Ukraine: Humanitarian Impact of Hostilities in Donetska, Kharkivska and Sumska Oblasts - Flash Update #8 (12 Sep 2024) [EN/UK]

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hostilities in Donetska, Kharkivska and Sumska oblasts over the past week killed and injured civilians, including three staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross who were killed during the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance in Donetska Oblast on 12 September. Two more staff were injured.
• Attacks have left some 28,000 people in Pokrovska Hromada in Donetska Oblast without essential services, further aggravating the humanitarian situation in the area. On 12 September, a strike disrupted the electricity and water supply in Konotop, Sumska Oblast.
• Wildfires spreading across Donetska and Kharkivska oblasts destroyed hundreds of homes and triggered new displacements.
• Humanitarian organizations provided emergency assistance to civilians affected by attacks and natural disasters while continuing multi-sectoral support to evacuees and residents of the affected hromadas.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Over the past week, hostilities in Donetska Oblast, along with increased attacks in parts of neighbouring Kharkivska and Sumska oblasts, resulted in civilians being killed and injured, including aid workers. Significant damage to civilian infrastructure resulted in several urban centres being left without critical services, further worsening the already dire humanitarian situation. Also, wildfires ravaging parts of Kharkivska and Donetska oblasts destroyed homes and livelihoods, triggering new displacements.

Attacks in populated areas of Donetska, Kharkivska and Sumska oblasts caused dozens of civilian casualties, according to authorities and partners. Children were injured in Liubotyn, Kharkivska Oblast, and in Sumy City. On 12 September, a deadly strike at a planned aid distribution point in Viroliubivka Village in Donetska Oblast killed three staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross when the team was preparing to distribute wood and coal briquettes ahead of the winter. Two staff were also injured. Another attack on Konotop in Sumska Oblast on the same day injured civilians and left parts of the town without electricity and water supply.

Donetska Oblast suffered large-scale damage to critical civilian infrastructure, homes, schools and health facilities. WASH Cluster confirmed that the pumping station providing water to Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad towns stopped functioning. On 12 September, the authorities reported that a modular water treatment plant in Pokrovsk also stopped working due to an attack. Furthermore, the power and water supply were disrupted in Kostiantynivka town and nearby villages. Earlier, the local authorities reported that around 28,000 residents in Pokrovska Hromada were left without a gas supply.

Critical health services were also affected. The Health Cluster reported that security concerns forced seven health facilities in Donetska Oblast to relocate to other oblasts while two moved within the oblast. In Sumska Oblast, an attack injured children and damaged a Centre for Children Social and Psychological Rehabilitation. Additionally, the Cluster noted a significant strain on the health facilities in the oblast due to an influx of injured patients and the need for mental health and psychosocial support, as flagged by the Centre for Disaster Medicine in Kharkivska Oblast.

Amidst the hostilities, civilians continued to evacuate from front-line hromadas in Donetska Oblast. Humanitarians also noted an increase in the number of people fleeing from Kupianskyi Raion in Kharkivska Oblast. On 12 September, the authorities announced the mandatory evacuation of some 270 children with caregivers from 29 towns and villages in Kindrashivska, Kupianska and Kurylivska hromadas in Kharkivska Oblast.

Wildfires in parts of Kharkivska and Donetsk oblasts, caused by a combined impact of heat in forested areas and hostilities, have burnt over 5,000 hectares of forested area, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Firefighters faced significant challenges in extinguishing the fire due to heavy contamination from unexploded ordinance and explosive remnants of war in the affected area. Fires damaged approximately 300 houses, with nearly 100 destroyed in the village of Studenok in Kharkivska Oblast. Some 800 people, including around 70 children, have been displaced, as reported by the aid organizations that visited the affected areas. In Donetska Oblast, the wildfire also affected over 40 families in Yarova Town.

Protection Cluster partners note that most evacuees indicate their intention to remain close to their hromadas rather than move on to other parts of Ukraine. This trend, also observed during previous evacuations, leads to growing demand for public services in hosting areas with an already high number of displaced people. Family separation was also identified as a consequence of the recent evacuations, often because male heads of households chose to stay behind. Partners also reported gaps in the ability of social workers to provide assistance and support to older people in need of intensive care.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Aid organizations continued to provide immediate assistance to displaced people from front-line hromadas in Donetska Oblast and border hromadas in Kharkivska Oblast at transit centres, including accommodation, transportation and relocation to safer parts of the country. Assistance is also provided to vulnerable people in front-line hromadas in Kharkivska Oblast. On 11 September, an inter-agency convoy to Kharkivska Oblast, with the support of the Logistics Cluster, delivered essential hygiene supplies to the war-affected residents of Vovchanska Hromada, mostly older people.

Cluster Response

Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster partners assisted more than 800 people in Pavlohrad Transit Centre, including 80 people with disabilities and 120 children, who had evacuated from within Donetska Oblast since 30 August. The Cluster maintained a daily presence at the centre since its opening, supporting the registration of people and facilitating referrals to ensure effective multi-sectoral response by coordinating with partners on the ground. Available assistance included hot meals, psychological support, hygiene kits, cash registration and legal counselling. As of 9 August, the Cluster established presence at the Kramatorsk Transit Centre, ensuring coordination of a multi-sectoral response and facilitating referrals as needed. Since the opening of the Centre, 100 people have received assistance, including 50 children and 5 people with disabilities.

