Weekly Update #41
December 12
December 12
SITUATION OVERVIEW
This section presents the most up-to-date information on the Ukraine conflict. Key sources of these data are:
The UN Office of the Commission of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
The UNHCR data portal
The International Office of Migration (IOM)
Further details may be obtained from the provided links to their respective websites.
General Figures
Refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe
7,832,493
Last updated 6 Dec 2022
Refugees from Ukraine registered for Temporary Protection or similar national protection schemes in Europe
4,805,531
Last updated 6 Dec 2022
Border crossings from Ukraine (since 24 February 2022)
16,087,565
Last updated 6 Dec 2022
Border crossings to Ukraine (since 28 February 2022)
8,309,718
Last updated 6 Dec 2022
Source: https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine
Since Russia began its war of aggression in February 2022, almost five million Ukrainian refugees have fled to EU and other OECD countries.
Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic have received the largest numbers of migrants, taking in 1.4m, 1m and 400,000 refugees, respectively. Relative to total population, Estonia and the Czech Republic have received more than 40 refugees per thousand inhabitants, with Poland (36 per thousand), Lithuania (23 per thousand) and Latvia (20 per thousand) close behind.
CURRENT SITUATION
Ukraine continues to face waves of rocket, missile and drone attacks targeted on critical infrastructure throughout the country, leaving millions of people without electricity, water supply or heating. Cold weather arrived in November and, as temperatures continue to drop below zero, more and more people need help with basic needs, including winterization.
Fighting and active military operations continue in the east and south of the country, where, after successful counter-offensives, Ukrainian forces were able to move into Kherson, broadening the ability to cover humanitarian needs in these territories. However, the situation still remains tense: the conflict ravaging the east and south of the country continues to disrupt the ability of people to flee from conflict zones and impedes access to essential services for those who still live there.
About half of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure for electricity has been “damaged more,” with some deemed “totally destroyed” by the country’s infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov. As for the country's energy, state supplier Ukrenergo maintains that the situation “remains difficult but under control."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday the frontline situation remains very difficult in the key areas of Donbas — Bakhmut, Soledar, Mariinka, Kreminna, with heavy fighting in Donestk that has suffered extensive destruction.
Sources: Population displacement and casualties – DG ECHO Daily Map | 09/12/2022
IMC Ukraine Crisis - Situation Report #24 (December 9, 2022)
Landmines and unexploded ordnances pose deadly danger to civilians
While mines and unexploded ordnances have been a long-standing danger in this region, the risk they pose has increased exponentially since February.
More land has become littered with landmines, artillery shells, grenades, mortars, rockets, air-dropped bombs, and cluster munitions, many of which fail to detonate but remain a risk to civilians. Swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were already heavily contaminated with unexploded ordnance following eight years of conflict. The winter season now compounds the long-term dangers that civilians are facing.
Presently, 18 ICRC weapons contamination specialists are helping mark and clear areas . Even before February, Ukraine was home to ICRC's largest weapons contamination team with unexploded ordnance and are sharing mine safety information with communities and municipal workers. The ICRC is also helping repair damaged homes and essential infrastructure like water and electricity systems and supporting over one million people with heating.
CIVILIAN CASULTIES
(As of December 5, 2022)
Total civilian casualties from 24 February to 4 December 2022
From 24 February to 4 December 2022, OHCHR recorded 17,181 civilian casualties in Ukraine:
• 6,702 killed (2,626 men, 1,794 women, 174 girls, and 212 boys, as well as 38 children and 1,858 adults whose sex is yet unknown)
• 10,479 injured (2,273 men, 1,628 women, 217 girls, and 308 boys, as well as 250 children and 5,803 adults whose sex is yet unknown)
In Donetsk and Luhansk regions alone:
• 9,430 casualties (3,978 killed and 5,452 injured), with 7,395 casualties (3,511 killed and 3,884 injured) on Government-controlled territory and 2,035 casualties (467 killed and 1,568 injured) on territory controlled by Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups:
Total civilian casualties from 1-30 November 2022
From 1 to 30 November 2022, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 688 civilian casualties in Ukraine:
• 162 killed (51 men, 35 women, 3 girls, 5 boys, as well as 3 children and 65 adults whose sex is yet unknown); and
• 526 injured (135 men, 86 women, 9 girls, 15 boys, as well as 8 children and 273 adults whose sex is yet unknown.
Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects, including shelling from heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes.
Civilian casualties in Ukraine from 24 February to 4 December 2022, per month
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
This week’s Update focuses on vital issues that have become primary concerns in the Ukrainian war, as it rages into its 9th month. These are:
1. Human rights, particularly in terms of attacks on civilians
2. The effectiveness of cash assistance programs, which have become a priority intervention in the humanitarian response
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UN report details human rights violations by Russian troops during initial weeks of invasion
A UN Human Rights report based on the work of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine details how Russian troops killed civilians in Ukrainian towns and villages across the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine from 24 February until 6 April 2022.
