Attachments
INCREASED NUMBER OF GBV SURVIVORS SEEKING HELP DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK
Upon introduction of travel restrictive measures as part of COVID-19 response on 15 March, six mobile teams of psychosocial support to ATO/JFO veterans and their families supported by UNFPA adjusted their operation. Standing ready to make urgent visits within their service area in Mykolaiv and Kyiv regions, mobile teams’ staff started providing consultations via phone, Skype and messengers. Offering their support to everyone in need nationwide, psychologists have been weekly addressing a seven-fold volume of GBV cases compared to the pre-quarantine period. The increase is largely due to shift in modality – if prior to quarantine, MTs were giving around 100 in-person consultations per week, they provide assistance in around 700 cases weekly remotely. However, there is also a notable rise in the number of survivors seeking assistance. Second month of quarantine has seen a 2.5-fold increase of GBV cases addressed by MTs compared to the first month since the start of COVID-19 outbreak in Ukraine.
Specialists of UNFPA-supported daycare centres observe a similar trend. In the first month of quarantine, 5 daycare centres provided assistance to 49% more clients compared to the pre-quarantine month. In the second month after the introduction of restrictive measures, specialists of daycare centres observed a further 36% increase in the number of GBV survivors seeking help, compared to first month of the quarantine, or 67% growth compared to the month prior the COVID-19 outbreak.
Operators of the national hotline for GBV survivors (managed by La Strada with UNFPA support) also register a notable increase in the number of requests for assistance. Overall, a month after the introduction of quarantine saw a 23% growth in the number of calls compared to the pre-quarantine month. Second month of quarantine has registered further 41% increase, compared with the first month of restrictive measures, or 72% rise compared to the pre-quarantine month.
As demand for assistance during COVID-19 lockdown is growing, UNFPA-supported specialised service providers have been swiftly adjusting service provision modalities to ensure that all survivors receive much-needed help.