Weekly Update #62
May 8

General Figures

Refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe 

8,183,357

Last updated May 2 2023

Refugees from Ukraine registered for Temporary Protection or similar national protection schemes in Europe 

5,065,235

Last updated May 2 2023

Border crossings from Ukraine (since 24 February 2022)

21,237,833

Last updated May 2 2023

Border crossings to Ukraine (since 28 February 2022)

12,542,363

Last updated May 2 2023

Source: https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine 

A grave humanitarian crisis is rapidly unfolding in areas neighbouring the town of Marinka, in Donetska oblast, where approximately 5,000 civilians are enduring heavy ground fighting and hostilities that have dramatically escalated over the over the past couple of months. Marinka, along with Avdiivka and Bakhmut in Donetska oblast, has experienced the most intense military operations in eastern Ukraine in 2023, according to military experts and think tanks. This has also affected the humanitarian situation in the neighbouring Kurakhove and Vuhledar communities – home to another 24,000 civilians – both due to the direct impact of the hostilities and the pressure over the limited services and resources, as people fleeing other parts of Donetska oblast also take refuge in these areas, particularly Kurakhove.

Marinka Town – located just a few kilometres west of Donetsk city – has reportedly been completely destroyed, forcing local authorities and law enforcement, in November 2022, to evacuate all remaining civilians from a population of 9,000 people before February 2022. Across the 18 settlements that make up the Marinska hromada, humanitarians on the ground estimate that just 5,000 civilians, including over 400 children, remain – out of a pre-war population of 40,000 people. These villages, including Krasnohorivka, Maksymilianivka, Oleksandropil, and Paraskoviivka, are exposed to frequent shelling and access to electricity, gas or piped water is limited, despite efforts from the services providers to repair damages caused by repeated attacks. In Krasnohorivka, for example, no electricity, water or gas was available at the end of April, according to local authorities. According to a rapid assessment carried out by the NGO REACH and information provided by Ukrainian authorities, in addition to the large-scale destruction of homes and other vital civilian infrastructure, including schools, the war disrupted markets and other essential services, forcing people to heavily rely on humanitarian aid and the support from volunteer groups to survive.

The situation is also dire in Vuhledar Town and across the other four settlements that form the Vuhledarska hromada, about 25 kilometres south-west of Marinka. Approximately 1,100 civilians – out of the pre-war population of 26,000 people – have limited to no access to food – as shops and markets are not functional – as well as water, electricity, gas, health care and other essential services. Although most of the civilians there are older people, there remain about 30 children in the hromada at the end of April, according to information provided by local authorities to the NGO REACH. The destruction left many living in damaged homes, and there is an urgent need for increased support with shelter kits and other critical household items, according to local organizations. Humanitarian access to the area, however, is becoming more and more restricted and unpredictable and the lack of telecommunications, including phone or internet coverage, increases challenges imposed on civilians and humanitarians providing assistance, as confirmed by REACH.

Although the situation in Kurakhove, 10 kilometres west of Marinka, is slightly better, shelling and hostilities have also impacted essential services, and left a path of destruction of homes, markets, hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure. Kurakhivska hromada, despite the high insecurity and proximity to the front line, also hosts nearly 6,000 internally displaced people, and civilians also come to Kurakhove town for health care, and to access markets and other vital services. In total, nearly 23,000 people, including 1,300 children, remain in one of the 28 villages and towns of the hromada, according to the local authorities. Similar to the neighbouring Marinka and Vuhledar, people in Kurakhove are also living in damaged homes and need support with emergency repairs. Most of the town has no gas supply, but does have a relatively stable electricity supply, provided by a coal-fired power plant, ensure heating and cooking options, in addition to the use of solid fuel stoves for cooking and heating in winter, according to REACH. Drinking water is limited in the town while emergency medical services remain available. According to information gathered by REACH, the local ambulatory and the central hospital are well-supplied and fully functional, thanks to continued support from local and international humanitarian partners. Humanitarian needs also include food assistance and psychological support, especially for children.

