Country Programme in Ukraine

Transcription

1 P Photo:Tuva Raanes Bogsnes FACT SHEET January 2017 Norwegian Refugee Council s Country Programme in Ukraine NRC established an initial presence in Ukraine in late 2014, with its operations centred in Severodonetsk (Luhansk oblast). Our impact Since becoming operational in eastern Ukraine, NRC has progressively expanded activities as concerns programme responses, core competencies and geographic reach in order to address evolving humanitarian needs The NRC strategy has focused on addressing the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and conflict-affected communities, especially along the front-line (the so-called contact-line ) in Luhansk oblast (both in government controlled areas (GCA) and non-government controlled areas (NGCA). In March 2016, NRC expanded activities into districts of northern Donetsk oblast (GCA), which is another location of a very high IDP concentration. In mid NRC opened a field office in Stanytsia Luhanska (Luhansk oblast), which provides protection and assistance services to civilians in this contact-line district including to the thousands who travel regularly between GCA and NGCA at the crossing point in this town. In 2016 NRC reached 65,500 Individuals with Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Shelter and Non-Food Assistance (NFI), Food Security and Livelihood Assistance Budget: 2016: 45 million NOK Donors: NMFA, UNHCR, ECHO, DFID International staff: 8 National staff: 80 Established: 2014 NRC provides basic support to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable conflict-affected population in GCA through cross-sectoral assistance and protection. With the relative stabilisation in communities away from the frontline and the reduction in intensity of the conflict in 1

2 Areas of operation: Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts Country office: Kyiv some localities, there is an evolution from purely emergency towards early recovery needs; consequently, in 2016 NRC has initiated some activities to address such needs (livelihoods). Humanitarian and political background Despite two and a half years of negotiations to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, hostilities remain a fact of life for millions of people affected by the armed violence. Although efforts continue to implement the provisions of the Minsk II agreement established in February 2015 between the parties to the conflict, negotiations have yet to produce effective steps towards conflict resolution. The situation along the contact-lines in both Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts remains volatile. During the last months of 2016, the number of ceasefire violations along the contact-line remained high. In some localities, shelling became more frequent, adding to the risks faced by the thousands of civilians living along the contact-line or crossing between GCA and NGCA. In parallel to this, mine/erw contamination is a major concern in many areas and continues to be a serious threat to civilians in many contact-line communities. The civilian population in eastern Ukraine continues to suffer from ongoing hostilities. The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2017, issued in December 2016, estimates some 4.4 million people have been affected by the armed conflict, of whom some 3.8 million require humanitarian assistance. Those deemed to be of most concern are the civilians living along both sides of the contact line. Many persons fled the conflict area, within Ukraine and abroad; some 1.66 million people are registered as internally displaced (per the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine). Since the beginning of the conflict, more than 9,700 people have been killed, 2,000 of which are civilians; 22,700 people have been wounded. Serious human rights concerns persist, according to the latest report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (November 2016). The hostilities have generated significant humanitarian needs among displaced and resident communities alike. In many localities affected by hostilities especially in frontline communities, Contact: Country office: Kyiv Address: 33 Yaroslaviv Val, 01054, Kyiv, Ukraine Country director: Christopher Mehley Phone: ua.info@nrc.no 2

3 basic life-supporting services have been disrupted; some civilians have little access to income, little in the way of medicine, food, heating or money. Additionally, the destruction of water infrastructure in some areas poses a threat to the civilian population. The economy in Ukraine has suffered from serious economic decline due to the conflict and ongoing economic reform efforts. Consumer prices have increased at a faster pace than many household incomes, thus negatively affecting purchasing power and access to life s necessities, especially for vulnerable groups already heavily impacted by the armed conflict. Freedom of movement across the contact-line remains a major concern; it is estimated that 700,000 civilians travel between GCA and NGCA every month in order to maintain family ties, look after property, access markets, health care and social payments in GCA. Difficulties are linked to the destruction of infrastructure, but also because of a strict permit system, which has been put in place to cross between GCA and NGCA. Indeed, at the few crossing points open, civilians often stand in queues for hours in adverse weather while awaiting document checks. Additionally, due to ceasefire violations, localised hostilities sometimes force the closure of crossing points. These imposed restrictions on movement continue to weaken the coping capacities among civilians. regulations for the movement of humanitarian personnel. NRC established a full presence in NGCA (Luhansk city) in July However, a registration process was subsequently imposed on all international humanitarian actors by the de facto authorities (in Luhansk and Donetsk) and, in late September, almost all NGOs - including NRC - were informed that they were no longer authorised to operate. Since that time, NRC has submitted a series of requests to the de facto authorities to conduct humanitarian activities in NGCA. However, NRC has yet to receive a positive response to these authorisation requests. Humanitarian access Humanitarian access into NGCA remains a major issue of concern due to the numerous restrictions of the de facto authorities and of the Ukrainian government. A registration process imposed by the de facto authorities for international humanitarian actors resulted in the suspension in late 2015 of most international agencies and their departure from Luhansk and Donetsk. As of the present, only a very few international agencies have managed to acquire authorisation from the de facto authorities to operate in NGCA. The Ukrainian government also has complicated procedures for allowing humanitarian agencies to operate in NGCA; the humanitarian community has continued to advocate on the need for multiple crossing points to NGCA, simplified, fast-track procedures for humanitarian cargo and clearer 3

