HIGHLIGHTS
UN releases 2016 Ukraine HRP, appealing for $298 million to support humanitarian response activities in conflict-affected areas
Increased fighting near checkpoints heightens security concerns and restricts population movement
Overall food security improves in NGCAs; however, 1.5 million people remain food insecure
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
On February 17, the UN launched the 2016 Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), which requests $298 million to support humanitarian operations to address the needs of 2.5 million of the most vulnerable people in conflict-affected areas of eastern Ukraine through December. The UN estimates that 3.1 million people require some humanitarian assistance due to insecurity, movement restrictions, and access constraints, with people living along the contact line separating government-controlled areas (GCAs) from nongovernment controlled areas (NGCAs) among the most vulnerable.
Insecurity along the contact line increased in February, following a period of relative calm during late December 2015 and early January. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reports that areas near checkpoints in particular have experienced an uptick in fighting.
Clashes and resultant checkpoint closures increase the vulnerability of civilians traveling from NGCAs to access markets, financial systems, and social services in GCAs, according to the UN. The Government of Ukraine (GoU) registered nearly 410,000 individual crossings through five checkpoints along the contact line, 41 percent fewer crossings as compared to December.
On February 21, the GoU announced plans to suspend social payments and revoke the internally displaced person (IDP) status of an estimated 150,000 IDPs, citing verification concerns and potential fraud, according to the UN. Following the suspension of some payments, 16 national civil society organizations called for the resumption of payments, joining the humanitarian community in advocating for transparency, the centralization of the IDP registration process, improved humanitarian coordination policies, and guarantee of IDP rights.