Destruction has impacted access to food, water, electricity, gas, health care and there is an urgent need for increased support with shelter kits and other critical household items.

Municipal authorities of Kharkiv reported to a recent ECHO field mission that 1.1 million people may have returned to the city, while the pre-invasion population was estimated between 1.5 and 1.8 million.

Sources: OCHA

ECHO Daily Flash of 05 May 2023

___________________________________________________________________________________

Russia conducted another Shahed-131/136 strike against Ukraine on May 4. 

Ukrainian military sources reported that Russian forces launched 24 Shahed-131/136s at Ukraine from the direction of Bryansk Oblast and the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov and that Ukrainian air defense destroyed 18 of the drones above northern, central, and southern regions of Ukraine. Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command noted that Russian forces launched 15 of the Shaheds at Odesa Oblast, 3 of which struck an educational institution. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that Russian forces attacked Kyiv overnight with Shaheds and unidentified missiles for the third time in the last four days, noting that Kyiv has not experienced such a high intensity of air attacks since the beginning of 2023.

Source:   ISW

A shelling on 17 April damaged a health care facility in the Nikopol raion Damages were also reported following a shelling that affected health care facilities in Sloviansk Druzhkivka and elsewhere in the Donetsk oblast In the Sumy oblast, 39 health care facilities were damaged, and in the Mykolayiv oblast, 98 health care facilities were damaged or destroyed by 21 April.

The cooperation of the Ministry of Health and the European Commission led to the evacuation of 19 Ukrainians for specialized treatment in clinics in Croatia, marking the first instance of cooperation on medical evacuation to the country Another 38 citizens of Ukraine were transported to Poland thanks to support from the Canadian Foundation In addition to facilitating medical evacuations, the cooperation creates a unique opportunity for Ukrainian doctors to study and exchange practical experience with their foreign colleagues.

Source: WHO

Source: ECHO

___________________________________________________________________________________

Countries hosting Ukrainian refugees reaffirm their commitment to meeting their health needs

Health ministers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and United Nations (UN) agencies came together in Bratislava this month to discuss the challenges, solutions and ways forward for addressing the health needs of Ukrainians who have sought temporary protection from the conflict in neighbouring countries.

The high-level consultation was organized by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic and WHO/Europe. Senior health leaders from Czechia, Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Moldova and Romania travelled to Bratislava to meet with their Slovak hosts for the ministerial forum and consultation to discuss the lessons learned during the past years’ response to what has been the largest humanitarian emergency in the WHO European Region since the Second World War.

Some common challenges were identified by several Member States during the consultation. These included a lack of preparedness, due to the unprecedented nature of such a large crisis in a continent that has enjoyed decades of peace. This meant that legal provisions were initially not adequate for the response. Humanitarian law had to be applied nationwide and special laws enacted to ensure that adequate financial and resource management were in place. Crisis management and resource allocation were major issues in the early phase of the crisis, with multisectoral coordination needed.

Collaboration between stakeholders has been critical to strengthen the response, with national governments, the EU, UN agencies, NGOs and communities all playing their part. Stronger links with the Ukrainian health authorities are seen as key to better understand health care barriers and cross-border health data, and ensuring effective medical evacuations and repatriations are implemented. Engaging refugees in the response will also help to build capacities and trust and empower refugees.

One area of particular focus was the temporary inclusion of the Ukrainian health workforce into the national health systems of host countries. There are benefits for both the host and refugee populations: More health workers will ease the staffing crisis and enable Ukrainian staff to maintain their skills, and refugees can also be treated by medics speaking their language. However, health professionals need to be granted permission for medical practice and have language skills to temporarily work in host countries. UN agencies are working closely with ministries of health to help streamline that process.

The findings will also inform the new regional action plan for refugee and migrant health in the European Region 2023–2030 that will be presented to Member States at the next WHO/Europe Regional Committee in Kazakhstan in October 2023.

