Weekly Update #88
 November 6

REFUGEE SITUATION

(as of 29 October 2023)

General Figures


Refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe 

5,839,900

Last updated October 29 2023

Covers those granted refugee status, temporary asylum status, temporary protection, or statuses through similar national protection schemes, as well as those recorded in the country under other forms of stay 


Refugees from Ukraine recorded beyond Europe

392,100

Last updated October 14 2023

Covers those granted refugee status, temporary asylum status, temporary protection, or statuses through similar national protection schemes, as well as those recorded in the country under other forms of stay 


Refugees from Ukraine recorded globally

6,232,000

Last updated October 29 2023

 

Source: UNHCR collation of statistics made available by the authorities


STATUS OF THE CONFLICT

Continuing conflict

On November 2, Russia bombarded 118 Ukrainian towns and villages in 24 hours, more than on any other day this year, says Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.  He said 10 of Ukraine's 27 regions had come under attack and the onslaught had caused deaths and injuries.  Many of the communities hit were near the front lines in the east and south.  Russia has for weeks trained much of its military firepower on Avdiivka, a strategically significant town in the eastern region of Donetsk.


Twenty attacks in the Avdiivka area alone were repelled on Tuesday, Ukraine's armed forces general staff said.  Russia has also ramped up attacks on the town of Kupyansk in the north-eastern Kharkiv region and sought to stop Ukrainian forces from recapturing territory around Bakhmut.


Ukraine's counter-offensive has so far made little headway in recapturing land occupied by Russian forces in the south and east, prompting fears of Western fatigue with the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted the slow progress, repeatedly urging Kyiv's allies to urgently provide more advanced weapon, and also stay united.


On Wednesday, Ukraine's chief military commander Zaluzhny warned that the war was now moving to a "positional" or static stage.


South Korean officials reported that North Korea is reportedly increasing its weapons and ammunition transfers to Russia and has reportedly delivered more than one million artillery rounds to date.  There have been about 10 weapon shipments from North Korea to Russia since August 2023 – totaling about one million rounds of artillery.  North Korea also sent advisers to Russia to guide Russians on the use of the munitions. South Korean Yonhap news agency reported the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) estimated that North Korea shipped about 2,000 containers of military equipment and munitions from its northeastern port of Rajin to Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East.

North Korea may also have supplied other weapons to Russia, including T-series tank ammunition, anti-tank guided missiles, rocket launchers, rifles and machine guns, and possibly short-range ballistic missiles.


Russia launched a huge drone attack in the early hours of Friday morning, striking critical infrastructure in parts of southern and western Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.  Drone strikes hit civilian targets in and around Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, in the early hours of Friday morning, according to Ukrainian officials. 


The U.S. government on Thursday imposed sweeping new sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, with almost 100 new measures targeting energy production, mining and defense. It also included new measures to clamp down on sanctions evasion in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and China.


Kremlin spokesperson on Friday said that Russia has learned to adapt to Western sanctions, after the U.S. imposed a wave of new measures on Thursday.


The sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control target third-party firms and people alleged to assist Moscow in procuring equipment needed on the battlefield, including suppliers and shippers. In addition, the State Department imposed diplomatic sanctions targeting Russian energy production and its metals and mining sector.


Though acknowledging that sanctions did cause additional problems, Peskov said Moscow had “learnt to overcome them,” according to Reuters.


President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a law withdrawing Russia’s ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests. US secretary of state Antony Blinken criticised Russia for leaving the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and called on Moscow to commit not to test.


The German foreign minister, said on Thursday she was confident that the European Union next month would advance Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc at a summit seen as a key milestone in Kyiv’s efforts to integrate with the west. Germany proposed a detailed and innovative roadmap to expand the EU that would give candidate countries such as Ukraine early benefits including observer status at leaders’ summits in Brussels before full membership.


Russian strikes are inflicting unimaginable suffering on the people of Ukraine and more than 40% of them need humanitarian assistance, a senior U.N. official told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday.


Ramesh Rajasingham, director of coordination in the U.N. humanitarian office, said thousands of civilians have been killed in strikes on homes, schools, fields and markets since Russia’s invasion in February 20022. The U.N. human rights office has formally verified 9,900 civilians killed, but he said “the actual number is certainly higher.”


The Russian military methodically targeted Ukraine’s power stations and other critical infrastructure with missile and drone strikes during the last winter season, resulting in frequent power outages.


To prepare for the freezing temperatures this winter, the U.N. official said, the humanitarian community is helping people carrying out household repairs and ensuring that water and heating systems are functional.


