Area-based Assessment: South Donetsk Basic Service Unit Overview

Area-based Assessment: South Donetsk Basic Service Unit Overview Ukraine, July 17 Introduction Conflict between Ukrainian forces and armed opposition groups broke out in eastern Ukraine in 14. Almost,000 people have been killed, 22,231 wounded, and about one million displaced from their homes by fighting 1. The humanitarian and recovery response to the crisis is hampered by information gaps regarding access to basic services in communities located close to the contact line. REACH conducted an assessment of all settlements within 5 km of the contact line with two main objectives: 1. To understand how residents of communities in the area access basic services; 2. To identify gaps in service provision and understand challenges from the perspectives of both service providers and users. The results will be used to inform strategic planning by humanitarian and local government actors. This assessment collected data at the community level from 0 communities. Interviews were conducted with 350 Key Informants (KIs) representing community members, members of the local administration, and representatives of health and education facilities. The assessment did not conduct representative sampling, and therefore results should be considered indicative only. Through network analysis, the assessed communities were clustered into seven Basic Service Units (BSUs) to determine the main constraints in service access and provision in each BSU. Key Findings This overview covers the South Donetsk BSU where 17 communities were assessed (Figure 1). Most services are available in the larger communities of Novotroitske and Talakivka. These communities have primary healthcare clinics, education facilities, and some shops and markets. They offer waste disposal services and running water. However, the cost of services is an issue for residents in both communities. Five communities have particularly poor access to services because they have no education facilities, no running water and no primary healthcare facilities. Some basic services are available in communities, although residents still face access challenges caused by a lack of facilities, insufficient and expensive public transport and security risks due to shelling and landmines/ Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). Access to healthcare is a key challenge because there are no hospitals in the BSU and primary healthcare facilities in the assessed communities reported shortages of supplies, equipment and basic medications. Map 1: Locations of assessed settlements in the South Donetsk BSU ² UKRAINE Settlements Non- Settlements Providing Figure 1: Communities assessed within the South Donetsk BSU Settlement Pop. Settlement Pop. Novotroitske 7,000 Pavlopil 380 Talakivka 4,000 Lomakyne 250 Hranitne 2,870 Orlovske 180 Chermalyk 1,27 Berdianske Starohnativka 1,242 Novohryhorivka 70 Mykolaivka 1,0 Pyshchevyk 2 Hnutove 700 Chernenko 17 Novohnativka 40 Bohdanivka Lebedynske 450 AZOV RUSSIAN FEDERATION 0 5 Kms Figure 2: Profiles of KIs interviewed RUSSIA Profile Female Male Total Community KI 52 21 73 Administration KI 8 4 12 Education facility KI 8 1 Health facility KI 13 1 14 1. OHCHR, Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, December 1.

Protection Protection risks due to conflict are very high across the BSU due to the proximity of the communities assessed to the contact line in an area where conflict is intense. KIs reported shelling in all communities except Novohnativka and Starohnativka between February and June 17, confirmed by International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) data. Landmine / ERW risks Landmines/ERW are reported in all assessed communities. All or some of the hazardous areas remain unmarked in 13 of the communities assessed. Mine Risk Education (MRE) is reportedly required in communities. Protection challenges for communities Mines/ERW are the most frequently cited protection concern amongst community KIs, raised in all communities, followed by shelling and destruction of property caused by shelling. Community tension was a common issue in Chermalyk, Mykolaivka, Hranitne and Starohnativka. KIs in Hranitne reported that this is because there are many different ethnic groups in the community, while in Mykolaivka KIs reported tensions between residents and members of the Roma population who sometimes visit the community. KIs reported protection services are unavailable or insufficient across the BSU. Psycho-social support (PSS) services are reportedly insufficient in every community except Talakivka. Child Friendly Spaces are present in nine communities, but more are reportedly required in all communities except Lebydynske. Vulnerable groups KIs reported specific protection concerns for women only in Pavlopil, stating that some young women are afraid of the soldiers stationed in their community. IDPs are reportedly living in 14 of the communities assessed, with the highest number in Hranitne where there are also a high number of returnees. The presence of IDPs and returnees indicates a need for additional assistance such as documentation support for these groups. Administrators reported high proportions of elderly people in all communities. Data from community KIs suggest elderly residents may struggle to cope with service access challenges related to distance and travel time. Military checkpoints Checkpoints restrict entry or exit to Pyshchevyk, Chernenko and Orlovske. The checkpoint in Orlovske prevents residents from leaving or entering the community between pm and am. While access to six other communities is controlled by checkpoints, these checkpoints do not restrict movement. Map 2: Courts and police stations in the BSU Court Temporaily closed facilities Police Court Non- Settlements Providing Figure 3: Key protection concerns reported 2 1. Mines / ERW 74% 2. Shelling 47% 3. Destruction of property 42% 4. Community tension 3% 5. Lack of psychosocial support 11% 74+47+42+3+11 Figure 4: Checkpoints affecting communities Communities where checkpoint controls access Communities affected by checkpoint elsewhere Communities where checkpoint restricts entry or exit Communities where checkpoint restricts delivery of goods AZOV 0 4 8 12 1Kms / 17 5 / 17 3 / 17 1 / 17 2 2. KIs could report more than one challenge.