Source: WHO 

___________________________________________________________________________________

Increase in NZ support for Ukraine

New Zealand is significantly extending its defence commitments as well as humanitarian, legal and economic support for Ukraine as part of the ongoing international response to Russia’s illegal war of aggression, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced.

The Prime Minister announced the package of measures while visiting NZDF personnel training Ukrainian troops at the Salisbury Plain Army Training Area outside of London.

The new assistance package included the following, among others:

• $2m to Ukraine Humanitarian Fund to support the provision of healthcare, food assistance, clean water, shelter and other assistance

• $1.5 million to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, providing humanitarian support to Ukrainian refugees

• $500,000 towards a New Zealand Disaster Response Partnership with New Zealand NGOs on the regional refugee response

• $1.3 million of funding to the International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor and Trust Fund for Victims to ensure legal accountability and justice for victims in Ukraine

• Further sanctions targeting a total of 18 entities and 9 individuals supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine

Source: The New Zealand Government

___________________________________________________________________________________

One Year after Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine: Missing Children Europe’s 116000 network united to protect children (at risk of) going missing

 Missing Children Europe’s member in Ukraine, NGO Magnolia received over 2900 cases of missing children (as opposed to the 300 on average). 42 of these cases were submitted as evidence of the war crimes to the Prosecutor’s Office, including 27 cases of suspected forcible transfer of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation and Russian occupied territories. When it comes to a cross border dimension, in the context of the situation in Ukraine, Missing Children Europe received 47 cases involving 55 children that were reported missing.

This report displays the challenges and issues that have surfaced during the coordination of cases and communication between member organisations and the hotlines.

• To ensure adequate protection of children (at risk of) going missing in the context of the war in Ukraine, MCE calls on the all the relevant national and international actors to:

• improve registration, information management and referral mechanisms, and monitoring of children entering the EU from Ukraine;

• ensure respect and fulfilment of the provisions set out in the Fourth Geneva Convention;

• contribute to the facilitation of the mechanisms for determining the deported children’s whereabouts;

• assist in family tracing and ensure safe process of family reunification;

• increase the capacity of the support systems for families whose children have gone missing, including through the adequate funding mechanisms for the 116000 hotline services with emphasis on Ukraine’s neighbouring countries.

Source: Missing Children Europe

___________________________________________________________________________________

System of free legal aid in Ukraine demonstrates high level of resilience in war conditions 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine presented a report on the availability of legal aid in the context of martial law in the capital of Ukraine. Conducting a comprehensive study and preparing a report based on its results were possible because of generous support from the European Union and the Government of Denmark.

According to the report, the free legal aid system has demonstrated a high level of stability in the context of the war, and the bodies and organizations that provide legal services to the population quickly adapted to the new conditions and were able to ensure the proper quality of such services and client orientation. Thus, about 70 percent of respondents believe that since the beginning of the war, their opportunities to receive legal assistance have not reduced or have even increased.

The full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation of Ukraine gave rise to a large number of legal issues that required urgent solutions: from the status of internally displaced persons to the need for prompt responses to the requests of people affected by the war. This naturally led to an excessive workload for organizations and institutions that provide legal assistance in Ukraine, because demand for legal services has increased rapidly.

The report is based on a comprehensive study prepared by a team of authors from Sotsio-inform, the Ukrainian Centre for Public Opinion Research, with assistance from UNDP Ukraine in the framework of the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP), and with financial support from the European Union.

Experts from the Human Rights for Ukraine project - which is being implemented by UNDP Ukraine and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark between 2019 and 2023 - were also involved in the study.

Source: UNDP

___________________________________________________________________________________

Education in Ukraine: over $51 million in grants and in-kind support announced from UNESCO, GPE, Google and Microsoft

The program will be rolled out by UNESCO and UNICEF in Ukraine in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science and will provide children and teachers with equipment and tools for distance learning, psychosocial support, teacher training and education sector planning.