According to the HRMMU Mission Head, Matilde Bogner, the summary executions examined in the report may constitute a war crime. The report explains how killings of civilians were not confined to specific locations, although some areas were more affected than others. In the town of Bucha near Kyiv, which was under the control of Russian troops from 5 to 30 March, the Mission documented the killing of 73 civilians (54 men, 16 women, 2 boys and 1 girl) and is in the process of corroborating an additional 105 alleged killings.
Main Findings
The report states that the UN has, so far, documented the violent deaths of 441 civilians (341 men, 72 women, 20 boys and 8 girls) in the three regions in the initial 6 weeks of the Russian invasion alone. Actual figures are likely to be considerably higher as work is still ongoing to corroborate an additional 198 killings that occurred in the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine occupied by Russia in the initial stages of the ongoing armed attack against Ukraine
The report likewise covers cases when Russian troops launched attacks that did not respect the principle of distinction between military objectives and civilians, and failed to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians
Killings of civilians were not confined to specific locations, although some areas were more affected than others. In the town of Bucha near Kyiv, which was under the control of Russian troops from 5 to 30 March, the Mission documented the killing of 73 civilians (54 men, 16 women, 2 boys and 1 girl) and is in the process of corroborating these.
In examining 100 killings in detail, the report states that 57 amounted to summary executions (48 men, 7 women and 2 boys). Thirty of those took place in places of detention while the remaining 27 victims were killed on the spot, shortly after coming under the control of Russian forces.
Men and boys comprised 88 percent of all victims of summary executions, suggesting that males were disproportionately targeted on the basis of their gender.
UN report details summary executions of civilians by Russian troops in northern Ukraine
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Multi-purpose cash assistance program reviewed
Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) assistance is one of the most efficient and effective ways to support people forced to flee their homes, jobs and belongings, or who remain in areas heavily affected by the international armed conflict. It serves as a transitional safety net pending the individual’s ability to find a job or be included in national social protection schemes.
Families can purchase goods and services from local businesses which boosts the economy and benefits host communities. Cash assistance respects the dignity of choice and independence of displaced and conflict affected people, providing a sense of normality and ownership, allowing them to decide what they need most.
Multi-purpose cash assistance programs have been a primary component of the humanitarian response in Ukraine. UN agencies, such as UNHCR, IOM, WFP, and UNICEF, consider this as a significant strategic pillar and have their respective criteria and procedures.
To assess the effectiveness and coverage of the cash assistance distributed, UNHCR undertook an assessment among 417 beneficiary households early into the start of the UNHCR program on the use of the cash, the impact of this assistance, and on potential non-compliance issues they may have faced during the process of cash collection.
MAIN FINDINGS
A sizeable proportion of the respondents (86 percent) reported that cash assistance enabled them to cover all or most of their priority needs.
Most of the interviewed beneficiaries (95 percent) reported that the cash assistance reduced the financial burden on their households, reduced their feeling of stress (91 percent), and improved their living conditions (98 percent).
Cash assistance was directed to three main items: food (93% of respondents), rent (52%), and hygiene items (47%).
Most households opt to give up on hygiene, health, and education needs as a way of coping with cash shortage.
97 percent of beneficiaries found the cash assistance system efficient, particularly in withdrawing. Among those who needed help the main cited reasons were limited mobility and difficulties with reading instructions due to disabilities, medical conditions, or old age.
Over the duration of the war, the multi-purpose cash assistance programs of the different agencies have reached a total of 4.3 million people out of a targeted 6.1 million beneficiaries, according to the OCHA report. This program has an estimated budget of 1.72 billion between March-December 2022.
Sources: UNHCR Cash Assistance Fact Sheet
UNHCR Multi-purpose Cash Assistance Post-Distribution Monitoring Report Ukraine - June 2022
https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ukraine/
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Council of EU adopts €18 billion assistance to Ukraine
The Council of the European Union reached agreement on a legislative package which will enable the EU to help Ukraine financially throughout 2023 with €18 billion. The proposal was adopted by the Council today via a written procedure and it will be submitted to the European Parliament for its possible adoption next week.
The package provides for a structural solution to financially support Ukraine in 2023. The amount to be lent to Ukraine in 2023 will be €18 billion, and the loans will have a 10-year grace period. Member states will cover the bulk of the interest costs via external assigned revenues. The guarantees for that borrowing will be provided either by the EU budget or by member states.
The aim is to provide short-term financial relief, financing Ukraine’s immediate needs, rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and initial support towards sustainable post-war reconstruction, with a view to supporting Ukraine on its path towards European integration.
HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE
General Audience - December 7, 2022
Saluto cordialmente tutti i pellegrini polacchi. Lunedì scorso il Centro per le Relazioni Cattolico-Ebraiche dell'Università Cattolica di Lublino ha commemorato l'anniversario dell'"Operazione Reinhardt". Essa, durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, ha provocato lo sterminio di quasi due milioni di vittime, soprattutto di origine ebraica. Il ricordo di questo orribile evento susciti in tutti noi propositi e azioni di pace. E la storia si ripete, si ripete. Vediamo adesso cosa succede in Ucraina. Preghiamo per la pace. Benedico di cuore voi qui presenti e i vostri connazionali.
