1. Brief description of the emergency and impact
The humanitarian situation in Eastern Ukraine deteriorated dramatically in the spring of 2014 as a result of fighting clashes between militia armed groups in Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine. The militia proclaimed autonomy of their territory from the central authorities of Ukraine.
As a result of active hostilities which involved use of war planes, tanks, heavy artillery and multiple rocket launcher systems; the industry, agriculture, homes and infrastructure in the two regions were largely destroyed.
One of the consequences of hostilities has been thousands of refugees fleeing to neighboring regions of Ukraine, and to the territory of Russia.
The main factors that continue to define this humanitarian situation are:
Uncertainty about the future (including political and economic situation) of the conflict territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine,
No possibility of the affected civilian population in these areas to predict and plan for the future and to return to peaceful life.
To date, according to the Federal Migration Service (FMS) of Russia there are 2.6 million Ukrainians in Russia. They are the ones who come to visit their relatives; on private business; in search of work; had fled from conscription to the military regular service and participation in hostilities; as well as refugees from the south-eastern Ukraine. Of these, about 550 thousand persons received either refugee status or temporary asylum or a temporary residence permit. These statuses, in accordance with Russian law, allow them to stay in Russia for a long time, a year or more. Other types of permits for stay in Russia were given to about 500 thousand persons.
By 10 July, 2015, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine (MoSP) had registered 1,381,953 IDPs in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2014 at least 6,764 people were killed and another 16,877 wounded in the conflict zone of eastern Ukraine. Fighting is going on both in government controlled and non-government controlled areas such as Donetsk city and Donetsk airport, Spartak, Piski, Yasinovatskiy district, Staromikhailovka, Avdiivka, Horlivka, Krymske, Katerynivka, Tryokhizbenka, Troitske, Bakhmutskyi. Shelling continues to damage basic services infrastructure, leaving many civilians without access to safe water, power and other essential services. In mid-July, 2015 the situation became more complex and alarming when in Western Ukraine in Mukachevo/Munkács close to the Hungarian border, clashes occurred between nationalist militias and government armed forces.