Weekly Update #45
January 9

Source:  CNN January 7, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

Source: https://www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-assistance/ukraine 

The total number of people crossing the border from Ukraine to other states excluding Russia since 24 February 2022 is almost two times higher than the number crossing back to Ukraine (17,139,782 vs 9,180,679).

More than 13,600 children have been reportedly moved to the Russian Federation according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Source: ECHO Daily Flash of 5 January 2023

With the Russian war in Ukrainian now on an indefinite course, the humanitarian response is challenged to seriously explore sustainable approaches to the war’s severe impacts on millions of Ukrainians.  In December, the Brookings Institute put forward the proposition for a long-term strategy, which would include steps on the military front, a comprehensive infrastructure reconstruction program, and creation of forward resilience for countries beyond Ukraine borders.

A central piece to this long-term perspective has been added – “Refugees must be central to the reconstruction of Ukraine”.  Highlights of this proposition are featured below.

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Refugees at the core of the way forward

As the war in Ukraine approaches its first anniversary and attention turning to long-term plans for reconstruction, a critical piece must be front and center -- How does the future of the nearly 8 million refugees who have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion fit in the reconstruction debate?

During this time of uncertainty, the international community and hosting countries, together with the Ukrainian government, should start to think about how to integrate refugees in reconstruction strategies. They will ultimately form a vital part of any successful Ukrainian recovery.

Within Ukraine, the fate of an additional 6.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) remains uncertain. As of January 3, UNHCR has documented almost eight million refugees from Ukraine across Europe, of whom almost five million have registered for temporary protection schemes. According to the EU director general for migration and home affairs, the EU is currently drafting  contingency plans for another four million refugees to arrive over the next months.

Ensuring their safety and considering their role in recovery efforts will be just as critical for Ukraine. Without a strategy to incorporate refugees in reconstruction, many Ukrainians — especially young people — will stay abroad or become internally displaced upon return, placing an additional strain on a government struggling to rebuild its country and consolidate peace.

Predicting that this war may well continue for months — if not years — a type of “Marshall Plan“ for Ukraine has been proposed  to mobilize and coordinate financial assistance to help rebuild the country and promote recovery in the future.  This Plan is urged to place the human capital of the displaced millions as an essential  component for national recovery.

 As Ukrainian refugees access their rights under temporary protection to enroll in local schools and find employment, they plant roots that will only grow deeper the longer the fighting lasts. Through specialty classroom programs and language courses, refugees in many countries are also learning the local tongue. With European countries facing labor shortages and demographic decline, these will find opportunities, given  their educational qualifications and skills. However, when the war ends and husbands can leave a razed country to join their families abroad, would there not be a need to think about incentives for refugees to come back?

For this purpose, policymakers and reconstruction advocates need to start now to craft a refugee-aware reconstruction strategy for Ukraine. Suggestions at multiple levels have been presented:

At the multilateral level:

• Establish a coordination structure of host governments, the Ukrainian government, and other funding partners involved in post-war reconstruction planning to streamline efforts. Include encouraging and facilitating voluntary returns as a key component in discussions and cooperate with UNHCR and refugee rights groups to develop concrete strategies. Ukraine holds ultimate authority on which programs to adopt.

• Plan for a phased return of refugees from abroad to smooth local reintegration and mitigate pressures on public services, encouraging those able to rejoin family to come first.

In Ukraine:

• Prioritize reestablishment of social infrastructure, including schools, medical care services, and housing programs.

• Develop a range of return assistance programs, from travel and transportation aid to ongoing financial, logistical and psychological support in local return communities.

• Stress the centrality of transparent governance, respect for the rule of law, and political rights in recovery funding and national redevelopment.

In host countries:

• Emphasize the desirability of Ukrainian cultural and linguistic preservation, particularly for children, to ease quick, successful reintegration upon return.

• Acknowledge the inevitability of local integration by pursuing a strategy of “dual intent” as long as the war continues, safeguarding fundamental rights and adequate protection during displacement while maximizing “pull factors” for return.

Source: Brookings Institution Refugees must be central to the reconstruction of Ukraine

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Impact of the war on Ukrainian children

Humanitarian aid has essentially focused on mitigating the impact of the war on children.  UNICEF, the

UN system’s primary agency addressing needs of children under all circumstances, has brought together

a wide range of partners that are implementing multiple interventions that tackle social, educational,

 physical, and psychological consequences of the war on Ukraine’s children through 3 large clusters and 2

 sub-groups of partners.

Children have been among the most affected by the war.  Since the war began on 24 February 2022, 1,148

 children have been killed or injured, education has been disrupted for  an estimated 5.7 million children,

and 1.5 million are experiencing mental health issues. In areas affected by intense fighting, services were

 decimated, leaving protection mechanisms no longer able to adequately support vulnerable children and

families. The war heightened children’s risk of disease, violence, family separation, child trafficking and

 unexploded ordinances.

Major achievements since February 24, 2022

4,926,077 children and women have been able to access primary health care in UNICEF-supported facilities

 and through mobile teams. In addition, 508,245 caregivers of children aged 0 to 23  months have received

infant and young child feeding counselling. In addition, 4,649,974 people have been provided with access

to safe drinking water and 1,559,304 people have received critical water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies.