Through the GPE Multiplier, the Global Partnership for Education has matched a total of over $25 million in cash and in-kind support from Microsoft, Google and UNESCO, totaling more than $51 million in education assistance for Ukraine. The GPE Multiplier is an innovative financing instrument designed to leverage new sources of funding for education programs aligned to national priorities.

In addition to cash donations from both private sector partners and UNESCO, Microsoft’s support includes no-cost access to its software for students and teachers for on- and offline use and teacher training on software programs. Google’s contribution Includes a donation of 50,000 Chromebooks. This is the first time that private sector partners have provided the necessary co-financing for a country to unlock funding from GPE’s multiplier through a combination of cash and in-kind donations.

These contributions will help advance Ukraine’s existing efforts to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning and digitalize its education system, bridging emergency response and longer-term assistance to help the sector to better withstand the impact of the conflict.

The program implemented by UNESCO will include teacher professional development, mental health and psychosocial support, education planning and management, as well as the procurement and distribution of devices to conflict-affected primary and secondary school-aged learners, including children who have been internally displaced. 6,800 children and more than 60,000 education actors, such as government officials, principals, school psychologists, teachers, parents, and caregivers, will benefit from this program.

The program implemented by UNICEF, will focus on delivering devices and connectivity, expanding digital learning centers, providing catch-up education and access to education materials and will benefit an estimated 350,000 children in southern and eastern Ukraine where the fighting has been the most Intense.

Finland is the coordinating agent for GPE across Ukraine.

Source: UNESCO

___________________________________________________________________________________

Communications connectivity: a lifeline for people in country and on the move

Humanitarian responses vary in scale and complexity. Natural disasters and conflicts can displace people internally as well as into neighboring countries. While ICTs have transformed humanitarianism in profound ways, connectivity across large operational areas is still not taken for granted. Communications networks and infrastructure are often destroyed or disrupted in emergencies.

Cooperation among UN agencies, governments, and the private and public sectors is crucial to keeping people connected. Through their respective mandates, the World Food Programme (WFP)-led Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) and the Refugee Emergency Telecommunications Sector (RETS), led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, help fill connectivity gaps and increasingly support access to information for affected communities.

The cluster system was endorsed in 2005 by the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) to address accountability gaps around key humanitarian services in non-refugee emergency responses. n emergencies where people flee to another country, humanitarian coordination is ensured through the Refugee Coordination Model

RETS was activated for the response to the Ukraine emergency in March 2022. With many Ukrainians looking for safety in Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, RETS has been providing connectivity at major crossing points and in refugee-hosting countries.

Blue Dot Hubs (set up by UNHCR and UNICEF) are safe havens for people on the move and give verified, up-to-date information about safe travel, what to expect in neighboring countries, and how to access essential services. RETS connectivity makes these services possible.

As of March 2023, over 62 000 humanitarians and 139 000 refugees have used RETS connectivity services in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova.

Meanwhile, the ETC was activated in Ukraine in March 2022, supporting humanitarian operations in Kyiv, Lviv, Mukachevo, Odessa and Dnipro.  Despite daily uncertainties in Ukraine, secure communications networks, and VHF radios are reliable because of the ETC. Because of these tools, three hundred humanitarians have been kept safe while reaching those in need.

The ETC chatbot vBezpetsi gives people remaining in Ukraine access to reliable information on their humanitarian entitlements. To date, nearly 19,000 internally displaced people have contacted vBezpetsi through mobile applications like Viber and Telegram.

Connectivity during emergencies is only impactful if it can be accessed by those furthest behind.

As the situation in and around Ukraine illustrates, humanitarian organizations and their partners must be increasingly flexible.

Sources: ETC, UNHCR, WFP

Bartosz Remin of KLIKA, a Polish organization sending wheelchairs to Ukraine for disabled Ukrainians, showing toys to be shipped to children in Ukraine (courtesy of Caritas Poland).