Weekly Update #25
August 22

• Amid the ongoing hostilities, the Ukrainian Parliament extended martial law on 15 August for another three months until 21 November.

• Tensions continued to mount over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) – located in the city of Enerhodar in areas beyond the control of the Government of Ukraine in the south-east Zaporizka oblast. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi addressed the UN Security Council, describing the situation as “very alarming” – amid calls to allow the Agency’s technical experts to visit the plant.

• While IAEA experts’ preliminary assessment indicated that there is no immediate threat to nuclear safety as a result of the shelling or other military actions, Mr. Grossi warned that “this could change at any moment.”

Civilian Casualties

The UN Human Resource Monitoring Mission in Ukraine HRMMU had verified, as of 15 August, a total of 13,212 civilian casualties since the start of the war:

• 5,514 people killed and 7,698 injured. Some 57 per cent of all verified casualties (7,486) were recorded and confirmed in eastern Donetska and Luhanska oblasts.

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND RESPONSE

The Ukrainian crisis has profoundly impacted the lives of millions of people – in Ukraine and other countries – who had never imagined its magnitude on many levels. Six months into the crisis, humanitarian organizations continue to face increasingly enormous challenges in responding to the diverse short-term as well as long-term needs.

The challenges have nonetheless brought out the best in all of us, who have stood in solidarity with the suffering of the Ukrainian people. The global generous response to the unending needs brought about the tragedy of war has been inspired by the resilience of the Ukrainian people who have been displaced by the war, but who persist in their faith in divine help, as expressed by ICMC Secretary-General Msgr. Robert Vitillo.

The response of the international and faith community all over the world has been generous and wide-ranging. In this section, we feature snapshots of the different ways key humanitarian partners, such as the United Nations agencies and various faith communities, have been engaged in alleviating the devastating impacts of this tragic war.

These information are regularly provided by humanitarian actors and reflect activities/results undertaken in the previous week. Further details are available from the links provided.

Food Security

About 9.3 million people across Ukraine urgently need food and livelihood assistance. According to the latest food security assessment by the World Food Programme (WFP), one third of all households in Ukraine are food insecure, including 5 percent that are severely food insecure. Preliminary analyses estimate that, as a result of the war, the projected decline of Ukraine’s GDP (by around 45 percent in 2022) may increase the poverty rate in the country. Approximately 60 percent of the population is projected to live in poverty by 2023, presenting major risks to the food security of vulnerable households and communities.

To prevent global food insecurity, the Black Sea Grain Initiative has made substantial progress.

• From 1 to 15 August, the Joint Coordination Centre of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) has authorized a total of 36 movements of vessels (21 outbound and 15 inbound) through the maritime humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea to facilitate the safe exports of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizer, including ammonia, from Ukrainian ports.

• On 17 August, the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) launched the first maritime shipment on 16 August of Ukrainian wheat grain for humanitarian operations run by the World Food Programme (WFP) from the port of Pivdennyi in Odeska oblast.

• Under the UN-backed ‘grain agreement’, 12 vessels carrying grain and sunflower oil have left Ukrainian ports via a safe maritime corridor during the first week of August to bring grain supplies to global markets.

To address internal food insecurity, food distributions remain concentrated in the east of the country, most affected by the conflict.

• The first humanitarian convoy that reached the badly affected settlement of Orikhiv, five kilometers from the frontline, since 24 February brought food supplies and non-food items consolidated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), WFP, the World Health Organization (WHO) and INGO Save the Children that included food, water, hygiene kits, health supplies, winterization and shelter kits.

• In addition, to address the grain storage crisis in Ukraine, the Food and Agriculture Organization has developed a Grain Storage Support Strategy, as 14 percent of storage facilities are damaged or destroyed and 10 percent are under Russian control. This strategy will provide needed infrastructure, machinery, and storage units to small and medium-sized farmers.

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

https://www.un.org/en/black-sea-grain-initiative/updates

WFP Ukraine Limited Emergency Operation External Situation Report #24, 12 August 2022

FAO Ukraine Humanitarian Response Update, 21 July 2022

Protection

Refugees and internally displaced populations experience extraordinary vulnerabilities brought about by unstable and unpredictable circumstances of the conflict.

