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Ukraine

Health Cluster Partner Emergency Response: Evacuations in Donetska, Kharkivska and Sumska oblasts (as of 28th October 2024)

Attachments

Operational Situation

• From October 21 to 22, intensified attacks resulted in at least 45 civilian casualties, as reported by local authorities, following a series of attacks across Donetsk, Kherson, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy regions. The strikes caused significant damage to residential homes and critical infrastructure, including health facilities.

• Ongoing attacks on health care services continue to disrupt access for those in need. In October 2024 alone, the Health Cluster, through WHO’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA), reported 12 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine, leading to 13 casualties among health care workers and patients.

• Displacement from frontline areas increased sharply between August and September. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Displacement Tracking Systems estimates that at least 60,000 people were displaced from settlements within 25 kilometers of the front line between 1 August and 15 September. Most of the displacement occurred in the hromadas around Pokrovsk. IOM reported however, that displacement has decelerated, with approximately 3,400 individuals displaced between 1 and 5 October.

• In Kharkiv Oblast, there has been a significant increase in the number of evacuees arriving at the Kharkiv transit center since 15 October. Over the past week, almost 2,000 people, including elderly people, children, and people with disabilities from the Kupiansk area, have passed through the center.

Health Response

• In response to urgent humanitarian needs, 15 Health Cluster partners, in close collaboration with local authorities, have mobilized to deliver essential health services to evacuees at designated transit centers. Key services provided include primary health care and mental health and psychosocial support, reaching a total of 3,124 people since the beginning of September.

• To ensure continued access to essential medicines and assistive devices, partners actively support the transit sites with donations. In Pavlohrad, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) provided 22 assistive devices, including canes, crutches, wheelchairs, and rubber tips.
Additionally, WHO delivered essential medicines through the provision of 5 OTC kits (over-the-counter kits) to the same transit center. These supplies, which contain basic over-the-counter medicines, provide vulnerable people access to health care at all times including during the night when mobile health teams are not available.

• To ensure a comprehensive response, the Health Cluster is coordinating with the Protection Cluster to facilitate referrals, enabling affected people to access the necessary services. In collaboration with the Disability Inclusion in Humanitarian Action (DiHA) Advisor, it also ensures that persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups receive services tailored to their needs.

• The Health Cluster is actively coordinating with the Inter-Cluster Working Group (ICWG), OCHA, and the Department of Health (DoH) to assess any additional needs and ensure that appropriate support is provided.

Challenges

• An increase in humanitarian access incidents including conscription has had a significant impact on partners’ response and presence at transit centers, resulting in delays in reduced coverage of humanitarian activities, and reduced capacity to deliver essential services. Notably, two partners have suspended their support at one transit center due to concerns about staff conscription, and similar restrictions have been observed at the Kharkiv transit center, where multiple partners have curtailed their activities.

• In Kharkiv, the growing number of elderly individuals housed at collective sites with limited accessibility has placed additional demand on partners' capacities for lifesaving essential health services including mental health and psychosocial support, exacerbating overall health needs within these centers.

• The geographical location of some transit centers pose logistical challenges for partners, particularly in organizing movements outside of regular working hours, as round-the-clock operations are not feasible. These constraints further hinder the timely provision of humanitarian assistance.