4 NRC activities in the field The situation in Ukraine remains volatile and of concern to the international community. With the needs of affected-communities being diverse, NRC has developed a holistic programme within the core competencies of ICLA, Shelter and Food Security/Livelihoods. This responds to needs both in the conflict and post-conflict areas. Due to the unstable situation, new and secondary displacements can take place; thus, NRC maintains the capacity to rapidly respond to evolving humanitarian needs. At the same time, NRC is working to mitigate the risk of protracted displacement and has begun to pursue approaches that offer durable solutions for the displaced and host communities; in this regard, NRC has launched projects aimed at meeting earlyrecovery needs in certain localities. Shelter and Non-food assistance The primary components of NRCˈs Shelter programme include: emergency shelter and relief assistance (primarily non-food items (NFI)), recovery shelter, transitional shelter for IDPs, winterization, community infrastructure repairs and household contingency preparation. Shelter/NFI activities are mainly conducted in communities along the contact-line in Luhansk oblast (GCA). In the period of September-December 2016, 919 households (1,761 individuals) received NRC assistance to repair, reconstruct or insulate their homes; NRC shelter activities included: Provision of building materials for light and medium repair of damaged houses in 38 towns and villages located along the contactline; this benefitted 730 households (1,387 individuals). In terms of the renovation of infrastructure, 4 schools and 1 kindergarten in frontline districts received construction materials, which will improve educational conditions for 553 children. Reconstruction of 6 houses along the frontline that were totally destroyed by shelling (Core House project). Based on an owner driven approach, NRC provided construction materials or conditional cash grants to the households, while the beneficiaries organized the reconstruction work themselves. Rehabilitation of 62 heavily damaged houses in 13 towns and villages located close to the frontline. As part of its efforts to address winterisation needs of civilians in frontline communities, NRC provided coal, firewood and fuel briquettes to 2,982 vulnerable families (5,865 individuals) in 12 towns and villages along the contact line. Additionally, 7 schools and one kindergarten received 200 tons of fuel briquettes, which allow 471 children to continue their studies in the winter months. NRC continued to provide emergency relief through the distribution of non-food items in Luhansk oblast, with a range of vulnerable groups targeted: isolated households along the contact-line, extremely vulnerable individuals, returnees, IDPs (particularly non-registered ones) and families hosting IDPs. General household NFIs (like hygiene and bedding kits) were distributed between September and December among 3,222 individuals in villages along the contact-line. In order to prepare families for the winter period, NRC distributed winter NFI kits (blankets, thermos, heating coils, hygiene items, etc.) to 2,727 individuals in 8 towns and villages across Luhansk oblast. Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA) NRC s Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) programme aims to help displaced and conflicted-affected persons to exercise their rights and overcome legal obstacles through the provision of information, awarenessraising and legal counselling free of charge. Legal aid has been provided to communities across Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts through NRC Legal Aid Centres (in Severodonetsk, Stanytsia Luhanska and Kramatorsk), mobile teams of lawyers, home visits to the elderly and to people with disabilities, group information sessions and through a telephone hotline. In total, from September until December 2016, across eastern Ukraine NRC provided ICLA information services to beneficiaries, legal 4