Since the invasion, the U.N. World Health Organization has verified over 1,300 attacks on health care – more than 55% of all attacks worldwide during the same period, he said. And 111 health care workers and patients have been killed, with 13 health facilities impacted by attacks just since the beginning of September.


Sources: ISW

CNBC

The Guardian

AP News

BBC


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MSF evacuates 150 patients as hospitals in Kherson are attacked repeatedly

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has evacuated 150 patients from a hospital in Kherson, in the south of Ukraine, due to ongoing shelling. This was the second time MSF has had to evacuate patients from the same hospital in the past year as a result of attacks on the facility.

MSF strongly condemns the attacks on hospitals and other medical infrastructure in Ukraine and reiterates its call for the protection of health facilities amidst the war.

The hospital was experiencing disruptions to power supplies as a result of the shelling, meaning that it was sometimes functioning without electricity. In addition, many of the patients were immobile due to their age and health conditions. This made them extremely vulnerable, as they were unable to be relocated to bunkers in time when attacks on the hospital occurred.

MSF ambulances transferred patients from the hospital to the train station, where patients were then evacuated using MSF’s medical train. Two trips were conducted to relocate the large number of patients to other health facilities in safer regions in central and west Ukraine, on Friday 20 October and on Sunday 22 October.

An MSF doctor reported that there was heavy shelling during the evacuation.

However, the relocation of patients to other facilities throughout Ukraine means that many patients will now be very far from family and loved ones. No one knows if or when they will be able to return to the place they call home.

Since 22 February 2022, when the full-scale escalation of the war began, the local regional administration has recorded the destruction of 26 healthcare facilities in the areas of Kherson region that have been retaken by Ukraine. A further 105 medical facilities have been damaged. In total, that equates to 80 per cent of all healthcare facilities – including hospitals, medical clinics, and paramedic and midwifery centres – being either completely or partially damaged in the region.

However, the total number of health facilities and care institutions destroyed in Kherson is likely to be even higher, as the lack of access to areas still occupied by Russian forces means that the situation of healthcare facilities there remains unclear.

Even while MSF has repeatedly denounced the attacks on hospitals in Ukraine and called for protection of health facilities, healthcare patients and workers, missile attacks have continued, in disregard of international humanitarian law.

Source: MSF

THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE


U.S., European officials broach topic of peace negotiations with Ukraine, sources say


U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official and one former senior U.S. official familiar with the discussions.


The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, the officials said. Some of the talks, which officials described as delicate, took place last month during a meeting of representatives from more than 50 nations supporting Ukraine, including NATO members, known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the officials said.


The discussions are an acknowledgment of the dynamics militarily on the ground in Ukraine and politically in the U.S. and Europe, officials said.


They began amid concerns among U.S. and European officials that the war has reached a stalemate and about the ability to continue providing aid to Ukraine, officials said. Biden administration officials also are worried that Ukraine is running out of forces, while Russia has a seemingly endless supply, officials said. Ukraine is also struggling with recruiting and has recently seen public protests about some of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s open-ended conscription requirements.


And there is unease in the U.S. government with how much less public attention the war in Ukraine has garnered since the Israel-Hamas war began nearly a month ago, the officials said. Officials fear that shift could make securing additional aid for Kyiv more difficult. 


Some U.S. military officials have privately begun using the term “stalemate” to describe the current battle in Ukraine, with some saying it may come down to which side can maintain a military force the longest. Neither side is making large strides on the battlefield, which some U.S. officials now describe as a war of inches. Officials also have privately said Ukraine likely only has until the end of the year or shortly thereafter before more urgent discussions about peace negotiations should begin. U.S. officials have shared their views on such a timeline with European allies, officials said.


“Any decisions about negotiations are up to Ukraine,” Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said in a statement. “We are focused on continuing to stand strongly in support of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russian aggression.”


An administration official also noted that the U.S. has participated with Ukraine in discussions of its peace summit framework but said the White House “is not aware of any other conversations with Ukraine about negotiations at the moment.”


Questions about manpower

President Joe Biden has been intensely focused on Ukraine’s depleting military forces, according to two people familiar with the matter. 


"Manpower is at the top of the administration’s concerns right now,” one said. The U.S. and its allies can provide Ukraine with weaponry, this person said, “but if they don’t have competent forces to use them it doesn’t do a lot of good”


Biden has requested that Congress authorize additional funding for Ukraine, but, so far, the effort has failed to progress because of resistance from some congressional Republicans. The White House has linked aid for Ukraine and Israel in its most recent request. That has support among some congressional Republicans, but other GOP lawmakers have said they’ll only vote for an Israel-only aid package.