Education There are 14 functioning schools in the BSU: 7 kindergartens, 1 primary and lower secondary school and all-grade schools. Six communities have facilities offering all levels of education. Ten communities have no education facilities, while upper secondary education is not available in Novohnativka. KIs stated that almost all families with children have left Bohdanivka, Lebedynske, Pyschchvyk and Chernenko since the start of conflict. Education access challenges The key access challenge reported was security risks encountered while travelling to school, followed by the distance to schools. Danger while travelling was reported as a concern in 14 communities due to the intensity of shelling across the BSU and the presence of mines/erw in all communities. Distance to schools is a key issue in nine communities. In of the communities reporting this problem there are no education facilities at all; in these communities children travel an average of 13 km to school. Access is particularly poor in Pavlopil, where children travel 13 km to Talakivka on a road exposed to very frequent exchanges of fire. Access is best in Talakivka and Novotroitske, where all levels of education are available and security risks were not reported. In both communities, the only challenge reported was the cost of education. 3. The Sphere Project, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response. 4. KIs could report more than one challenge. Education facility conditions Of the 14 functioning facilities assessed 11 have been damaged by shelling, including 8 that have not yet been repaired. Four schools have accessible bomb shelters, but bomb shelters are not available at four of the five schools that reported regular shelling. All schools have water storage and can provide drinking water consistently despite infrequent shortages at facilities. All schools except Hranitne Grade 1-3 School are connected to the water network. Pupil-to-toilet ratios meet SPHERE standards 3 at kindergartens (12 pupils per toilet on average) and at the primary and lower secondary school (14 pupils per toilet) but not at all-grade schools (44 pupils per toilet on average). Thirteen schools reported electricity shortages and only five of these have working generators. Heating problems are rare: one facility reported fuel shortages during the last winter and three reported infrequent shortages in centralised heating services. Challenges delivering education Shortages of supplies and lack of funds are the key challenges for schools in the BSU. Schools in Chermalyk, Mykolaivka and Starohnativka also reported shortages of qualified teaching staff. Pupil-to-teacher ratios are consistent between types of school, with seven pupils per teacher on average at kindergartens, eight pupils per teacher at all-grade schools, and five pupils per teacher at the primary and lower secondary school. Map 3: Schools and kindergartens in the BSU Kindergarten All Grades School Education Non- Settlements Providing Figure 5: Key education challenges reported 4 1. Route to school is unsafe 5% 2. Distance to school is too great 5% 3. No challenges 21% 4. Cost of education is too high 18% 5+5+21+18 Figure : Protection issues in schools Schools experiencing regular shelling 5 / 14 Schools with accessible bomb shelters 4 / 14 Schools reporting mines/erw in grounds AZOV 0 4 8 12 1 Kms 4 /14 Schools with insufficient PSS services 4 / 14 3

