Country programme in Ukraine

Transcription

1 FACT SHEET Nov 2016 Chicken distribution in Muratove village, Luhansk oblast. Photo: NRC 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-lines (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 July 2016, NRC opened a field office in Stanytsia Luhanska (Luhansk oblast), which provides protection and assistance services to civilians in this front-line district including to the thousands who travel regularly between GCA and NGCA at the crossing point in this town. 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 In 2015 NRC reached 63,607 Individuals, with Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Shelter, Non-Food Assistance (NFI) and Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) Budget: 45 million NOK Donors: NMFA, UNHCR, ECHO, DFID International staff: 8 National staff: 76 Established: 2014 stabilisation in communities away from the frontline and the reduction in intensity of the conflict in many 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). 1

2 Areas of operation: Luhansk and Donetsk Regions Country office: Kyiv Humanitarian and political context Despite two years of negotiations to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, hostilities remain a fact of life for millions of people affected both directly and indirectly 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 front-lines in both Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts remains volatile. As ceasefire violations along the contact-line increased through July-August 2016, so to did concern for the humanitarian situation of civilians. 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. Although a renewed ceasefire came into effect in September, this has not substantially decreased the military engagements in many areas along the contact-line. 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 front-line communities. The civilian population in eastern Ukraine continues to be affected by the conflict. The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2016 estimates some 3.7 million persons have been affected, directly or indirectly, by the armed conflict, of whom some 3.1 million require humanitarian assistance. This includes an estimated 800`000 people living in front-line communities along the contact-line (200,000 in GCA and 600,0000 in NGCA), as well as an additional 2.1 million people living in NGCA. The conflict has caused the displacement of some 2.7 million persons, including some 1.7 million registered IDPs (per the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine). Since the beginning of the conflict, 22,236 people have been wounded and 9,578 killed; serious human rights concerns persist, according to the latest report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (September 2016) The hostilities have generated significant humanitarian needs among displaced and resident Contact: Country office: Kyiv Address: Yaroslaviv Val, , Kyiv, Ukraine Country director: Christopher Mehley Phone: ua.info@nrc.no 2

3 communities alike. In many localities affected by hostilities especially in frontline communities, 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, as thousands of civilians move between GCA and NGCA on a regular basis; it is estimated (by the UN Refugee Agency) that 46% of inhabitants in eastern Ukraine cross the contactline every month. 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 or at times days - 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. 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 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 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. Consequently, NRC was unable to implement planned activities in NGCA of Luhansk oblast during Following negotiations, at the end of 2015 NRC submitted a new request to the de facto authorities in Luhansk to conduct humanitarian activities in NGCA. In parallel, in March 2016 NRC submitted a first request to the de facto authorities in Donetsk NGCA to undertake humanitarian activities there. However, NRC has yet to receive a positive response to these authorisation requests. 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 3

4 the period of May-August 2016, 609 households (1,272 individuals) received NRC assistance to repair or reconstruct their homes; NRC activities included: Provision of building materials for light and medium repair of damaged houses in 18 towns and villages located along the contactline; this benefitted 558 households (1,190 individuals). In terms of the renovation of infrastructure, 8 schools and 2 kindergartens in two frontline districts received construction materials, which will improve educational conditions for 1,015 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 45 heavily damaged houses in 11 towns and villages located close to the frontline. 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, IDPs (particularly non-registered ones) and families hosting IDPs. General household NFIs (like hygiene and bedding kits) were distributed between May and August among 1,750 individuals in villages along the contact-line. Orphanages, boarding schools, maternity hospitals, foster homes, and communities hosting orphans from NGCA as well as IDP families received baby kits (baby food, hygiene items and diapers) and entertainment kits from NRC; in total, 987 persons benefitted from this assistance. 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 Severdonetsk, 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 July 2016, NRC opened a field office with a Legal Aid Centre (LAC) in Stanytsia Luhanska, a town located on the frontline; this town hosts the only crossing-point in Luhansk oblast between GCA and NGCA, which thousands of civilians use each month to travel back and forth across the frontline. From the opening of the LAC, NRC lawyers were able to provide legal information to 222 persons through group information sessions, offer consultations to 181 individuals and assist with 6 legal cases; this included civilians crossing at the checkpoint as well as those from conflict-affected communities in the district. In total during May- August 2016, across eastern Ukraine NRC provided ICLA information services to 6,672 beneficiaries, legal counselling to 3,044 persons and legal assistance to 131 individuals; additionally, 85 persons mainly representatives of authorities and civil society participated in ICLA training sessions. 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. In cooperation with local authorities, national and international NGOs, NRC held a seminar 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. Additionally, a seminar concerning IDP property rights (alienation and registration of property) was organized for 21 lawyers of territorial bodies of ministries and other central executive authorities, public enterprises, institutions and organizations. In Severodonetsk (Luhansk oblast), NRC co-organised a seminar for judges of local courts and of the Appeals Court of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts (GCA), addressing the protection of human rights of IDPs and of conflict-affected 4

5 persons through the justice system; 60 judges took part in the seminar, including the Non-Judicial Rapporteur for Ukraine of the European Court of Human Rights, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, and representatives of the Council of Europe and the UN Refugee Agency. 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. In order to address these issues, NRC organized 6 round tables at the Legal Aid Centres in Severodonetsk and Kramatorsk. These events were opportunities to discuss the above topics with representatives of local authorities, national and international NGOs. NRC published in local newspapers and in online media outlets 4 articles with up-to-date legal information. This included details on the procedure for recovery of education documents for IDPs, the most recent amendments to legislation concerning IDPs, the procedure to obtain a parent s consent in order to travel with a child across the contact line (between GCA-NGCA) and the procedure to register a marriage. Additionally, in order to strengthen NRC legal information activities, NRC issued four important new booklets (in Ukrainian, Russian and English): (1) Inheritance Proceedings for IDPs; (2) Social Benefits for Low-Income Families; (3) Restoration of Lost or Damaged Property Documents and (4) Roadmap for IDPs in Donetsk Region. efforts to bring HLP activities and coordination closer to eastern Ukraine, sub-regional HLP TWG meetings were held in Severodonetsk and Kramatorsk to address, in particular, military occupation and mine/uxo contamination of private property, which resulted in developing draft guidance for beneficiaries whose property is subject to military occupation/expropriation. Food security 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 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. During the period of June-August 2016, NRC provided vulnerable families those capable to pursue livelihood activities - with agricultural assistance, namely: greenhouse repair materials, irrigation pumps and pipes, chicken feed, stock feed and vegetable seeds. Overall, 274 households from 4 frontline villages received support from NRC. As part of its efforts vis-à-vis Housing, Land and Property Rights (HLP), NRC continued to lead the HLP Technical Working Group (TWG) with participation of Protection and Shelter Clustersˈ members (in Kyiv, Severodonetsk and Kramatorsk). In June, a report detailing a survey of HLP issues in Luhansk, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts was issued; the survey showed that the most relevant HLP issue concerned compensation for destroyed/damaged housing. In the frame of 5