Weekly Update #26
August 29

• Including those who have been displaced, suffered injury, or otherwise been affected as a result of the full-scale invasion, it is estimated that there are now more than 17.7 million people, representing nearly one-quarter of the population, in need of humanitarian assistance. These estimates include the Ukrainians who have remained in their home communities but whose lives have nevertheless been severely disrupted.

• Tensions continued to rise over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), located in the city of Enerhodar in NGCA of Zaporizka oblast, with more fighting reported. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking 18 August during his second visit to Ukraine since the start of the war, said he remained “gravely concerned” about the unfolding situation and that “common sense must prevail to avoid any actions that might endanger the physical integrity, safety or security of the nuclear plant.”

• Hostilities remain focused in the east and south, forcing people to leave their homes and seek safety, either elsewhere in Ukraine or abroad. Efforts to evacuate civilians from Donetsk are ongoing and the government has reported that over 7,000 people have been supported to leave the region since 1 August.

• Aid organizations marked World Humanitarian Day on 19 August. Through stories of humanitarians working on the ground in the country, OCHA highlighted how a “village” of volunteers, members of war-affected communities, national and international humanitarian workers, and private sector and public institutions have been working non-stop to enable millions of people in Ukraine to survive the losses of life and property brought about by the war.

• To mark World Humanitarian Day, the United Kingdom announced new funding to support 200,000 of the most-vulnerable Ukrainians impacted by the war. And separately, the Government of the Netherlands announced additional support for reconstruction efforts.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND RESPONSE

Marking the six months of the war, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator thanked the thousands of humanitarian workers who have provided life-saving assistance to approximately 12 million people in all regions of Ukraine. These include 530 organizations—60 per cent of which are Ukrainian national NGOs that have overcome the challenges of war

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 emotional anguish millions of Ukrainians have experienced have been highlighted by humanitarian partners, including UN agencies, faith communities, and other organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and CARE International, whose responses have 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.

• The Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster (FSLC), comprised of 55 partners, reported reaching 2.7 million people. At least 75 per cent of this assistance was in the form of general food distribution baskets (17kg food packs), 20 per cent was in the form of emergency rapid response rations, and 5 per cent was hot-meal delivery. The largest distribution recipients were the oblasts of Kharkivska (446,000 people), Chernihivska (225,420) and Donestsk (214,700). Requests for assistance continue to pour in from oblasts authorities, and cluster partners continue to deliver on these requests.

• The highest levels of food insecurity have been reported in areas most heavily impacted by the war, particularly eastern and southern oblasts such as Luhanska (56 percent of the population), Kharkivska (50%), Khersonska (46%) and Donetska (45%), northern Chernihivska (45%), and Sumska (41%).

• A major concern is providing for livelihood for displaced people, returning residents, and vulnerable populations in host communities. According to the most recent household survey carried out by IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix, nearly 60 per cent of the population lost their jobs due to the war. The Cluster had targeted 1.2 million people for livelihood assistance. However, only 17% have been reached, largely due to funding shortage.

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

FAO Ukraine Humanitarian Response Update, 21 July 2022

Protection

9.9 million people need protection assistance, including 5.5 million people that returned to their areas of origin after being uprooted in the first weeks of the war. As the war has raged on, an increasing number of vulnerable populations in Ukraine and in refugee-hosting countries has resulted, which now include the elderly, people with disabilities, women, and children. Consequently, protection assistance must be at the core of the response.

• As of August, protection partners have reached more than 4.9 million of the 17.7 million people targeted in the Flash Appeal, including 55 per cent of women and 5.3 per cent of people with disabilities.

• UNHCR reports growth in numbers of people whom they have reached with such assistance, now totaling 495,314, at border points, reception centers, and transit points.

• Since the start of the war, 27 GBV partners have provided GBV prevention and response services to 177,669 people. To facilitate emergency contact with the police, UNFPA launched a mobile application for GBV survivors that allows women and girls to seek help from police in ‘silent’ mode by using their phones. This solution allows women to receive emergency police help in case of violence when calling or calling out is dangerous or not possible.

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

IOM Ukraine Response Operational Update 9 to 15 August 2022

Education

With the start of the school year, the impact of the war on Ukraine’s education system has been strongly felt. Across the country, schools have been targeted or used in the conflict, and many families do not feel safe sending their children to school. We estimate that 1 in 10 schools have been damaged or destroyed.

• In cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science in Ukraine and partners, UNICEF supports the development and coordination of the All-Ukrainian School Online. There are now more than 443,000 registered users on the platform, including over 304,000 students and 114,000 teachers.

• UNICEF is currently helping to renovate around 50 schools in areas severely affected by fighting last spring. The aim is to get these ready for the school year, with the reminders of war removed from the walls and windows of spaces that should be safe.

Source: https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/war-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children

Economic and Shelter Assistance

Some 11.2 million people need shelter assistance and non-food items-related support. Timely delivery of humanitarian relief items, particularly to hard-to-reach areas, remains a challenge due to ongoing insecurity and logistics constraints.

• Delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to warzones requires major networks of supply chains. UN agencies, such as IOM, WFP, and IOM have established supply chain operations that have brought to frontlines and other communities vital food and non-food items. UNICEF has focused on bringing medical kits and school supplies, IOM has 14 warehouses inside Ukraine and three in neighboring countries to hold critical items for distribution, while WFP has distributed 60,000 mt of food items.

• Overall, the UN Logistics Cluster has handled (i.e. stored and/or transported) a total of 34,111 m3 of relief items, supporting 32 partners.

