other essentials. UNHCR also delivered supplies such as blankets, solar lamps and sleeping bags to equip 15 educational facility shelters in Vorozhba and Konotop in Sumska region. UNHCR and partner Rokada also opened social housing apartments in Dorohynka village, Kyivska region, converting a former school dormitory into seven flats, helping vulnerable IDPs from Donetska, Khersonska, Sumska, Zaporizka and Dnipropetrovska regions to access sustainable housing.
Livelihoods: UNHCR through partner Rokada inaugurated a business development hub in Chernivtsi, western Ukraine, providing furniture and equipment to the premises. The project aims to create favourable conditions for small and medium businesses in the region and facilitate employment and inclusion for both IDPs and returnees.
COORDINATION
In Ukraine, UNHCR leads three Clusters, namely Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), Protection, and Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs). The CCCM Cluster was activated in March 2022 and coordinates 18 UN and NGO partners across three hubs, with the aim of supporting 157,000 people in collective sites in 2024. The Protection Cluster consists of 166 partners, including sub-clusters, and operates three coordination hubs to reach an anticipated three million people in 2024. The Shelter and NFI Cluster coordinates 98 active partners across three coordination hubs, targeting 3.9 million people in 2024 with NFI kits, emergency shelter and housing repairs. UNHCR also co-chairs the Protection Strategy Working Group under the Humanitarian Country Team, and the Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) Working Group. Through its leadership in these areas, UNHCR promotes the centrality of protection, as well as meaningful engagement and participation across the response.
REGIONAL REFUGEE SUPPORT
Through the 2024 Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP), 313 partners in Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania and Slovakia work towards ensuring refugees have effective access to legal status, protection and rights in their host countries and that refugees with specific needs and vulnerabilities have access to targeted support and assistance. The plan also aims at strengthening refugees’ socio-economic inclusion in their host communities and increasing their self-reliance, while at the same time reinforcing social cohesion between refugees and their hosts. In support of the government-led responses across the region, UNHCR leads and coordinates the implementation of the inter-agency RRP in line with the Refugee Coordination Model, collaborating and consulting with authorities, aid agencies, civil society, and with affected populations. To learn more about the 2024 RRP response, please see here.
STATUS OF THE CONFLICT
STATUS OF THE CONFLICT
Ukrainian forces resumed offensive operations in at least three areas within the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast and made tactical advances on January 5. Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted multiple roughly company-sized mechanized assaults in the Berdin-Novosotnitsky direction (northeast of Sudzha) in three waves of attack using roughly a battalion's worth of armored vehicles. Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces also intensified offensive operations in the direction of Leonidovo (southeast of Korenevo) and conducted a reinforced platoon-sized mechanized assault near Pushkarnoye (east of Sudzha). Geolocated footage published on January 5 indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced in fields southwest and south of Berdin and entered the southern part of the settlement.
January 2, 2025: Russian missile and drone attacks targeted Kyiv, resulting in at least five deaths and over 100 injuries. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 10 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
December 31, 2024: Russia launched an aerial attack on Kyiv and other regions, including Sumy. Missile debris fell in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv.
December 30, 2024: Russia conducted a massive aerial attack, firing 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones. Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles.
Sources: ISW
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Russia and Ukraine swap at least 300 prisoners in exchange deal
Russia and Ukraine swap at least 300 prisoners in exchange deal
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a major prisoner exchange, with at least 150 people from each side returning home before New Year’s Eve, in a swap partly brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
“The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. And today is one of such days: our team managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home,” the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in a message posted on Telegram on Monday.
The Russian defence ministry said 150 prisoners from each side had returned home, and there was no immediate explanation for the difference in numbers.
Ukraine’s coordinating centre on exchanges said those returning to Ukraine included 87 soldiers from the army, 43 from the national guard, 33 border guards, 24 from the navy and two civilians. It said 14 officers were among the group.
The centre said those Ukraine sent back to Russia were prisoners captured during Ukraine’s offensive in the Kursk region, which began in late summer and resulted in Kyiv occupying a small chunk of Russian territory.
Among the stated goals of the Kursk operation were having a bargaining chip to play at potential future negotiations, and seizing prisoners to trade for Ukrainians held by Russia.
Some of those who Russia returned on Monday had been held since the early months of the war, which began when Russia invaded in February 2022.
