Highlights
In July 2016, conflict-related casualties in eastern Ukraine continued to increase. According to the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), 73 people were killed in conflict-affected areas in July, including three children. Another three children were injured. For the second month running, the number was at its highest level since August 2015. UNICEF’s response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation included ensuring access to safe water for thousands of people in the most affected areas and access to education through the distribution of 20,000 educational kits in government-controlled area (GCA) of Luhansk oblast. The provision of these education resources will fully equip all students in the three front-line raions (districts) for their return to the new school year in September 2016.
UNICEF maintained its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) response, by distributing nearly 20,000 six-litre bottles of water to communities within 24 hours of the disruption of water supplies caused by shelling. This water was distributed in collaboration with UNICEF partner, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), in 14 locations in government-controlled areas (GCAs), close to the contact line in Donetsk oblast.
UNICEF’s Child Protection Section, through its partner mobile teams, expanded psychosocial support (PSS), especially in remote locations and in the ‘grey zone’ along the contact line.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The security situation in eastern Ukraine remained unstable in July, with continued ceasefire violations, particularly in Donetsk oblast. Freedom of movement across the contact line was hampered by the temporary closure of some checkpoints, due to shelling. At the open checkpoints, people experienced long queues of 200 to 400 vehicles. Humanitarian access to the non-government controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk remained limited for UN agencies and international organizations pending ‘registration’ with the authorities in the non-government controlled areas (NGCA). Access to water was restricted on numerous occasions due to damage to the water and electricity supplies in the conflict-affected areas.