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Humanitarian BulletinUkraineIssue 04 | 01-30 November 2015

HIGHLIGHTS• Humanitarian partners have

stepped up aid delivery to NGCAs in Luhanska oblast in November. Additional partners presence is needed. Access to NGCA Donetsk continues to be seriously problematic.

• During his visit to Ukraine, UN Humanitarian Chief Stephen O’Brien called for sustained and unimpeded access to the vulnerable communities who urgently need humanitarian aid.

• Ceasefire violations increased considerably in November while ERW and IEDs remained the major threat to civilians, accounting for 88 per cent of civilian casualties in October.

More aid reaches LuhanskThroughout November, UN agencies have been stepping up the delivery of humanitarian assistance to non-Government controlled areas (NGCAs) of Luhansk following resump-tion of operations at the end of October. By the end of November, the UN and the Inter-national Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are the only organisations that have been registered with the de facto authorities in Luhansk and resumed their operations. Addition-al partners presence is crucial to ensure a broader coverage of needs. The situation re-mains unchanged in Donetsk where only two partners are able to operate. Aid operations to the Donetsk and Luhansk NGCAs were halted on 21 July after the de facto authorities imposed regulations requiring aid organisations to register.

Over 1,700 MT of aid delivered in NovemberIn November, UN agencies and partners have delivered more than 1,700 MT of food, shelter, NFIs and other assistance to NGCAs, including 1,400 MT to the Luhansk area and 300 MT to the Donetsk area, according to the Logistics cluster. Assistance to Luhansk is now being distributed to an estimated 69,000 people. These consignments delivered aid for the first time since the suspension of activities in July and are very timely as winter sets in.

Winterization activities have been hampered by the suspension of operations. As tem-peratures fall across the region, shelter assistance has to be delivered fast to those living in buildings that lack windows, doors, roofs and heating. In addition, thousands of displaced people require warm blankets, winter clothing and shoes as well as coal and heating fuels. Moreover, plummeting temperatures increase the required calorie intake during winter months, making sustainable access to nutritious food more important for the wellbeing of vulnerable people.

Access restrictions continue to be severe in the Donetsk areaWhile aid deliveries have increased significantly in the Luhansk area during the past month, in Donetsk, ICRC and the international NGO PIN remain the only international aid organisations that are registered and continue their operations there. The status of the UN submission and many INGO applications for registration remains unresolved. UN support is being channelled through PIN, which has also its own pipeline. Efforts on the ground are insufficient to cater for needs.

Freedom of movement constraints for civilians and goods continueThe restrictions on freedom of movement as a result of the Temporary Order (TO) of 21 January 2015 and the suspension of public transport affects the free movement of civil-ians across the ‘contact line’ in both directions. This is a major concern as temperatures have plummeted across the conflict-affected area and long queues of civilians waiting for hours at the crossing points - which are ill equipped - on the ‘contact line’ persist. These restrictions on freedom of movement of people and goods isolate people, impact family unity and limit access to social entitlements, medication and humanitarian assistance. Moreover, the presence of landmines and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) in areas adjacent to checkpoints is a serious risk for civilians.

More aid reaches Luhansk

ERC visits Ukraine, calls for access

ERW and IEDs kill and injure civilians

1st round of polio campaign ends

P.1

P.2

P.3

P.4

In this issue

An aid convoy in eastern Ukraine © WFP/Logistics Cluster

FUNDING316 millionrequired

Source: https://fts.unocha.org/

FIGURES

Externally displacedPeople wounded 17,974

People targeted 3.2 mPeople in need 5.0 m

People killed 8,529

Source: UNHCR, WHO, OHCHR

50%FUNDED orPLEDGED

148.5 mfunded (US$)

157 munmet (US$)

0

10

20

30

40

milli

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FUNDED PLEDGED

Oth

ers

Uni

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Kin

gdom

Can

ada

Ger

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y

Uni

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Euro

pean

Com

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10.5 mpledged (US$)

1.1 m

2 | Ukraine Humanitarian Bulletin

www.unocha.org | www.reliefweb.int | www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/ukraineUnited Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) • Coordination Saves Lives

The humanitarian community continues to advocate with the Government of Ukraine to simplify procedures for civilians to cross to and from NGCAs, open new checkpoints, increase personnel at crossing points, authorise commercial traffic across the contact line and bring the orders, regulating movement of civilians and goods, in compliance with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine as well as international norms and standards. This is of paramount importance as many Government regulations are having a disproportionate impact on civilians.