• Protection assistance remains to be a high priority service for refugees/IDPs both in Ukraine and in refugee-hosting countries. Since the start of the refugee crisis arising from the war, UNHCR has reached 489,654 people with protection assistance, advice and referrals at border crossing points, transit and reception centres, while IOM Ukraine has provided general protection assistance to 17,948 persons.

• IOM also operates an Emotional Support Hotline, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and in support of the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine for mental health and psychological support of IDPs.

• For refugees entering the neighboring countries, UNHCR has reported providing critical information and counseling services, notably 23,240 refugees in Hungary, 52,384 in Moldova, 31,148 in Poland, 30,043 in Romania.

Sources: UNHCR Ukraine Situation Flash Update #26 (19 August 2022)

IOM Ukraine Response Operational Update 9 to 15 August 2022

Education

Across Ukraine, the Education Ministry estimates that about 2,300 educational institutions have been affected by the hostilities, 286 of which have been destroyed. Safe, quality and continuing education in Ukraine remains under threat. Large-scale destruction of and damage to educational facilities, combined with the outflow of qualified teaching personnel and the use of schools for non-educational purposes, have led to their closures in the hardest-hit locations and increased reliance on students on online learning.

• The Education Cluster partners, coordinated by UNICEF, have continued to extend educational services to conflict-affected areas. At least 194,000 affected children, 49 per cent of whom are girls, have been able to continue learning through self-learning assistance, psychological support, distribution of learning kits, recreational materials and repairs or rehabilitation of learning spaces.

• Some 16,000 teachers and other educational personnel, 49 per cent of whom are women, were trained on psychosocial support and referral mechanisms for children.

• Due to ongoing hostilities, the full reopening of schools for the new academic year (2022/2023) and university admissions may not be possible, according to the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES). This will likely lead to heavy reliance on online learning, increasing the need for additional equipment and digital services.

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

Economic and Shelter Assistance

Some 11.2 million people need shelter assistance and non-food items-related support. It is estimated that 16 million people in Ukraine will be in need of water, sanitation and hygiene assistance between till December 2022, a critical need so as to prevent sanitation and hygiene-related diseases. However, existing implementation capacities are limited to respond to the scale of the humanitarian access.

• As of 17 August, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Cluster partners had reached 5.7 million people in Ukraine with some form of WASH-related interventions.

• A Ukraine Winterization Plan has been developed with the government that includes high-priority actions, such as shelter repair and provision of heating supplies.to prevent human suffering during the coming cold season and winter. identified shelter and utility repair.

The war has devastated Ukraine’s economy, with hostilities and displacement driving widespread loss of livelihoods and income. Consequently, multi-purpose cash assistance is a vital intervention for refugees and IDPs.

• As of 17 August, 2.62 million people have received cash assistance across the country worth $592.5 million, making it the largest cash response in humanitarian history. An interactive Cash Working Group dashboard showing overall progress of 30 Cash Working Group Partners showing overall progress can be accessed here.

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

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/ukraine/cash-working-group

UNHCR Ukraine Situation Flash Update #26 (19 August 2022)

Funding the Humanitarian Response

On 8 August, the UN and partners released the revised Flash Appeal for Ukraine, covering the period between March and December 2022. Under the revised Flash Appeal, humanitarian organizations seek $4.29 billion to support 11.5 million people in need, which is a 90 per cent increase in the financial requirements compared with the previous revision carried out in April.

As of 17 August, humanitarian organizations in Ukraine had received 56 per cent of the $4.29 billion requested in the ten-month Humanitarian Flash Appeal. Nearly 70 per cent of the funding was received from the United States of America ($1.1 billion), the European Commission ($303 million), Japan ($118.5 million), Germany ($92.6 million) and Canada ($87.1 million). In addition, business contributions from 482 private sector donors to the humanitarian response in Ukraine have reached over $1.6 billion.