Before the Israel-Hamas war began, White House officials publicly expressed confidence that additional Ukraine funding would pass Congress before the end of this year, while privately conceding concerns about how difficult that might be. 


 Biden had been reassuring U.S. allies that Congress will approve more aid for Ukraine and planned a major speech on the issue. Once Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the president’s focus shifted to the Middle East, and his Ukraine speech morphed into an Oval Office address about why the U.S. should financially support Ukraine and Israel.


Is Putin ready to negotiate?

The Biden administration does not have any indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate with Ukraine, two U.S. officials said. Western officials say Putin still believes he can “wait out the West,” or keep fighting until the U.S. and its allies lose domestic support for funding Ukraine or the struggle to supply Kyiv with weapons and ammunition becomes too costly, officials said. 


 Both Ukraine and Russia are struggling to keep up with military supplies. Russia has ramped up production of artillery rounds, and, over the next couple years may be able to produce 2 million shells per year, according to a Western official. But Russia fired an estimated 10 million rounds in Ukraine last year, the official said, so it will also have to rely on other countries.


 The Biden administration has spent $43.9 billion on security assistance for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, according to the Pentagon. A U.S. official says the administration has about $5 billion left to send to Ukraine before money runs out. There would be no aid left for Ukraine if the administration hadn’t said it found a $6.2 billion accounting error from months of over-valuing equipment sent to Kyiv.


Public support slipping

Progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive has been very slow, and hope that Ukraine will make significant advances, including reaching the coast near Russia’s frontlines, is fading. A lack of significant progress on the battlefield in Ukraine does not help with trying to reverse the downward trend in public support for sending more aid, officials said.


A Gallup poll released this week shows decreasing support for sending additional aid to Ukraine, with 41% of Americans saying the U.S. is doing too much to help Kyiv. That’s a significant change from just three months ago when 24% of Americans said they felt that way. The poll also found that 33% of Americans think the U.S. is doing the right amount for Ukraine, while 25% said the U.S. is not doing enough. 


Public sentiment toward assisting Ukraine is also starting to soften in Europe. 


As incentive for Zelenskyy to consider negotiations, NATO could offer Kyiv some security guarantees, even without Ukraine formally becoming part of the alliance, officials said. That way, officials said, the Ukrainians could be assured that Russia would be deterred from invading again.


In August national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters, “We do not assess that the conflict is a stalemate.” Instead, Sullivan said, Ukraine is taking territory on a “methodical, systematic basis.” 


But a Western official acknowledged there has not been a lot of movement by either side in some time, and with the cold weather approaching it will be tough for either Ukraine or Russia to break that pattern. The official said it will not be impossible, but it will be difficult. 


U.S. officials also assess that Russia will attempt to hit critical infrastructure in Ukraine again this winter, attempting to force some civilians to endure a frigid winter without heat or power.


Administration officials expect Ukraine to want more time to fight on the battlefield, particularly with new, heavier equipment, “but there’s a growing sense that it’s too late, and it’s time to do a deal,” the former senior administration official said. It is not certain that Ukraine would mount another spring offensive.


 One senior administration official pushed back on any notion of the U.S. nudging Ukraine toward talks. The Ukrainians, the official said, “are on the clock in terms of weather, but they are not on the clock in terms of geopolitics.”


Source: NBC News

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US Government Response Overview

Key Figures (as of July 2023)

Food Security: 1.2 Million people in Ukraine reached with USAID/BHA-supported in-kind food assistance via WFP in July 2023

Multipurpose Cash Assistance:  Provided by 12 partners; WFP provided cash transfers for food to more than 165,000 conflict-affected individuals across Ukraine in July alone.

Health:   3.4 million people able to receive health care with supplies distributed by USG partner UNICEF in 2023; WHO had delivered more than 240 generators and nearly 2,400 Million Tons of medical supplies since March 2022

Protection:  UNICEF-supported MHPSS interventions had reached nearly 1.5 million children and caregivers to help them cope with the psychological effects of conflict and displacement as of August 31; provided more than 367,000 women and children with GBV prevention, response services, and risk mitigation as of the same date;  UNHCR and its partners reached nearly 991,000 people inside Ukraine with protection services between January 1 and September 22.