ERC visits Ukraine, urges unimpeded accessOn 4 November, UN Humanitarian Chief Stephen O’Brien concluded a three-day visit to Ukraine, calling for sustained and unimpeded access to the vulnerable communities who urgently need aid. “I came to Ukraine to see for myself the consequences of the conflict in eastern areas for the civilians living there and those who have been forced to flee. As the winter fast approaches, our top priority must be to quickly scale up the coordination and delivery of aid for the most vulnerable people, especially the elderly and ill,” he said.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) said in a statement concluding his visit that many people, especially those who have been unable to flee to safe areas because they are elderly or sick, are living in homes which have been severely damaged in the fighting. People are not able to move freely to seek medical assistance or make a living. “As I met people and heard their stories, I was struck by the urgent need for greater protection and safety, as well as for basic supplies. That is why it has been important to speak to repre-sentatives of all conflict parties, who are responsible under international law for protecting and aiding civilians,” said Mr. O’Brien on his return to Kyiv.

The ERC met the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and senior officials in the

Access: Crossing points as of 30 November 2015

Novoaidar

Lutuhyne

Sverdlovsk

Slovianoserbsk StanytsiaLuhanska

Antratsyt

Perevalsk

Krasnodon

Yasynuvata

Sloviansk

Starobesheve

Marinka

Amvrosiivka

Telmanove

Artemivsk

Novoazovsk

KrasnyiLyman

Volnovakha

Shakhtarsk

Volodarske

Manhush

Kostiantynivka

Krasnoarmiisk

Popasna

Luhansk

Donetsk

KHARKIVSKA

LUHANSKA

ZAPORIZKA

DONETSKA

SEA OFAZOV

Eastern Ukraine: Crossing points as of 08 December 2015

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.Source: OCHA

20km

¯Kyiv

BELARUS

HUNGARYMOLDOVA

POLAND

ROMANIA

RUSSIANFEDERATION

SLOVAKIA

SERBIA BULGARIA

'StanytsiaLuhanska'

'Shchastia''Trokhizbenka'

'Zolote'

'Popasna'

'Debaltseve'

'Horlivka'

'Kurakhove'

RUSSIANFEDERATION

'Hnutove'

'Novotroitske'

'Zaitseve'

Legend

Area Along Contact Line

Roads

Closed checkpoints (individuals)

Intermittent checkpoints (individuals)

Open checkpoints (individuals)

Closed checkpoints (cargo)

Intermittent access (cargo)

Open checkpoints for Humanitariancargo

During his visit to Ukraine, UN Humanitarian Chief Stephen O’Brien called for sustained and unimpeded access to the vulnerable communities who urgently need humanitarian aid



Presidential Administration in Kyiv. It was agreed that strengthening coordination and partnership to ensure that more aid can be deliv-ered to all Ukrainians in dire need was of paramount importance.

In the eastern areas, Mr. O’Brien met representatives of the de facto authorities in Luhansk and Donetsk and discussed ways of improving humanitarian access to people in NGCAs. Mr. O’Brien said that people in those areas are getting assistance from local organisations, from other coun-tries and from the United Nations and its humanitarian partners. He emphasized that it is clear that no single aid source or route will be enough to meet people’s needs this winter. “As a result of my meetings and the welcome assurances I received, I have confidence that I can count upon all the par-ties to facilitate immediate, unimpeded and sustained aid delivery. “We must do more to tell the world of the human suffering in the conflict areas, when international attention has been largely focused on the military and political situation in Ukraine,” noted USG O’Brien. “Above all, peace and stability are what the Ukrainian people need.”

