Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
- April 2025 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since September 2024, according to the UN HRMMU. At least 209 civilians were killed and 1,146 injured in a single month, representing the highest number of civilian casualties in recent months. The sharp rise in casualties reflects a broader and troubling pattern; from January through April, the UN HRMMU verified 664 civilians killed and 3,425 injured - a 59 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
- The escalation in civilian harm has been driven in large part by an increased use of powerful weapons in densely populated urban areas. This month alone, multiple mass casualty events in Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, Marhanets, and Kyiv resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries. In response to increased attacks Health Cluster partners mobilized quickly, supporting local health authorities’ emergency efforts by providing trauma care, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and patient transfers, reaching 1,161 people since the start of the year.
- New surges of displacement were also triggered by the intensification of attacks, notably in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. Between 1 and 30 April, approximately 8,200 people were displaced from frontline areas. While this figure reflects a decline compared to March, localized waves of displacement were reported following attacks in Derhachi hromada in Kharkivska oblast and the Pokrovsk area of Donetska oblast, where hundreds have evacuated during the month. From January to April, Health Cluster partner teams delivered essential health services to 4,220 people in designated transit centers in Kharkivska and Dnipropetrovska oblasts.
- To strengthen local actor involvement in health coordination across the ten most conflict-affected regions, the Health Cluster held a 4-day workshop with 33 participants from the Ministry of Health, local partners, and WHO.
- Key recommendations will guide the strategic orientation of Health Cluster coordination in Ukraine.
- In line with the Emergency Relief Coordinator’s call for a ‘Humanitarian Reset,’ and under the guidance of the Humanitarian Coordinator, the health sector has reprioritized the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan to focus on: (1) emergency care for victims of attacks and evacuations; (2) support to medical evacuations and Disaster Medicine Centres; (3) frontline PHC and trauma care via mobile and modular services; and (4) PHC access for internally displaced persons and people on the move.