Attachments
Highlights
- Across the region, over 224,400, women, girls, men and boys – including older persons, youth and people with disabilities – received tailored prevention, mitigation and life-saving response services on gender-based violence (GBV) and 33,400 people had access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services.1
- 14 new service delivery points (SDPs) started operating across Ukraine, providing specialized assistance for those affected by GBV, increasing the total number of UNFPA-supported SDPs across Ukraine to 130.
- Several initiatives supporting youth and older persons took place in Moldova, including the opening of the first Active Center for older persons and the start of operations of a new UNFPA mobile clinic addressing healthcare barriers for adolescents and youth.
SitRep 23 - Regional Response - UNFPA continues to expand awareness and access to GBV and SRH services in EU countries bordering Ukraine, including through a new partnership with Safe You, an innovative, evidence-based digital app addressing GBV in all contexts through protection, prevention, and awareness.
Situation Overview/Humanitarian Needs
- The number of Ukrainian refugees has increased slightly over the past months to over 6.47 million ,with 92 per cent of them recorded across Europe.
- Within Ukraine, an estimated 3.7 million people are internally displaced, and 5.56 million have returned (both IDPs and refugees). Returnees continue to face significant challenges due to limited access to income-generating opportunities, family separation and overall insecurity.
- In Ukraine, an estimated 7.8 million people need health assistance, and 11.5 million need protection assistance and services, including 2.5 million who need GBV prevention and response services.
- The escalation of violence has exacerbated existing GBV risks for women and girls, men and boys across the country, while also creating new risks including conflict-related sexual violence and risks regarding sexual exploitation and abuse in refugee-hosting countries.
- The escalation of hostilities, including indiscriminate bombardments and attacks aimed at civilians and civilian infrastructure, continues to cause widespread damage across Ukraine, and obstructs humanitarian access and operations.
- The attack on the Sumy residential area on 13 March occurred close to a UNFPA’s Mother & Child Centre, terrifying women and children visiting the centre. UNFPA’s mobile Psychosocial Support Teams immediately mobilized to offer support and dignity kits.
- The 2023 GBV Safety Audit results highlight ongoing risks in gender-based violence in Moldova for both refugees and the host community, especially women and girls. These risks include technology-facilitated GBV, intimate partner violence, trafficking, and incidents in private accommodations and public spaces like transportation. Certain groups, including persons with disabilities, Roma women, and adolescent girls and boys, face elevated GBV risks. Refugee women and girls are notably vulnerable to GBV when dealing with private landlords, as seen in reported instances of harassment or exploitation.
- The preliminary findings of the 2023 Multi Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) to which UNFPA actively contributed at national and regional levels corroborate these results in the wider regional response, including in neighbouring EU countries. The main reported barriers limiting women’s and girls’ access to services (including SRH and GBV-related services) are a lack of awareness about availability, lack of trust in providers, stigma and feelings of shame, language barriers, access challenges due to the area of residence (urban vs. rural), and cultural barriers.
- The 2024 Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP)–launched in January 2024–estimates that $1.1 billion is required to address the needs of 2.2 million refugees in the region. The plan includes strong references to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence, and the protection sector (including child protection and GBV) represents more than 30% of the total financial requirements. It also mentions the need to strengthen coordination mechanisms through partnerships with government and local partners in Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.