ERW and IEDs remain major threat to civilians, ceasefire violations increaseThe month of November has seen an increasing trend of ceasefire violations, with intense fighting, including small-arms fire, mortars and artillery, reported in a number of locations along the ‘contact line’ between Government forces and armed groups in eastern Ukraine, mainly in the Donetsk area. This is of major concern after the revamped ceasefire agreed by the parties to the conflict from 1 September had largely held in September-October.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Ukraine, in October 2015 the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine continued to be adhered to in general though isolated exchanges of fire between Ukrainian armed forces and the armed groups – mostly from small arms and light weapons – were reported almost on a daily basis. During October, OHCHR recorded 41 civilian casualties (10 killed and 31 injured) in the conflict zone. OHCHR said that 88 per cent of them (80 per cent of those killed and 90 per cent of those injured) have been caused by Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Civilian casualities during May - October 2015

85

166

99

180

48 41

88%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

0

50

100

150

200

May-15 Jun-15 Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15

Civilian casualties due to reasons other than ERW and IEDs (left scale)

Civilian casualties due to ERW and IEDs (left scale)

Share of casualties due to ERW and IEDs in the total civilian casualties (right scale)

Source: OHCHR

On 26 November, the International Campaign to Band Landmines (ICBL) issued its Land-mine Monitor 2015 report. The report stated that in June 2015, Ukrainian representatives estimated that 8 per cent of eastern Ukraine is either affected or suspected to be affected

Ceasefire violations increased considerably in November, while ERW and IEDs remained the major threat to civilians, accounting for 88 per cent of civilian casualties in October

Credit: OCHAERC visiting Centralnyi town in the Luhansk area



by mines and IEDs as well as ERW from the conflict that erupted in early 2014. ICBL has expressed concern at reports of use and seizures of landmines in Ukraine. It urged parties to the conflict to ensure that no antipersonnel mines are used by any actor and to destroy any mines they have seized or otherwise acquired.

Estimates by mine action sub-cluster partners indicate that at least 30,000 hectares of land in eastern Ukraine might be contaminated, particularly in areas along the ‘contact line’. Meanwhile, the suspension of access and operations in NGCAs deny mine risk education activities for 200,000 children.

Polio immunisation campaign reaches 1.5 million children across UkraineThe first of three planned nation-wide rounds of polio vaccination targeting all children aged be-tween 2 months and 6 years with oral polio vaccine (OPV) has been completed. On 11 November 2015, the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported that 1,5 million children, or 64.7 per cent of the 2,3 million targeted population, had been vaccinated. The third round of the campaign will target children up to 10 years age, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The second round of the nation-wide campaign is scheduled to begin on 30 November. Analysis and consolidation of find-ings from independent monitoring conducted by UNICEF and WHO during the first round have formulated the basis for recommendations to MoH in preparations for the second round by the end of November.

Meanwhile, the first round of the polio vaccination campaign started in NGCAs of Donetska and Luhanska oblasts on 10 November. After the round was finalised, the de facto author-ities in both areas said that the coverage was more than 95 per cent. In Donetsk, it was reported that about 90,000 children were vaccinated against polio while in Luhansk local media said, citing the de facto health authorities, that 53,000 children needed to be vacci-nated during the first round.

MoH declared a polio outbreak on 1 September with two confirmed cases, the first time in 19 years. Neither of the infected children, aged 10 months and 4 years, had been vaccinat-ed against the disease. Routine immunisation coverage rates in Ukraine have fallen dra-matically in the past five years to as low as 50 per cent. This year, the level of immunisation against polio among children under 12 months dropped further to 14 per cent. Insufficient vaccine supply and the conflict have contributed to low levels of coverage.