UNICEF-supported mental health and psychosocial support interventions have reached 2,978,598 children

and caregivers while 108,080 children and their families have benefited from case management and

referrals. Additionally, 352,103 women and children have so far been reached by UNICEF-supported

gender-based violence prevention, risk mitigation and response services.

1,451,665 children have been engaged in formal or non-formal education and 770,958 children have

benefited from learning interventions.

A total of 309,100 households have been reached by UNICEF-funded multi-purpose humanitarian cash

transfers.

Program priorities for 2023

In 2023, , UNICEF will sustain and expand its flexible, adaptive response to the unpredictable situation in Ukraine, including protection assistance, delivery of life-saving supplies, provision of essential services, enhancement of social service capacities, preparedness for additional displacements and support to

 government systems.

UNICEF will focus its humanitarian efforts in areas with ongoing conflict, deploying rapid response teams,

using inter-agency humanitarian convoys, ensuring contingency planning and pre-positioning critical supplies,

and working with local administrations and civil society partners. In more accessible zones, national systems,

municipalities and CSOs will be engaged, combining the humanitarian emergency response for displaced

and returning populations with recovery and development support.

UNICEF requires US$1.1 billion to address the immediate and longer-term needs of 9.4 million people,

including 4 million children, who remain deeply impacted by the war.

For additional information on UNICEF Ukraine 2023 humanitarian needs and strategy, please visit 

UNICEF Ukraine 2023 Humanitarian Action for Children.

Source: UNICEF Ukraine Humanitarian Situation Report No. 24: 24 February – 31 December 2022

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 IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine (6 January 2023)

A 330 kilovolt (kV) back-up power line to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), that was disconnected last week due to damage caused by shelling, has still not been restored underlining further the facility’s fragile supplies of electricity from the grid, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

Though all six reactors at the ZNPP are in shutdown, the plant continues to receive the off-site electricity it needs for essential nuclear safety and security functions from the last operating main external power line. In case of loss of external power, all the site’s 20 diesel backup generators are ready to supply the site with the electricity needed for all safety related equipment.

The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) team currently present at the plant was informed of the restoration work, but it is still not clear when the work would be completed. Efforts to restore the line had been interrupted for a period of days due to shelling near the location of the damage.

Source: Update 139 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine (6 January 2023)

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UK humanitarian network releases recommendations for improving Ukraine response 

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella group of UK charities which coordinates and launches collective appeals to raise funds to provide emergency aid and rapid relief, released its report on options and approaches recommended by local and national actors implementing humanitarian activities in Ukraine.

The findings and recommendations will inform further DEC fund investment and programmatic approaches by DEC members.  The recommendations were derived from consultations with more than 120 members of 72 networks and agencies operating programs in Ukraine.

Four areas were prioritized by the networks that would be important for supporting and strengthening local humanitarian action.  These areas are:

1.   Funding and financial management

       Many local and national actors (L/NAs) are struggling to access funds rapidly, or at all, to sustain their vital humanitarian   activities. For many, this is largely due to lengthy, complex, and often duplicated international due diligence processes.  Less than 1% of humanitarian contributions has been transferred directly to national NGOs in Ukraine to date.

2.   Capacity strengthening and organizational development

       True complementarity is needed in the Ukraine response, where the capacities of all groups and agencies are recognized, harnessed and combined for effective humanitarian action.  L/NAs want capacity strengthening support in the form of mentoring, accompaniment and secondments which is tailored to their needs and requests, not short, one-off, online trainings on topics decided by others. A mechanism to coordinate capacity strengthening initiatives which are available is needed.

3.   Equitable partnerships

      Pressure to respond and spend funds rapidly vs lengthy and complex due diligence processes     mentioned above were identified as barriers to working in equitable partnerships. It was recognized that building trust takes time. A platform providing a database of verified agencies operating in Ukraine was suggested as one way to build bridges between international agencies and L/NAs. Tensions in partnerships of international and L/NAs were highlighted related to the humanitarian principle of neutrality vs a lack of separation of civilian and military aid by many local and national actors.

4.   Coordination and collaboration

       In general, local and national agencies want to be involved in the international humanitarian response, but struggle to actively participate in Cluster and Working Group meetings due to language/terminology barriers and time constraints. Some felt meeting agenda were more tailored to international actors; further outreach efforts are needed and planned. The idea of a coordination forum to provide space for L/NAs to meet, learn, share and coordinate was very popular.

The most popular activities identified to support local humanitarian action in Ukraine were to:

1. Establish a new pooled fund which is accessible for L/NAs and has reduced, and tiered procedures, due to diligence requirements.

2. Develop a platform (possibly centered around a wider ‘hub’) which builds a database and harmonized verification process for local and national actors leading humanitarian activities.

3. Support a coordination mechanism for local and national actors, while also better enabling their engagement in the formal Cluster coordination system.

Warm meals are extremely important for the displaced people in the freezing temperatures.

 Malteser Ukraine operates several field kitchens. Photo: Malteser Ukraine