Weekly Update #75
August 7

REFUGEE SITUATION

(as of 1 August 2023)

STATUS OF THE CONFLICT

CIVILIAN CASULTIES

Total civilian casualties 24 February 2022 to 30 July 2023:

• 26,015 which covers 9369 killed and 16,646 injured 

THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

OCHA released a synthesized overview of the humanitarian response as of 4 August 2023.

Relentless fighting and hostilities continue to drive increasing humanitarian needs across Ukraine, particularly impacting hundreds of thousands of people who remain in communities close to the front line. In the first six months of the year, a further escalation of hostilities and major incidents, including the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in early June, has deteriorated the already dire situation, increasing challenges for people struggling to access water, food, health services, materials to repair homes, among others. Children’s vaccination has been impacted and coverage has steadily dropped to reach levels below COVID-19 times while their right to go to school cannot be taken for granted.

Humanitarian organizations have continued efforts to support people in Ukraine and reached nearly 7.3 million people with vital aid and protection services. By the end of June, 5 million people had received health services and 3 million people had access to clean water and hygiene products amidst increased shortages. Humanitarian partners have also provided food to over 3.7 million people and reached 3.3 million people with emergency shelter or critical household items. Around 1 million children who fled their homes and whose schools are not fully functional have received support to continue their education and around 1 million people received protection services, including counselling, legal services, mine-awareness campaigns and services to prevent gender-based violence and support survivors. In addition, 2.5 million people – including nearly 20,000 people affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam – have received multipurpose cash assistance.

Only 4 per cent of people reached, however, live in areas under the control of the Russian Federation. Insecurity, access impediments and interferences continued to hamper assistance in these areas, despite extensive efforts and ongoing engagements to enable humanitarian operations in all parts of the Ukrainian territory.

Lack of funding, however, is hampering operations, adding to the challenges imposed by insecurity and other obstacles. Humanitarians in Ukraine had received, at the end of June, less than 30 per cent of the $3.9 billion requested for the response. In some parts of the south, east and north of the country, the humanitarian response could not reach more than 25 per cent of people targeted, due to a combination of funding shortages and other operational challenges. With escalating hostilities, international support will be critical to ensure that humanitarians in Ukraine can continue their work to assist people whose lives have been upended by the war.

HUMANITARIAN COVERAGE

Overview

Humanitarian Access

Intensified hostilities and fighting along the entire front line, as well as impediments and obstacles imposed on aid organizations have further impacted humanitarian access in Ukraine in the first six months of 2023, making it increasingly challenging and unpredict able. Between January and June 2023, nearly 100 incidents impacting humanitarian operations were reported, more than half of them with a moderate or severe impact on the delivery of assistance. This is an average of one incident every other day, highlighting the complex environment in which humanitarian organizations in Ukraine operate. At least 33 of these incidents were acts of violence involving humanitarian personnel and assets, resulting in the suspension of crucial humanitarian activities. At least five humanitarian workers were killed in the line of duty in Ukraine in the first six months of 2023, compared to four fatalities recorded in all of 2022.

Access to front -line communities is particularly challenging and the constant threat of bombardment makes it difficult to implement regular humanitarian programming. To overcome this, humanitarian organizations organize regular inter-agency convoys to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive package of humanitarian assistance to people facing dire needs. Over 70 inter-agency convoys have delivered assistance to front-line communities between January and June 2023, including 19 convoys to villages and towns of Khersonska and Dnipropetrovska oblasts affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in early June.

Humanitarians have lost access to people in areas where needs are acute. Due to the shifts in the front line and the deterioration of the security situation resulting from intensified hostilities, particularly during the initial quarter of this year, humanitarian partners have lost access to almost 40 towns and villages, which are now under the military control of the Russian Federation. These areas were home to approximately 60,000 people before the escalation of the war in February 2022.

Access to areas under the military control of the Russian Federation continued to be extremely challenging, despite extensive efforts and ongoing engagements. In June, for example, the Kakhovka Dam disaster and its consequent massive flooding resulted in urgent humanitarian needs on both sides of the Dnipro River. Despite this, access to the left bank, which is under the military control of the Russian Federation, was not permitted. Overall, denials of access, restrictions on the movement of personnel as well as operational interference in humanitarian activities severely hampers humanitarian’s capacity to operate in areas under the military control of the Russian Federation, making the response extremely limited and not at the scale required.

Military conscription of humanitarian personnel and bureaucrat ic impediments have also been reported across Ukraine. Nearly 60 aid workers have been conscripted since January 2023, at a moment when humanitarian organizations face challenges in recruiting specialized national staff. Additionally, at least 31 bureaucratic access incidents have been reported, including restrictions on personnel movement into and within the country, and operational interferences in humanitarian activities. In 2023, out of 261 Ukrainian visa applications submitted by over 20 humanitarian organizations, at least 31 were rejected and 35 experienced delays. In addition, 8 Schengen visas were rejected and 29 were subject to delays. These factors introduce additional layers of complexity in the efficient delivery of aid.

Humanitarian Funding

Funding is urgently required.  Funding for humanitarian operations, which had been remarkable in 2022, remained extremely low in the first six months of 2023. Aid organizations in Ukraine had received, at the end of June, less than 30 per cent of the $3.9 billion requested in the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). The low funding is adding to the challenges imposed by insecurity and other obstacles to support people impacted by the war. With escalating hostilities and an expected rise on need during the upcoming winter, international support will be critical to ensure that humanitarians in Ukraine can help people whose lives have been upended by this war.

The United States and the European Union are the largest donors to humanitarian organizations in Ukraine. Nearly 40 per cent of the total $1.23 billion received for the humanitarian response in Ukraine was provided by the United States of America ($478 million). The European Commission provided $128 million, approximately 22 per cent of all funding received. Japan ($96 million), Norway ($60 million) and France ($50 million) are also some of the top donors. Private contributions from individuals and organizations reached $35 million, and Save the Children provided an additional $40 million for the response, making the difference in the ability of aid organizations in Ukraine to support people in need.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) continued to be an import ant source of funding for relief operations in the country, but it is running out of funding. By the end of July 2023, the UHF had received only $78 million in paid donor contributions, which is a reduction of $124 million (61 per cent) over the same seven-month period in 2022, during which the Fund received $202 million. Without additional donor contributions, the UHF will not be able to ensure funding to the most prioritized humanitarian activities during the coming months.

 The UHF has been particularly important to ensure rapid mobilization of resources when needs increase fast , like the crisis caused by the Kakhovka Dam disaster, and to ensure funding to the most prioritized activities under the HRP. Following the Kakhovka Dam destruction, the UHF rapidly disbursed $3.4 million to partners already implementing activities in the areas affected and facilitated the flexible re-programming of ongoing projects. This made it possible, for example, for the World Food Programme to procure boats and amphibius trucks that ultimately were used by the humanitarian community to facilitate deliveries in areas affected by flooding.

Since the start of 2023, allocated over $120 million to 43 humanitarian partners, including $50 million through a Reserve Allocation in January 2023 to jump-start time-critical interventions in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine facing the greatest severity of humanitarian needs. Another $70 million was disbursed through a Standard Allocation launched in March to support integrated multi-sectoral assistance prioritized under the 2023 HRP in rural areas close to the frontlines and return areas of the north. Another Reserve Allocation to support winter activities is expected to be launched in the coming weeks.