Supporting pregnant women in conflict-affected eastThe majority of registered IDPs are women and children who have been forced from their homes as a result of conflict, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The situation is aggravated by the fact that affected communities have very few available resources or coping strategies with the hardship and increasing stress.

Thousands of people cross the ‘contact line’ in the conflict-affected east every day, ac-cording to the Ukrainian security forces. Among them are pregnant women who travel across the ‘contact line’ to deliver their children in maternity centres and hospitals in the government-controlled areas. In crisis settings, it is estimated that one in every five women is likely to be pregnant. Women undertake this dangerous and difficult journey because hospitals back home may be destroyed, lacking supplies for safe deliveries, or are under-

Credit: Pavel Zmey/UNICEFChildren get vaccinated against polio in Odesa region

The first round of polio vaccination campaign was finalised across Ukraine, reaching about 1.5 million children aged between 2 months and 6 years

About 8 per cent of eastern Ukraine is either affected or suspected to be affected by landmines and IEDs as well as ERW – Landmine Monitor Report 2015



staffed due to many doctors and nurses leaving the conflict areas. In addition, they want birth certificates for their children that are recognised by Ukraine. Maternity centres in the government-controlled areas, and especially those close to the contact line, feel the addi-tional pressure of coping with increased patient numbers at pre-crisis budget, resource and staff levels.

Access to reproductive health kits can mean life or death for pregnant women, new mothers and their babiesSince the beginning of the crisis, UNFPA and its partners have dis-patched reproductive health kits to health centres and hospitals in the conflict-affected areas for an estimated 7,800 normal deliveries and 3,200 complicated deliveries, including C-sections and miscar-riages. In addition, 38,000 dispos-able kits for obstetric-gynaecolog-ic check-ups have been supplied directly to women through outreach services and health facilities. In addition, UNFPA has been able to expand its efforts to support the health facilities and is ready to deliver to the NGCAs.

Humanitarian Response Plan funding 50% The 2015 Humanitarian Response Plan for Ukraine is only 50 per cent funded, according to the Financial Tracking Service (FTS). By the end of November, donors disbursed and pledged about US$159 million, an increase of $6 million since the end of October. The total amount of funding and pledges is equivalent to 50 per cent of the $316 million re-quired. This includes almost $148 million (47 per cent) disbursed and another $10.5 million pledged (3 per cent). The shortfall is about $157 million.

The Government of the Russian Federation dispatched three additional convoys to NGCAs during November and delivered more than 3,300 MT of relief supplies, according to the Russian Emergency Ministry (EMERCOM). Since August 2014, over 55,500 MT of relief supplies have been transported from Russia to NGCAs, including food, medicines, NFIs, educational and other essential supplies, according to EMERCOM.

HRP 2015 for Ukraine is only 50% funded, with the gap standing at $157 million, according to FTS

Credit: Maks Levin/UNFPA A pregnant IDP woman in the Kramatorsk Maternity Hospital, Donets-ka oblast

The majority of registered IDPs are women and children, while one in every five women in crisis settings is pregnant - UNFPA



For further information, please contact:

Barbara Manzi, Head of Office, [email protected], Tel. (+380) 50 440 9005Alimbek Tashtankulov, Humanitarian Affairs Officer, [email protected], Tel. (+380) 95 2847322Albert Abou Hamra, Information Management Officer, [email protected], Tel. (+380) 95 275 2693Jake Morland, Desk Officer, [email protected], Tel. (+1) 212 9632066

$0 M $5 M $10 M $15 M $20 M $25 M $30 M $35 M

OthersLithuania

IrelandItaly

FranceAustria

BelgiumCzech Republic

Republic of KoreaEstonia

SwitzerlandFinland

NetherlandsFunds by UN agencies

DenmarkSweden

CERFJapan

Russian FederationPrivate

NorwayUnited Kingdom

CanadaGermany

United StatesECHO

50%50%

$ 316 M requirements

Funded or Pledged$ 159 M

Unmet$ 157M

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