In Donetska Oblast, eight Child Protection partners continued to provide child protection services to displaced children and families, including case management activities, cash assistance for protection, emergency case management, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and in-kind assistance, including clothing. However, one partner paused its services for the children in the oblast due to heightened security concerns. At the Pavlohrad Transit Centre, one Child Protection partner is at the transit centre daily, providing psychosocial support, case management and in-kind assistance, including clothing, recreational materials and awareness-raising sessions for children and families. Another partner also operated in Pavlohrad Transit Centre three days a week, providing psychosocial support (PSS) kits, conducting PSS sessions for children and caregivers and facilitating recreational group activities to improve the well-being of displaced children. Furthermore, two more partners provided equipment and PSS materials for the children’s corner in the Pavlohrad Transit Centre, which accommodates 15-20 children with their families daily.

Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster partners continued to support evacuees at the Kharkiv Transit Centre. Since 31 August, the number of displaced people has increased due to the deteriorating security situation in and around Kupiansk. Every day, nearly 100 people received hot meals, ready-to-eat rations and monthly food kits at the centre. At the Pavlohrad Transit Centre in Dnipropetrovska Oblast, displaced people from Donetska Oblast received hot meals and ready-to-eat rations while in transit and were registered before being transported further on evacuation trains.

Health Cluster has provided 150 primary health-care consultations and 40 mental health and psychosocial support consultations at the transit centre in Kharkivska Oblast. Three cluster partners were active at the Pavlohrad Transit Centre and two at the Kramatorsk Transit Centre in Donetska Oblast. Over the past week, cluster partners at the Pavlohrad Transit Centre provided consultations to 220 people, including 40 children. In Kharkivska Oblast, over 40 cluster partners are involved in the health response, ensuring access to health care.

Protection Cluster partners indicated that at least 20 per cent of the evacuees arriving at transit centres required protection services, particularly legal aid (supporting access to documentation and social assistance) and different modalities of psychosocial support. The cluster continued to update and share information on the available services in safer areas and the evacuation process to address the limited understanding of procedures and available options for those evacuating.

Three Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI) Cluster partners provided emergency shelter materials to approximately 600 families in Donetska Oblast between 1 and 12 September. Two partners provided solar lamps and blankets to more than 130 families whose homes had been severely damaged by heavy air strikes in Dobropilska, Pokrovska and Slovianska hromadas. As of 12 September, two organizations had reached 190 families with in-kind distribution of solid fuel. Repair interventions continued in the oblast as the cluster coordinated interventions to close the thermal envelope of residential buildings ahead of winter. One Cluster partner provided supplies for more sleeping spaces in transit centres and temporary evacuation points in Donetska Oblast. In addition, 17 sleeping places were supported in Pavlohrad, and 90 partitions and two fridges were provided. Cluster partners also delivered clothing to displaced people who arrived at transit sites. Kitchen appliances were also delivered to the Pavlohrad Transit Centre. Since 1 September, 250 families were reached with emergency shelter materials in the aftermath of shelling incidents, with nearly 40 per cent in Kupianskyi Raion of Kharkivska Oblast. Four organizations have already completed distributions of solid fuel or cash equivalent in Kharkivska Oblast for almost 3,700 families. Cluster partners also continued to provide light and medium repairs throughout the oblast. In response to the wildfires in Oskilska Hromada, which burned houses in the village of Studenok in Kharkivska Oblast, a Shelter and NFI Cluster partner provided emergency shelter kits to 50 families.

Humanitarian Response in Central and Western Oblasts

Dnipro City: The CCCM Cluster is working with local authorities to support evacuees at the three active interim evacuation points in Dnipro City, offering those displaced overnight accommodation until they relocate to other oblasts. Additionally, the Shelter and NFI Cluster mobilized partners to provide non-food supplies, including clothing, beds and bedding kits, at transit centres in hosting oblasts. Sixty sleeping places were established at the interim evacuation point in Dnipro City.

Dnipropetrovska Oblast: In other raions of Dnipropetrovska Oblast, including Kryvorizkyi Raion, five Child Protection partners provided displaced children and families with case management, cash for protection, emergency case management funding, PSS kits, individual and group psychosocial support in child-friendly spaces, MHPSS and in-kind assistance with clothing. As of 11 September, 321 evacuees were hosted at 27 collective sites managed by a CCCM Cluster partner, including 142 evacuees across 14 collective sites in Dnipropetrovska Oblast.

Lvivska Oblast: Authorities reported receiving almost 300 displaced people through evacuations from Donetska Oblast; many of the evacuees are people with disabilities, single mothers and older people. Coordination Centres met the evacuees at Lviv railway station and supported them with case management, MHPSS and accommodation in collective sites. At least 50 evacuees were settled in the collective sites in Lvivska Oblast. CCCM Cluster partners assessed the needs and provided support with multi-sectoral referrals.

Poltavska Oblast: As of 11 September, 179 evacuees were hosted across nine collective sites in Poltavska Oblast, managed by a CCCM Cluster partner.

Ternopilska Oblast: In August–September, a CCCM Cluster partner supported 40 displaced people in the collective sites in Ternopilska Oblast, including with transportation, support with registration, information sessions on available services and distribution of hygiene kits and family non-food supplies, such as clothing, bedding kits and kitchen sets.

Zakarpatska Oblast: Between 5 and 12 September, 100 displaced people were evacuated and settled at collective sites through government-led evacuations from Donetska to Zakarpatska oblasts. CCCM Cluster partners supported them with housing, transportation, MHPSS and provided non-food supplies, including hygiene and bedding kits.

NOTE: This Flash Update is prepared through collected public information and current response data from partners available at the time of publication and could be amended as the situation evolves.

For more information, please contact OCHA Ukraine: Pilirani Semu Banda, pilirani.semubanda@un.org | Lyudmyla Malyuk, lyudmyla.malyuk@un.org | Yaroslav Berezovskyi, yaroslav.berezovskyi@un.org