• In the autumn, UNICEF will be providing winter supplies to around 1,000 hubs in Ukraine, which will help to reach around 450,000 children. IOM has provided solar lamps that have been in demand in war-affected communities, and WFP support delivery of shelter, sanitation and water supplies.

• Cash-based assistance continues to be a dominant need. As of 24 August, 3.1 million people in Ukraine have received multi-purpose cash assistance, worth over $709 million from various UN and humanitarian agencies.

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

https://storyteller.iom.int/stories/bringing-light-war-affected-communities-ukraine

https://www.unicef.org/supply/stories/building-supply-pipeline-amid-war

IOM Ukraine Response Operational Update 9 to 15 August 2022

HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE

Angelus - 28 August 2022

And now let us invoke Our Lady so that, as I said at the end of my homily, she might obtain pardon and peace for the entire world. Let us pray for the people of Ukraine and for all those who suffer because of war. May the God of peace revive a human and Christian sense of pity and mercy in the hearts of the leaders of nations. Mary, Mother of Mercy and Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Ed ora invochiamo la Madonna affinché, come dicevo al termine dell’omelia, ottenga per il mondo intero il perdono e la pace. Preghiamo per il popolo ucraino e per tutti i popoli che soffrono a causa delle guerre. Il Dio della pace ravvivi nel cuore dei responsabili delle nazioni il senso umano e cristiano di pietà, di misericordia. Maria, Madre di misericordia e Regina della pace, prega per noi!

General Audience - 24 August 2022

I renew my invitation to implore peace from the Lord for the beloved Ukrainian people who for six months today have been suffering the horror of war. I hope that concrete steps will be taken to put an end to the war and to avert the risk of a nuclear disaster in Zaporizhzhia.

I carry the prisoners in my heart, especially those in fragile conditions, and I ask the competent authorities to work for their release. I think of the children, so many dead… then so many refugees – here in Italy there are many… so many wounded, so many Ukrainian children and Russian children who have become orphans. And being an orphan has no nationality, they have lost their father or their mother, whether they are Russian or Ukrainian.

I think of so much cruelty, so many innocents who are paying for madness, the madness of all sides, because war is madness and no one in war can say: ‘No, I am not mad.’ The madness of war.

I think of that poor girl blown up by a bomb under her car seat in Moscow.

The innocent pay for war, the innocent! Let us think about this reality and say to each other: war is madness.

And those who profit from war and the arms trade are criminals who kill humanity.

And we think of other countries that have been at war for a long time: more than 10 years in Syria; we think of the war in Yemen, where so many children suffer from hunger; we think of the Rohingya who travel the world because of the injustice of being driven from their land.

But today in a special way, six months after the beginning of the war, we think of Ukraine and Russia, I consecrated both countries to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May she, as Mother, turn her gaze on these two beloved countries: may she look upon Ukraine, look upon Russia, and bring us peace! We need peace!

***

Rinnovo l’invito a implorare dal Signore la pace per l’amato popolo ucraino che da sei mesi - oggi - patisce l’orrore della guerra. Auspico che si intraprendano passi concreti per mettere fine alla guerra e scongiurare il rischio di un disastro nucleare a Zaporizhzhia. Porto nel cuore i prigionieri, soprattutto quelli che si trovano in condizioni fragili, e chiedo alle autorità responsabili di adoperarsi per la loro liberazione. Penso ai bambini, tanti morti, poi tanti rifugiati - qui in Italia ce ne sono tanti - tanti feriti, tanti bambini ucraini e bambini russi che sono diventati orfani e l’orfanità non ha nazionalità, hanno perso il papà o la mamma, siano russi siano ucraini. Penso a tanta crudeltà, a tanti innocenti che stanno pagando la pazzia, la pazzia di tutte le parti, perché la guerra è una pazzia e nessuno in guerra può dire: “No, io non sono pazzo”. La pazzia della guerra. Penso a quella povera ragazza volata in aria per una bomba che era sotto il sedile della macchina a Mosca. Gli innocenti pagano la guerra, gli innocenti! Pensiamo a questa realtà e diciamoci l’un l’altro: la guerra è una pazzia. E coloro che guadagnano con la guerra e con il commercio delle armi sono dei delinquenti che ammazzano l’umanità. E noi pensiamo ad altri Paesi che sono in guerra da tempo: più di 10 anni la Siria, pensiamo la guerra nello Yemen, dove tanti bambini patiscono la fame, pensiamo ai Rohingya che girano il mondo per l’ingiustizia di essere cacciati dalla loro terra. Ma oggi in modo speciale, a sei mesi dall’inizio della guerra, pensiamo all’Ucraina e alla Russia, ambedue i Paesi ho consacrato all’Immacolato Cuore di Maria, che Lei, come Madre, volga lo sguardo su questi due Paesi amati: veda l’Ucraina, veda la Russia e ci porti la pace! Abbiamo bisogno di pace!

VATICAN NEWS: Editorial Director of the Dicastery for Communication Affairs about the Pope's words at the general audience

Pope: War is madness, we need peace!

NEWS

Cardinal Ollerish on the experience of solidarity with refugees and synodality

Numerous pilgrimages in Poland in the intention of peace, especially for Ukraine

UNICEF: Nearly 1,000 children killed or injured in Ukraine

MEMBERS IN THE MEDIA

The religious mission of Caritas-Spes Kharkiv supports the residents of the city

Caritas Internationalis: six months of intimacy with Ukraine

The Lord brought us out of the shellings: life story of an IDPs family