Peer to Peer Event Summary on Humanitarian Evacuations [EN/UK]

On 18-19 April, Protection Cluster (PC) held in Kyiv a Peer to Peer event on Exchange on Humanitarian Evacuations.

The event was aimed at:

1. promoting principled humanitarian response, exchange of good practices and learning experience among organizations that are facing similar challenges in the sphere of humanitarian evacuations;

2. providing insights from facilitators to strengthen the technical skills of participants;

3. supporting networking among PC, participants and facilitators.
   Moreover, this event was a part of the localization agenda of the PC, and a platform for receiving feedback on the PC’s document ‘Recommendation Note on Humanitarian Evacuations of civilians in Ukraine’ (updated version) from humanitarian actors engaged in the evacuations of civilians in an open and consultative manner.
   Facilitators and participants of the event were NGOs, CSOs, and volunteers conducting evacuations in Kharkivska, Donetska, Zaporizska and Khersonska oblast.

The P2P exchange was facilitated by the PC team and its partners and other well established NGOs with deep expertise in the sphere of humanitarian evacuations, such as Proliska, East SOS, ADRA, Helping to Leave, Angels of Salvation and Relief Coordination Center. The participants were mainly CSOs and volunteers conducting evacuations in the East: Volunteers 68, Way of Ukraine, Save Ukraine, URC, Rose on Arm, Artak and others.
The following issues were discussed for further joint actions:

1. Despite the deterioration of the security situation in the frontline area, people are reluctant to be evacuated. One of the main reasons is lack of clear and accessible information necessary to make a decision on evacuation, including on accommodation after the evacuation (for example, photos and videos), access to services and employment, cash and other assistance from humanitarians and the State.
   Action points:

1. collect information materials available to participants, analyze them, jointly produce [accessible] template(s) to be disseminated among authorities and humanitarian actors involved in evacuations;

2. collect templates on consent on evacuation for joint analysis and production of [accessible] template(s) to be disseminated among protection actors involved in humanitarian evacuations.

1. In order to maintain their capacity to conduct evacuations CSOs, volunteers and NGO’s need flexible and durable funding allowing to adjust to needs of the affected population and security situation, namely funding for fuel and repairs, durable vehicles, PPE, insurance, first aid, PFA, trainings on extreme driving, transportation of people with disabilities, psychological support during evacuations, accounting and book-keeping, and mine awareness training, MHPSS sessions to prevent burnout, decompression camps for families of volunteers, etc.
   Action points:

1. PC to make advocacy efforts whenever possible in communication with donors on the above requests of the CSOs, volunteers and NGOs conducting evacuations.

1. Legislation on the evacuations is poorly adapted to the challenges caused by martial law. As a result, local authorities not having a rigid framework on engagement of the humanitarian actors in certain cases may over-rely on the NGOs, CSOs and volunteers depleting their capacities and avoiding contingency planning.
   Action points:

1. conduct a meeting dedicated to discussion of amendments to the evacuation legislation needed. In case of reaching mutual vision, prepare a working plan on drafting of such amendments and advocacy strategy.

1. Since authorities at local and national level do not collect in a structured and continuous manner data on number and need of people requiring external care (health issues, low mobility, etc.) in evacuation, home-based care, assisted living, vacant places in geriatric facilities, humanitarian actors evacuating such people do not receive stable support from the State on identifying accommodation after the evacuation and on provision medical and social services.
   Action points:

1. continue joint efforts on resolving the issue of evacuation of people in need of external care: participation in the dedicated meetings, WGs and HQ on evacuation with the MoSP, MinRe to raise problems pertinent to the evacuation of this group of people; collecting data by PC from partners on availability of home based care and assisted living.

1. Considering that humanitarian evacuations often occur from the areas of active hostilities, people arrive at the place of displacement without ID documents. Since sometimes issuance of such documents takes a long time, evacuees may face impediments in access to CCs, medical, social and other services provided by the State.

Action points:

1. conduct a meeting dedicated to examining possible risks of lack of documentation: risk of statelessness; legislative barriers in access to CCs, healthcare, social and other services of undocumented people. Based on the discussion to define the next steps.

1. Authorities do not provide information neither at local nor at national level needed to make an informed decision on return (on security situation, access to services etc.).
   Action points:

1. PC to provide the MinRe with a questionnaire to be filled out by the local authorities containing information necessary to make an informed decision on return.

1. Considering that PC’s ‘Recommendation Note on Humanitarian Evacuations of civilians in Ukraine’ was first published in April 2022, it needs to be updated.
   Action points:

1. update the PC’s document taking into account feedback from participants and facilitators of P2P.