WASH:  UNICEF had provided access to safe drinking water for more than 3.3 million people through the rehabilitation of water networks, the provision of water treatment equipment, and the distribution of safe drinking water as of late July 


Source: USAID


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The EU’s Response to the War in Ukraine

Towards its commitment of unwavering support to Ukraine, the European Union has implemented the following initiatives:

The EU and its Member States will work with the International and European financial institutions, as well as international organisations and like-minded partners to continue providing relief to help Ukraine meet urgent financing needs and keep basic services going. 

Source: EU4Ukraine


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Displacement tracking in Baltic Countries - Surveys with Refugees from Ukraine: Needs, Intentions, and Integration Challenges (April - June 2023)

This report is based on a survey of displacement patterns, needs and intentions conducted by IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in the countries included in the Regional Response Plan for Ukraine in 2023, namely

The analysis presented in this report is based on data collected between July and September 2023.


Key findings


Donetska (15%), Kharkivska (12%), Khersonska (12%), Zaporizka (10%), Dnipropetrovska (7%).


Lithuania - no intentions to move (95%), move within current country (1%), or to another country (1%), Top 3 being Poland, Latvia, and the United Kingdom; 

Latvia - Latvia is a transit country for many refugees from Ukraine. The majority planned to move to another country (58%), Top 3 being Poland, Russian Federation, and Germany. Others wanted to move to a different location in Ukraine (29%), or move to their place of origin in Ukraine (8%);

Estonia - no intention to move (88%), move to place of origin in Ukraine (3%), to another country (3%), Top 3 being Germany, Czechia, and Norway.


Lithuania - employed (33%), retired (24%), unemployed and looking for a job (14%);  unemployed and not looking for a job (12%), parental leave (12%); 

Latvia - unemployed and looking for a job (40%), employed (20%), retired (25%), unemployed and not looking for a job (4%), daily workers (3%); 

Estonia - employed (46%), unemployed and looking for a job (22%), student (14%), retired (6%), on parental leave (5%).

Top employment needs: Lithuania - financial support (27%), health services (22%), medicines (18%), employment (14%), food products (12%); 

Latvia - housing (36%), cash support (36%), employment (34%), medical needs (23%), information (18%); 

Estonia - employment (20%), health services (17%), financial support (16%), documentation and registration (12%).


 Lithuania - food products (90%), personal hygiene and sanitary supplies (85%), financial support (83%), transportation (58%), clothes and shoes (53%);

 Latvia - food products (74%), financial support (40%), housing (35%), personal hygiene and sanitary supplies (16%); Estonia - free transportation (84%), food items (71%), financial support (66%), accommodation (34%).


Lithuania - financial issues (23%), language barrier (14%), employment (12%), housing (11%), social services (8%); 

Estonia - language barrier (33%), employment (24%), housing (14%), accessing social services (9%).

Source: IOM

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EU delivers more than 370 buses as part of the “School buses for Ukraine” solidarity campaign

On November 4, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska attended the handover ceremony of the EU solidarity campaign “School buses for Ukraine”.  More than 370 school buses have been delivered to Ukrainian communities. This solidarity campaign was launched by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska in November 2022.

The school buses were officially handed over to representatives of local authorities from the Kyiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv and Chernihiv regions.

In the spirit of solidarity and commitment to support Ukraine, the European Commission purchased 100 school buses, worth approximately €14 million. In addition, public and private entities in EU Member States donated 271 school buses via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, managed by the European Commission.

The project was initiated in November 2022, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, launching the “School Buses for Ukraine” campaign – a new EU solidarity campaign to support Ukraine and get Ukrainian children safely back to their schools. The Commission called on public and private entities in the EU and beyond to join forces and show solidarity, by donating buses that are essential to bringing Ukrainian children safely back to their schools.

The European Commission's funding of €14 million made it possible to purchase, deliver and distribute 100 school buses, with the support of Solidarity Fund Poland (SFPL). Authorities, cities, regions, and transport organisations from 11 EU Member States (Austria, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden) donated 271 school buses, which reached Ukraine through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Source: European Commission

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Q and A on education for refugee children in host countries

Refugee parents from Ukraine are often forced to make difficult decisions regarding their children’s education. Clear information about education options are available, but often not available in formats or languages that parents are likely to find or understand. Recognizing certain basic principles increases the chances of refugee children receiving a quality education.

The UNHCR has prepared an Education Policy Brief to provide information to refugee parents on the education of their children while they are displaced.

This Education Policy Brief focuses on the main challenges in education of refugee children and youth from Ukraine in Europe and links this to internal displacement and education disruptions inside Ukraine. It also offers certain insights and avenues toward potential solutions for refugee education identified by UNHCR during the emergency response.