Health There are nine functioning facilities in the BSU: two paramedic-midwife clinics offering very basic care and seven small clinics (ambulatory clinics). Residents of nine communities are able to access primary healthcare within their communities; residents in the remaining eight communities access primary healthcare in Talakivka, Mykolaivka, Starohnativka and Hranitne. None of the assessed communities has a hospital, so residents go to hospitals in Mariupol, Sartana, Volnovakha and Myrne. Pharmacies are available in six of the larger communities. In the other communities, residents travel to Mariupol, Volnovakha and Hranitne to obtain medication that is not available in clinics. Healthcare access challenges Healthcare access is poor across all communities assessed due to a lack of facilities, which is the primary challenge reported by KIs in the BSU. Lack of facilities forces residents to travel to access care; as a result the cost of travel is the second most commonly reported challenge. Security risks while travelling were reported as an issue by KIs in communities, all of which are located less than 3 km from the contact line and exposed to frequent shelling. KIs in Starohnativka stated that medical staff are sometimes unable to come to work because of shelling. Cost of healthcare is a common problem, reported in all but three communities. KIs highlighted insufficient ambulance services across the BSU, and stated that there are no ambulance services at all in Chermalyk and Mykolaivka. Health facility conditions Of the nine functioning facilities assessed, six have been damaged by conflict and require repairs. Between February and June 17, shelling affected two facilities in the BSU. The clinic in Mykolaivka experienced weekly shelling during this period, while the clinic in Talakivka reported infrequent shelling. Neither clinic has an accessible bomb shelter for staff and patients. Running water is available at seven of the facilities. However, three reported either daily or weekly water shortages and seven have no drinking water storage facilities. Four facilities reported an insufficient number of toilets. Five facilities are not connected to sewage networks and rely on flushing toilets connected to septic pits or pit latrines. Six of the nine facilities reported lack of services such as water, gas and electricity is a key challenge in delivering care. Five facilities reported shortage of equipment as a challenge. Basic medication and supplies such as bandages, syringes, gloves and cotton wool are reportedly not always available in seven clinics in the BSU. Map 4: Hospitals and clinics in the BSU Clinic Hospital Health access Non- Settlements Providing Figure 7: Key healthcare challenges reported 5 1. No facilities available 58% 2. High cost of travelling to facility 38% 3. Security risks travelling to facility 3% 4. Healthcare too expensive 33% 5. No transportation to facility 21% 58+38+3+33+21 AZOV 0 4 8 12 1Kms Figure 8: Groups facing most challenges in accessing healthcare 3+33+25++z Ederly people 3% All groups equally 33% Disabled people 25% Children % 4 5. KIs could report more than one challenge.

Markets and Livelihoods Access to markets and Financial Service Points (FSPs) is best in Novotroitske, which has a range of shops, banks and ATMs. Functioning food shops are available in all but four communities; residents of these communities shop for food in Novohnativka, Hnutove, Hranitne and Mariupol. Residents of all communities except Novotroitske use banks and ATMs in Mariupol, Sartana (a suburb of Mariupol) and Volnovakha ( km south-west of Novotroitske). Map 5: Banks and ATMs in the BSU Challenges accessing markets Distance to shops and markets is the primary reported challenge, followed by security risks when travelling and the cost of transport to markets. Security risks were reported in 14 communities as a primary concern due to shelling and landmines/erw affecting the main roads in this area. In Talakivka and Hnutove the cost of transport and products were more of an issue than security risks or distance. Public transport is either unavailable or insufficient in most communities. KIs in four communities highlighted the cost of bus services to Mariupol as particularly high. Checkpoints and delivery restrictions KIs in Chernenko reported that the checkpoint restricts coal and construction material deliveries. Map : Most visited locations for food shopping in the BSU Challenges accessing FSPs FSPs are available only in Novotroitske, where KIs reported no challenges in accessing FSPs. In the other 1 communities assessed, the distance to FSPs is the key reported access challenge, followed by the cost of transport to FSPs and queues at FSPs. Bank Banks Non- Settlements Providing AZOV 0 4 8 12 1Kms Food Shop Shop for Food Non- Settlements Providing AZOV 0 4 8 12 1Kms 5

