Attachments
SITUATION UPDATE
• In October 2024, the alarming escalation seen in September persisted, with air strikes and drone attacks doubling in frequency compared to previous months. This severely impacted civilian areas and critical infrastructure, intensifying humanitarian needs. Rescue personnel continue to be targeted, marking a deeply concerning trend in the ongoing conflict. In one month, at least three incidents have been recorded, highlighting the increasing risks faced by those involved in emergency response efforts.
• Intensified hostilities led to an increase in displacement from frontline areas in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions. In October, IOM Frontline Flow Monitoring recorded about 4,100 displaced people from hromadas affected by intensified hostilities in Kharkivska oblast. The highest displacement spike occurred between October 14 and 20, with over 1,200 people passing through the Kharkiv City transit center due to expanded evacuation orders. In Donetska oblast, from October 16 to 30, another 1,300 people were displaced from the Pokrovska hromada area. In response, some 16 Health Cluster partners, in collaboration with local authorities, provided essential health and mental health services at five transit centers, reaching over 3,000 displaced people
• Ongoing attacks on healthcare services continue to disrupt access for those in need. The Health Cluster, through WHO’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA), verified 30 attacks on health care in October, killing 5 healthcare workers and patients and injuring 24. Since the escalation of the country-wide conflict in February 2022, the Health Cluster team through the WHO SSA has verified 2,124 attacks on health care, with 196 deaths, and 658 injuries. Attacks on health care negatively impact the delivery of health services to the entire population, disrupting humanitarian health assistance, and undermining the capacity of health workers to provide health care.
• With the onset of winter, there is an increased risk of cold-related illnesses and mortality, as health and energy infrastructure have been damaged in attacks. As part of the winter preparedness and response, 33,671 people have been reached with assistance.
• By October 2024, 129 Health Cluster partners reported reaching 2.4M people and supporting 819 health facilities across 1,954 towns and villages. However, additional support is required to meet the target of reaching over 3.8 million people in need, with only three months left in the year and the humanitarian situation worsening.
• As of 31 October, only 53 percent of the required funding for health interventions in Ukraine has been secured. The funding gap poses a significant challenge to partners’ ability to meet the growing needs of vulnerable populations, many of whom live in areas with limited or no access to essential health services. Without additional resources, millions may be deprived of critical care, including trauma services, maternal and child health care, and treatment for chronic diseases.
• Health partners are seeking funding to support direct service delivery in health facilities for injuries related to cold conditions. Recent funding rounds failed to include winterization support for health facilities, following the released Winter Response Strategy. Many partners have had to address needs on a case-by-case basis or reallocate funds from other activities, making it difficult to fully meet all winter-related health needs. Despite these challenges, partners are working to optimize available resources and prioritize the most urgent needs.