The Policy Brief has a Q and A that addresses some basic issues facing parents.

Why do I need to enroll my child in a host country school?

The Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science recommends refugee parents to familiarize themselves with requirements for compulsory education and to enroll children according to the local rules. The Ministry also points to the social benefits of enrolling in a host country education system.

Refugee children should best be enrolled in school in a host country where they can benefit from face-to-face education provided in schools by qualified teachers.

In most European countries, refugees can access a wide range of support services through schools, including mental health and psycho-social support services, language learning, pedagogical support and pre- and post-school time childcare. 

Enrolling children in the education system of a host country is more sustainable. Many online and other forms of education are not always available, are often at risk of being discontinued when funding runs out, and often do not offer widely-recognized grades or certificates. 


Can I keep my child enrolled in the Ukrainian education system?

Enrolment in a host country school does not exclude refugee children from Ukraine to remain enrolled in online education according to the curriculum of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science allows children to continue following online lessons as distance learning students, externships, home education or in an individual educational trajectory. Exams and evaluations are normally organized online for certain grades.

Some organizations also offer face-to-face education in line with Ukrainian curriculum, by Ukrainian teachers. Some of these non-formal Ukrainian schools are recognized by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, while some are not.

Parents should also consider the workload of children if they are in education in the host country and studying Ukrainian curriculum at the same time. Following parts of the Ukrainian curriculum for subjects that are not taught in the host country, such as Ukrainian language, history and culture is very useful to maintain linguistic and cultural links with the country of origin. Subjects that are taught in both the host country and in the Ukrainian education system — such as mathematics and sciences — should be followed only in the host country school where the child is enrolled.

Most European countries have systems of compulsory education. This means that any child of school age legally residing on the territory of the host country must be enrolled in a school or in a form of education legally recognized by the host country.

When complementary forms of education in addition to education in the national school system are considered, parents should ensure that any learning that takes place is recognized and rewarded with official grades or certificates.


Can I send my child back to school in Ukraine if we return?

In most European countries, schools will take into account documentation of previous learning and assess refugee children from Ukraine, offer them a preparatory programme and facilitate a transition to a regular class once the child has an adequate grasp of the language of instruction.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science has several bilateral agreements with key refugee hosting countries on mutual recognition of grades, certificates and diplomas. 

Refugee children and youth who have studied abroad can also get their learning validated in the Ukrainian education system once they return. The Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science has issued methodological guidance for educational authorities explaining how children returning from abroad can get their learning history in secondary schools abroad validated in Ukrainian schools.


Where can I find information on educational options for my child?

Most European ministries of Education have published information materials for refugee parents from Ukraine in appropriate formats and languages.  The Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science’s website has several resources with guidance. Parents are advised to rely on official information, and apply necessary caution when gleaning information from sources such as social media and news reports.

Source: UNHCR

HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE

Angelus - November 5, 2023 (Sunday)

I continue to think about the serious situation in Palestine and in Israel where many, many people have lost their lives. In God’s name, I beg you to stop: cease using weapons! I hope that avenues will be pursued so that an escalation of the conflict might be absolutely avoided, so that the wounded can be rescued and help might get to the population of Gaza where the humanitarian situation is extremely serious. May the hostages be freed immediately. There are also many children among them – may they return to their families! Yes, let’s think of the children, of all the children affected by this war, as well as in Ukraine and by other conflicts: this is how their future is being killed. Let us pray that there might be the strength to say, “enough”.

Continuo a pensare alla grave situazione in Palestina e in Israele, dove tantissime persone hanno perso la vita. Vi prego di fermarvi, in nome di Dio: cessate il fuoco! Auspico che si percorrano tutte le vie perché si eviti assolutamente un allargamento del conflitto, si possano soccorrere i feriti e gli aiuti arrivino alla popolazione di Gaza, dove la situazione umanitaria è gravissima. Si liberino subito gli ostaggi. Tra di loro ci sono anche tanti bambini, che tornino alle loro famiglie! Sì, pensiamo ai bambini, a tutti i bambini coinvolti in questa guerra, come anche in Ucraina e in altri conflitti: così si sta uccidendo il loro futuro. Preghiamo perché si abbia la forza di dire “basta”.

Links to the full text in  ITALIAN and ENGLISH

MEMBER PHOTOS

Together with partners, the Jesuit Refugee Service are supporting more than 80,000 forcibly displaced by the violence in Ukraine through the One Proposal programme (courtesy of JRS Europe).