Il mio pensiero va infine, come di consueto, ai giovani, ai malati, agli anziani e agli sposi novelli, che sono tanti! Domani è una bella giornata, ricorre la Solennità dell’Immacolata Concezione: con lo sguardo rivolto alla Vergine Maria, siate sempre audaci nel promuovere i valori dello spirito. A Lei, madre dolcissima, chiediamo di essere conforto per quanti sono provati dalla brutalità della guerra, specialmente per la martoriata Ucraina. Preghiamo per questo popolo martire che sta soffrendo tanto!
Links to the full text in ITALIANAngelus - December 11, 2022
And now I will bless the “Bambinelli”, the little statuettes of the Infant Jesus that you, dear boys and girls, have brought here and then, returning home, will place in the Nativity scene. I invite you to pray, before the creche, that the Nativity of the Lord will bring a ray of peace to children all over the world, especially those forced to live the terrible and dark days of war, this war in Ukraine that destroys many lives, so many lives, and many children. The blessing of the Bambinelli …
E ora benedico i “Bambinelli”, cioè le statuine di Gesù Bambino che voi, cari bambini e ragazzi, avete portato qui e che poi, tornando a casa, metterete nel presepe. Vi invito a pregare, davanti al presepio, perché il Natale del Signore porti un raggio di pace ai bambini del mondo intero, specialmente a quelli costretti a vivere i giorni terribili e bui della guerra, questa guerra in Ucraina che distrugge tante vite, tante vite, e tanti bambini. La benedizione dei Bambinelli…
Links to the full text in ITALIAN and ENGLISH
The Pope’s special office for charitable activities announces a collection of thermal jackets to help Ukrainians survive the harsh winter amid power cuts due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
Full text of the appeal in English and Italian
Vatican, December 5, 2022
APOSTOLIC ELEMOSINERIA
UKRAINE COLD EMERGENCY - GIFT OF THERMAL SHIRTS
The Ukrainian people are experiencing an emergency related not only to the war, but also to the lack of electricity, gas, and the very cold winter weather.
We can help them this Christmas with the gift of thermal shirts, suitable for maintaining body temperature, for men, women, or children (the ones used to go skiing).
The Apostolic Elemosineria (Dicastery for the Charity Services) is already stocking up. Those who wish can join this initiative by purchasing and bringing/shipping the shirts directly to this Dicastery within a month to have them sent by truck to Kyiv as soon as possible.
Send or deliver to:
Apostolic Elemosineria
Cortile Sant'Egidio
00120 Vatican City
card. Konrad Krajewski
__________________
Almoner of the Holy Father
Dicastery for the Charity Services
Cortile Sant'Egidio
00120 CITTÀ DEL VATICANO
www.elemosineria.va
Vaticano, 5 Dicembre 2022
ELEMOSINERIA APOSTOLICA
EMERGENZA FREDDO UCRAINA – DONO DI MAGLIETTE TERMICHE
Il popolo Ucraino sta vivendo un’emergenza legata, oltre che alla guerra, anche alla mancanza di corrente elettrica, di gas, e al freddo molto rigido dell’inverno.
Possiamo aiutarli in questo Natale con il dono di magliette termiche, adatte a mantenere la temperatura corporea, da uomo, da donna o da bambino (quelle che si usano per andare a sciare).
L’Elemosineria Apostolica si sta già rifornendo; chi volesse si può unire a questa iniziativa acquistando e portando/spedendo le maglie direttamente a questo Dicastero entro un mese,
al fine di effettuare al più presto l’invio tramite camion a Kiev.
Spedire o consegnare a:
Elemosineria Apostolica
Cortile Sant’Egidio
00120 Città del Vaticano
card. Konrad Krajewski
__________________
Elemosiniere del Santo Padre
Dicastero per il Servizio della Carità
Cortile Sant’Egidio
00120 CITTÀ DEL VATICANO
www.elemosineria.va
NEWS
Pope discusses war in Ukraine with Slovak President
Pope: Peace is possible with God’s help and our goodwill
Pope Francis: History repeats itself today in Ukraine
Pope Francis cries as he mentions the suffering of Ukrainians during public prayer
Ukraine’s foreign minister: Pope’s tears and words mean a lot to us
Pope meets Lviv mayor, blesses rehab project for people maimed in missile attacks
Nuncio to Ukraine: Real peace needed as winter frost sets in
Pope Francis brings the prayers of the world to Our Lady
The head of the UGCC expressed his gratitude to Cardinal Sandra at the end of his service
The Patriarch of the UGCC met with the head of the fraternal organization "Knights of Columbus"
IMAGES FROM THE MEMBERS
Caritas Ukraine: A child-friendly space is a place where it is safe and cozy, where it is interesting and calm. Today, the kids in Prostory spend a lot of time thinking about Ukraine. And a relentless desire to help the Motherland
https://www.facebook.com/312164434215/posts/10160628196419216