Food Security Availability Prices Boxplot 1: Prices of meat and curd How to read a boxplot Food availability varies across the BSU. Dry goods were consistently available in shops in both small and large communities. Availability was poorest in Berdianske, where 21 of the 28 products assessed were not available and only basic dry goods, bread and milk could be purchased. Availability of meat products was poor across the BSU, particularly beef, which was only available in Talakivka and Starohnativka. Purchasing vegetables and dairy products in shops was also difficult, with carrots unavailable in 4 of 12 shops and curd unavailable in of 12 shops. Prices were consistent across the BSU for dry products such as bread, salt and sugar, and varied more for dairy and fresh vegetables. Variation in dairy and fresh produce prices is due to self-production of vegetables and dairy products, which is a very common livelihoods strategy in rural areas. Because so many residents grow root vegetables, they are not available in all markets due to a lack of demand, and dairy products are cheaper in rural areas. Price (UAH) 0 0 50 0 1 80 Beef 1 0 45 70 Boiled sausage 0 3 Curd (%, 1kg) 1 50 Pork 0 5 Pork fat 55 3 42 Poultry 75 Maximum price in data set (UAH) 2 Upper quartile: 25% of the data is above this point 0 Item name 17 Median price in data set (UAH) Lower quartile: 25% of the data is below this point Minimum price in data set (UAH). Boxplot 2: Prices of other food items 50 45 42 42 40 3 Price (UAH) 1 32 17.4 28 13.5 13 12 8 8 7 23 32 1 5 25 7 22 12 4 28 14 18 1 12 5 5 0 Beetroot Buckwheat Butter (0g) Cabbage Carrot Eggs (dozen) Milk (2,5%, 1 litre) Oil (sunflower 1 litre) Onions Pasta Potatoes Rice Rye bread (loaf) Salt Sour cream (%, 0g) Sugar Wheat bread (loaf) Wheat flour

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Shelter Access to drinking water Access to drinking water is poor in the BSU. Five communities are not connected to the water network, while Hranitne is connected to the network but currently receives no water due to the conflict. Shortages reportedly occur in all the communities with water supply except Novotroitske. In 11 communities, KIs reported that wells are a source of drinking water. Although most households have access to wells, problems with wells running dry were reported in three communities. Eight communities rely on water delivery trucks for drinking water. WASH challenges for communities The key WASH challenge reported is the inability to empty septic pits, which is a problem in 13 communities where some or all households are not connected to the sewage network. KIs in three communities reported the cost of emptying septic pits is prohibitive and in Lomakyne sewage trucks are reportedly unable to access the community to empty pits. Due to the intensity of shelling in the BSU, damage to WASH infrastructure was also a major concern, particularly in Berdianske and Chernenko. Water shortages were reported as a key issue in all communities with running water. Waste management Waste management is a challenge in the BSU. Waste collection services are available in only six communities. Although these services are available in Hranitne and Lomakyne, not all residents of these communities are using collection services. Designated dump sites are available in Chermalyk, Novohnativka and Starohnativka. However, KIs reported that due to shelling risks and the presence of landmines, the routes to dump sites are not safe and consequently waste is often burnt or dumped in the surrounding areas. Figure : WASH situation in assessed communities Communities following bad waste 3 / disposal practices Communities without running water 2 / Figure : Key WASH challenges reported 1. Cannot empty septic tank 37% 2. Water shortages 33% 3. No challenges 33% 4. Damage to infrastructure 11% Accommodation types The local population are more likely than IDPs to live in self-owned accommodation, with most IDPs living in rented accommodation. However, in Berdianske, Chernenko, Pavlopil and Pyshchevyk the majority of IDPs reportedly live in self-owned accommodation. Housing damage Shelling has damaged housing in 12 communities in the BSU, according to data provided by administrators. Figure 11: Density of housing damage in assessed communities Community 37+33+33+11 Number of damaged housing units Damaged units per 0 residents Chernenko 1 112 Pavlopil 2 1 Pyshchevyk 52 Novohryhorivka 43 Berdianske 40 42 Lebedynske 3 34 Hranitne 83 2 Mykolaivka 270 23 Starohnativka 0 8 Chermalyk 7 Novotroitske 3 3 Talakivka 47 1.4 The number of damaged units per resident is high in Chernenko due to the low number of residents. In Pavlopil and Pyshchevyk damage density is high because they are located on the contact line in an area that has experienced heavy shelling. Utility shortages All communities in the BSU are connected to the electricity network but experience shortages, which are most frequent in Berdianske and Bohdanivka. Communities experience difficulties heating their homes during winters. The key challenge reported is the cost of fuel, cited by 72 of the 73 community KIs, followed by delivery problems and poor availability of fuel. In Bohdanivka and Starohnativka residents stated that they are unable to collect firewood because the forested areas are unsafe due to mines/erw. About REACH REACH facilitates the development of information tools and products that enhance the capacity of aid actors to make evidencebased decisions in emergency, recovery and development contexts. All REACH activities are conducted through inter-agency aid coordination mechanisms. For more information, you can write to our global office: geneva@reachinitiative.org. Visit www.reach-initiative.org and follow us @REACH_info.. KIs could report more than one challenge. 7