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

HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE

Angelus - 21 August 2022

Pope expresses closeness to Ukraine experiencing immense cruelty

For the 13th consecutive time since June 5, again from the window of the Apostolic Palace following the recitation of the Angelus when greeting those gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis recalled the "immense" suffering Ukraine is bearing:

Perseveriamo nella vicinanza e nella preghiera per il caro popolo ucraino, che sta vivendo una immane crudeltà.

Let us persevere in our closeness and in prayer for the dear Ukrainian people who are experiencing inhuman cruelty.

General Audience - 17 August 2022

Pope: Let's not forget the long-suffering people of Ukraine

For the 13th consecutive time since June 5, again from the window of the Apostolic Palace following the recitation of the Angelus when greeting those gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis recalled the "immense" suffering Ukraine is bearing:

Il mio pensiero, come sempre, va all’Ucraina: non dimentichiamo quel popolo martoriato.

In note to nuns, pope says he is doing everything he can for Ukraine

NEWS

"We are happy to open our churches and monasteries for children," His Beatitude Sviatoslav called for the provision of bomb shelters in churches

Bishop Edward Cava: Mary can change the course of history

The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Vatican invited the Pope to visit Bucha

Ongoing Support: Catholic Charities Continue to Show Ukrainian Refugees the Face of Mercy

MEMBERS IN THE MEDIA

ICMC: Q&A with Msgr. Vitillo: Why Catholic groups are focusing on mental health in Ukraine

CARITAS: San Marino: another humanitarian shipment to Ukraine

CARITAS: Dignity and hope: Caritas Ukraine's aid to displaced people

CARITAS: Caritas Poland: national solidarity in support of the eastern neighbor

CARITAS: New project from Caritas-Spes Ukraine: Neighbor in trouble

JRS: Croatia: Diduh project of the Jesuit Refugee Service in support of Ukrainians

Caritas-Spes Ukraine on Twitter

(does not include all tweets, as there are many showing daily relief work)

19 August: Our hearts these days were with #Zaporizhzhia. The threat of nuclear danger is currently very high. It's a city of refuge for 120,000 displaced people, and our Zaporizhia team "Caritas-Spes" continues to do what has been urgent for the past six months — helping the needy. https://twitter.com/SpesUkraine/status/1560692670770585601

17 August: Our Mission is to implement the Neighbor in need project with Caritas Austria. Emergency aid will be available in #Kyiv, #Zhytomyr, #Cherkasy, #Chernihiv, #Vinnytsia, and #Volyn regions where displaced people have settled since the beginning of the escalation.

https://twitter.com/SpesUkraine/status/1559598254467289088

17 August: Last night, the russians shelled five of the nine districts of #Kharkiv. "Everything is as usual — constant shelling. In the evening and then at night", — Yuliya, a Caritas-Spes volunteer, who delivers humanitarian aid to people in Northern Saltivka, describes the situation.

https://twitter.com/SpesUkraine/status/1559824719867699200

15 August: This year's usual summer at sea for children from #Odesa seemed impossible because of the war. A trip to Dubrovnik was made possible with the help of Caritas Croatia, which gives Ukrainian children the opportunity to see life in bright colors and hope for a happy childhood. (photos)

https://twitter.com/SpesUkraine/status/1559222186031947777

15 August: 16 children from Zhytomyr went to Croatia for two weeks to rest, travel and swim, and at least for a short time to break away from worries of the war. An incredible trip to the sea at such a difficult time for Ukraine is a real gift for children. We are grateful to our partners!

https://twitter.com/SpesUkraine/status/1559205890561122305

15 August: The Caritas-Spes in #Zhytomyr helps territorial communities if its head makes a request. Last week, the team took grocery sets to the village of Barashiv, Brusyliv and Dovbysh. The team will aid the new office with a social psychologist and a massage therapist.

https://twitter.com/SpesUkraine/status/1559219139004272640/photo/1

15 August: A discussion of preparations for the winter period was held for our large Mission team according to the Emergency Appeal project. The participants shared their thoughts and ideas regarding the model of the next project and talked about new challenges and current difficulties.

https://twitter.com/SpesUkraine/status/1559204567639785472/photo/1

MEMBER REPORTS

DEPAUL INTERNATIONAL: Special Update: Ukraine Six Months On