5 counselling to persons and legal assistance to 144 individuals; additionally, 256 persons mainly representatives of authorities and civil society participated in ICLA trainings on IDPsˈ rights. To address legal barriers affecting IDPs, NRC coordinates closely with the Civil-Military Administration, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Justice, Migration Service, the Pension Fund and the Custody and Guardianship Service; cooperation is also pursued with local organizations, international NGOs and UN agencies. A range of problems remain of significant concern for IDPs and conflict-affected persons: suspension of IDP social benefits and pensions; problematic aspects of IDP registration linked to changes in legislation and in procedures for granting (restoring) IDP social benefits; control checks of IDP places of residence; challenges in inheritance registration procedures; and certain aspects of legislative regulation of the procedure for obtaining/restoration of lost or damaged/ destroyed civil documentation. During the period of September to December 2016, NRC organized a series of seminars, workshops and conferences: a seminar was held for government authorities concerning the general principles of humanitarian protection and assistance, as well as the IDP legal framework in relation to civil documentation and access to social benefits. a seminar concerning IDP property rights was organized for 21 lawyers of territorial bodies of ministries and other central executive authorities, public enterprises, institutions and organizations. In Sviatohirsk (Donetsk oblast), a seminar was held for 56 judges of local and administrative courts, and the Appeals Court, and representatives of the Chief Territorial Department of Justice of Donetsk oblast on the protection of human rights of IDPs and of conflict-affected individuals. 2 roundtable meetings were organized in Severodonetsk and Kramatorsk in order to address the issues of utility subsidies and preferential retirement pensions for IDPs and conflict affected persons living along the contact-line. A workshop was organized on civil and other documentation, IDP registration and related services as well as on housing, land and property for 36 representatives of the Main Territorial Departments of Justice in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, of the judiciary, Departments of Social Protection of Donetsk oblast and Luhansk Regional State Administrations and the State Secondary Legal Aid Centre. In December, NRC organized a National Conference Voices from the East in Kyiv, at which it presented a consolidated report on challenges in the implementation of the rights of IDPs and of the conflict affected population in eastern Ukraine. Such issues as civil and other documentation, IDP registration and access to related services, HLP rights of IDPs were considered jointly by NRC, representatives of the Government of Ukraine, judges, members of Verkhovna Rada (Parliament), international organisations and NGOs. As an outcome of the Conference, 25 recommendations for the Verkhovna Rada and Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine were proposed; these proposals can contribute to finding solutions for problems and concerns of the conflict-affected population. In order to strengthen NRC legal information activities, NRC issued one new booklet Obtaining Permits for Children to Cross the Contact-line (in Ukrainian, Russian and English). As part of its efforts vis-à-vis Housing, Land and Property Rights (HLP), NRC continued to lead the HLP Technical Working Group (TWG), which brings together members of the Protection and Shelter Clusters at meetings in Kyiv, Severodonetsk and Kramatorsk..Food security/livelihoods The ongoing violence and displacement has severely affected the agricultural sector, both smallholder farmers and major farming enterprises, in the region considered as the breadbasket of eastern Ukraine. According to a report by FAO (September 2015), access to food, particularly for IDPs and vulnerable households 5

6 along the contact-line, labor market opportunities and sustainable income sources remain weak in eastern Ukraine. NRC launched a food security/livelihoods project in June 2016, with the goal to improve food and livelihood security for IDPs and conflict-affected families living along the contact-line in Luhansk oblast (GCA). Through this project, NRC aims to restore agricultural productive capacity and sustainable livelihoods, improve access to agricultural markets by communities living along the contact-line, and strengthen capacity of local organizations to support livelihoods and food security activities. Overall, in 2016, 325 households from 7 frontline communities received such support from NRC. During the period of September-December, NRC provided families (who are capable to pursue livelihood activities) with agricultural assistance, namely: greenhouse repair materials, irrigation pumps and pipes, chickens and chicken feed, stock feed and vegetable seeds. A total of 239 families received 8ˈ060 chickens; in parallel, each family received stock feed for a two month period (200 kg per family). In order to avoid destocking of valuable animals such as pigs and cows, selected vulnerable families received some 1.5 metric tons of animal feed per family; 22 families selected from frontline communities received a total of metric tons of feed, enough for at least six months. Finally, 48 families living along the contact-line and struggling to get water for both domestic and agricultural purposes were provided with water pumps and accessories. 6