Highlights
● No crossing points are available for humanitarian cargo to non-government controlled areas of Donetska and Luhanska oblasts.
● Access to water remains a critical issue for many civilians living along the contact line. Up to 1 million people are at risk of lack of access to safe water.
● Funding for humanitarian operations remains critically low: only 31 percent of US$316 required for Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2015 is funded or pledged.
Situation Overview
Several locations across the contact line continue to be theatre of fighting, resulting in additional humanitarian suffering and loss of lives. Since the beginning of the conflict in April 2014 and 12 June 2015, at least 6,500 people have been documented as killed and another 16,287 as wounded in the conflict zone of eastern Ukraine.
This includes at least 68 children reported to have been killed and 180 children injured, according to UNICEF. The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) registered by the Ministry of Social Policy (MoSP) continues to increase and as of 8 June amounts to 1,331,778 people. This is an increase of almost 6,600 people compared to the previous week. Globally, Ukraine is in the "top ten" of countries in terms of the number of IDPs, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). In addition, almost 890,000 Ukrainians had sought asylum, residence permits or other forms of legal stay in neighboring countries – an increase of about 11,500 people compared to the previous week, according to UNHCR.
The only crossing point for humanitarian cargo between government-controlled areas to areas beyond government control (Kurakhove, Donetska oblast) remains closed since 3 June. By 12 June, access through the main checkpoints to and from non-government controlled areas is granted to private vehicles and public transport on an on-and-off basis. The movement on the Volnovakha route between Mariupol and Donetsk was restored on 11 June and the route from Artemivsk to Horlivka was open on 12 June, with long queues of vehicles observed waiting to cross. In Luhanska oblast, all access points to and from non-government controlled areas remain non-operational. This is severely affecting the ability of humanitarian organisations to deliver aid across the contact line. About 21,000 WFP food parcels intended for June distributions and an additional 35,000 parcels for July distribution in non-government controlled areas of Donetska and Luhanska oblast are yet to be delivered following the closure of the Kurakhove crossing point. WFP has distributed almost 20,000 parcels that it had in food stocks in non-government controlled areas, against an average monthly distribution plan of about 10,000 parcels. Similarly, Rinat Akhmetov Foundation said that it halted food assistance to 400,000 people in non-government controlled areas due to closure of crossing points.
Water supply network damages continue to be reported, triggering water shortages for many civilians living close to the contact line. WASH cluster estimates indicate that access to safe water is at high risk for about one million people in Donetska and Luhanska oblasts. This increases the risk of water-borne disease outbreaks, especially as temperatures are rising. In Krasnohorivka and Mariinka, in the government-controlled areas of Donetska oblast, an estimated 16,000 people do not have access to safe water. While the local authorities are trying to tanker in water, it is not sufficient. In Marriinka alone, at least five water containers each with the capacity of 2,000 litres and about 10 litre jerry cans are required for 5,000 families. In Krasnohorivka, the problem of water supply could be restored in a week if the 210 metre water pipe was repaired. Reportedly, in Luhanska oblast, while water supply from Government-controlled areas to non-government controlled areas have resumed, this is only at about 25-30 per cent of the capacity as the repairs on the network are limited and pipes cannot withstand the pressure of the water should the flow be resumed in full. Water is in shortage in 10 towns in non-government controlled areas (NGCAs) of Luhanska oblast, as well as in Luhansk city. Water is rationed in some parts of the city, and not available in Kammenobrodskiy, Vergunka and Krasniy Yar districts. The only alternative solution at the moment is water trucking, according to the de-facto authorities. UNICEF and its partners managed to provide about 550,000 people in eastern Ukraine with access to safe water. Meanwhile, WHO reported that, by 10 June, its 16 mobile health units provide more than 1,600 consultations per week in eastern Ukraine. In total, since February 2015, doctors and nurses trained by WHO to use a web-based patient health information and guidance tool on a handheld tablet have provided primary health care services to over 26,000 people in eastern Ukraine.