Source: The Guardian
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Wounded Ukrainian soldiers find solace in Greek monasteries
Wounded Ukrainian soldiers find solace in Greek monasteries
The men, 22 in all, had taken a bus more than 1,000 km (620 miles) from the Ukrainian city of Lviv to a monastery built on a cliff on the mountainous Athos peninsula in northern Greece, where they hoped to escape haunting memories of the battlefield.
In their four-day stay, part of a psychological support programme organised by Ukrainian authorities, the soldiers made a pilgrimage to some dozen monasteries on the slopes of Mount Athos, a spiritual centre since the 10th century.
“A lot of servicemen suffer from the events that took place over the last three years. A lot of them suffer from different illnesses – they are wounded, and we have to rehabilitate them,” said Father Mykhailo Pasirskyi, a Ukrainian Orthodox priest who accompanied the men on their trip.
They took communion shoulder to shoulder in small chapels with thick stone walls, whose narrow windows allowed enough light to pierce the thick incense. They made lists on rectangular pieces of paper of loved ones they wanted to pray for. Between services, they talked, smoked and took photos from balconies overlooking the sea.
“We already see that these five days spent on Athos will replace at least a year of rehabilitation in Ukraine, in hospitals or other medical centres,” said Orest Kavetskyi, a Lviv regional official who helped organise the trip.
“When I visited Athos, I felt God’s grace, God’s blessing, the greatness of Athos.”
Source: Reuters
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
The US has unveiled almost $6bn in military and budget aid for Ukraine
The US has unveiled almost $6bn in military and budget aid for Ukraine
The US has unveiled almost $6bn in military and budget aid for Ukraine, as the Biden administration works quickly to spend all the money it has available to help Kyiv fight off Russia before president-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. “I’ve directed my administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible,” Biden said in a statement. “At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of my time in office.” The package includes nearly $2.5bn more in weapons, as well as $3.4bn in economic assistance to help pay for critical government services, including salaries for civilian government and school employees, healthcare workers and first responders.
Source: The Guardian
HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE
HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE
Angelus - January 5, 2025
Angelus - January 5, 2025
And let us continue to pray for peace, in Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar, and Sudan. May the international community act firmly so that humanitarian law is respected in conflicts. No more striking schools, hospitals; no more hitting workplaces! Let us not forget that war is always a defeat, always!
Continuiamo a pregare per la pace, in Ucraina, in Palestina, Israele, Libano, Siria, Myanmar, Sudan. La Comunità internazionale agisca con fermezza perché nei conflitti sia rispettato il diritto umanitario. Basta colpire i civili, basta colpire le scuole, gli ospedali, basta colpire i luoghi di lavoro! Non dimentichiamo che la guerra sempre è una sconfitta, sempre!
Links to the full text in ENGLISH and ITALIANAngelus - January 1, 2025 (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God)
Angelus - January 1, 2025 (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God)
I express my grateful appreciation to all those in the many areas of conflict who work for dialogue and negotiations. Let us pray that the fighting will cease on every front, and that there will be a decisive effort for peace and reconciliation. I am thinking of tormented Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Myanmar, Kivu and so many peoples at war. I saw, on the programme “A Sua Immagine”, footage and photographs of the destruction wrought by war. Brothers, sisters, war destroys, it always destroys! War is always a defeat, always.
Esprimo il mio grato apprezzamento a tutti coloro che nelle tante aree di conflitto lavorano per il dialogo e per i negoziati. Preghiamo perché su ogni fronte cessino i combattimenti e si punti decisamente alla pace e alla riconciliazione. Penso alla martoriata Ucraina, a Gaza, a Israele, al Myanmar, al Kivu e a tanti popoli in guerra. Ho visto nel programma “A Sua Immagine” filmati e fotografie della distruzione che fa la guerra. Fratelli, sorelle, la guerra distrugge, distrugge sempre! La guerra è sempre una sconfitta, sempre.
Links to the full text in ENGLISH and ITALIANNEWS
NEWS
Pope calls on international community to ensure respect for humanitarian law
Knights of Columbus organizes Christmas for Ukrainian orphans
Ukraine, the help of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate to families affected by the war (Google translate)
Capuchin brothers in Kyiv care for mothers who gave their most precious (Google translate)
MEMBER PHOTOS
MEMBER PHOTOS
The war in Ukraine has forced more than six million people to flee their homes and seek refuge in other countries. Natalia is one of them. She fled to Moldova with her twin daughters, where the family is trying to live a decent life. It is hard, especially for the two girls, and they dream of returning home. Caritas Czech Republic has supported them to make their life in Moldova easier.
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