Ukraine: Humanitarian Impact Situation Report (As of 12:00 p.m. (EET) on 25 March 2022) [EN/RU/UK]

This report is produced by OCHA Ukraine in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 12 p.m. (EET) 23 March to 12:00 p.m. (EET) 25 March. The next report will be published on or around 28 March.

KEY FIGURES (FLASH APPEAL 2022)

12M people in need (Source: 2022 Flash Appeal)

6M people targeted (Source: 2022 Flash Appeal)

$1.1B funding required (US$) (Source: 2022 Flash Appeal)

41% funded (Source: FTS)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Despite many operational challenges, UN agencies and humanitarian partners have reached around 890,000 people across Ukraine with multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance since 24 February. Assistance has mostly been provided in the east, with over 431,000 people reached in Kharkivska oblast.

• In Kyiv (Kyivska oblast, north) and Kharkiv (Kharviska oblast, east), the World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners have delivered nearly 1,270 tons of food to more than 521,000 affected people.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) is sending around 36 tons of medical supplies to Lviv (Lvivska oblast, west), with an additional 108 tons in the pipeline, while the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) delivered 13 tons of urgently needed reproductive health supplies, medicines and equipment to service providers in four oblasts.

• UN agencies and humanitarian partners are scaling up cash support. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has launched a large-scale cash programme for internally displaced persons (IDPs) that aims to reach around 360,000 people, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has rolled out cash-based assistance in several oblasts, planning to reach some 40,000 people in Zakarpatska oblast (west) alone.

• The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster estimates that around 1.4 million people lack access to water in Ukraine, while access remains limited for another 4.6 million people. In Donetska oblast (east), the water situation remains critical, as the current supply from water reservoirs received by schedule is only projected to last till the beginning of April in the cities of Donetsk and Makiivka, and less than three weeks in neighbouring Horlivka.

• According to WHO, as of 25 March, the number of verified incidents of attacks on health-care facilities in Ukraine has risen to 72 – nearly 89 per cent of incidents recorded by WHO between 24 February and 25 March globally – resulting in 71 deaths and 37 injuries. WHO says almost 1,000 health facilities are close to areas experiencing active fighting or with a significant presence of the Russian Federation forces.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

General humanitarian situation. Just over a month since the start of the military offensive, civilian casualties, destruction of critical infrastructure and wide-scale forced displacement continue unabated, driving a significant increase in humanitarian needs. As of 24 March, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports 2,788 civilian casualties, including 1,081 killed, figures that are likely much higher and will continue to rise as hostilities rage on. In Donetska and Luhanska oblasts (east), Government-controlled areas (GCA) continue to witness the greatest number of civilian casualties, with OHCHR reporting 957 casualties in GCA – including 285 killed and 672 injured – compared to 283 civilian casualties in the non-Government-controlled areas (NGCA) of these oblasts (59 killed and 224 injured). In the rest of Ukraine, OHCHR reports 1,548 civilian casualties.

Humanitarian needs. The key humanitarian needs remain access to adequate food, safe water, life-saving medicines and health services, as well as durable shelter solutions for IDPs and the growing number of people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. The WASH Cluster estimates that around 1.4 million people lack access to water in Ukraine, while access remains limited for another 4.6 million people. In Donetska oblast, the water situation remains critical, as the current supply from water reservoirs received by schedule is only projected to last till the beginning of April in Donetsk and Makiivka, and less than three weeks in neighbouring Horlivka.
According to Mercy Corps, some of the hardest-hit areas in Ukraine only have enough food to last a few days, while others are becoming increasingly dependent on aid, the delivery of which remains unpredictable due to persistent access and security constraints. Mercy Corps estimates that at least 70 per cent of the population of Kharkiv and Sumy (Sumska oblast, north-east) – home to nearly 1.8 million people prior to the recent escalation – are now completely reliant on aid to meet their most basic needs.

Displacement and associated vulnerabilities. Since 24 February, around 10.2 million people have been forcibly displaced – roughly a quarter of the Ukrainian population – with the number of people moving across international borders surpassing 3.7 million. According to IOM, more than 30 per cent of displaced households include at least one person suffering from a chronic illness, while nearly 20 per cent include someone living with some form of disability.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says around 4.3 million children – more than half of all children in Ukraine – have been forcibly displaced by ongoing fighting, generating significant risks to children’s safety and well-being. More than 60 per cent of IDPs surveyed by IOM report a child between 5 and 18 years of age in their household, while nearly 30 per cent report a child under the age of 5. Among the most vulnerable are the approximately 100,000 children in Ukraine residing in institutional care – half of whom with disabilities. Some of these institutions are attempting to move children and adolescents to safety either within Ukraine or across borders.

Unaccompanied and separated children face heightened risks of violence, abuse and exploitation. These risks are multiplied when children are displaced across international borders, increasing the possibility of children and adolescents falling victim to exploitation and trafficking. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child says that all unaccompanied or separated children must receive integrated social services to satisfy their multi-sectoral needs and ensure their protection, including health care, psychosocial support, nutrition, education, housing and legal aid, without discrimination.

Health situation and risks. According to WHO, as of 25 March, the number of verified incidents of attacks on health-care facilities in Ukraine has risen to 72 – nearly 89 per cent of incidents recorded by WHO between 24 February and 25 March globally – resulting in 71 deaths and 37 injuries, which account for almost 89 and 93 per cent of total deaths and injuries, respectively, arising from attacks on health care worldwide in just over a month. The destruction of critical health infrastructure and the disruption of medical supply chains pose a significant threat to the health and well-being of millions of people. Even where health facilities are functional, the danger of moving in areas experiencing ongoing fighting often pushes people to take the risk of foregoing medical care, leading to greater suffering and preventable deaths. WHO says close to 1,000 health facilities are close to areas experiencing active fighting or with a significant presence of the Russian Federation forces, significantly limiting access to life-saving medicines and health services.

As trauma-related injuries rise, what little resources and health staff capacity remain – many health workers themselves have been displaced or are unable to work – continue to be redirected toward caring for the wounded. Numerous hospitals have been repurposed to treat trauma victims, while approximately half of Ukraine’s pharmacies are reportedly closed amid active hostilities. Consequently, the already-stretched health system has even less capacity to ensure the continuation of essential services and primary health care, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH), the treatment of chronic illnesses and COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization campaigns have almost come to a halt across the country. Before 24 February, at least 50,000 people on average were being vaccinated against COVID-19 each day. Between 24 February and 15 March, however, only 175,000 people were vaccinated against the virus – around 40,790 fewer people on average being vaccinated daily. Between 23 February and 23 March, WHO reports that the seven-day average number of antigenrapid and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 tests fell by a staggering 88 and 96 per percent, respectively, suggesting considerable underreporting of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Over the same period, the number of beds available for COVID-19 patients decreased significantly as many were repurposed, with the largest decreases witnessed in Luhanska (east, 80 per cent), Volynska (north-west, 69 per cent) and Chernihivska (north, 56 per cent) oblasts.

Humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine. Ongoing hostilities in Donetska and Luhanska oblasts are generating significant humanitarian needs. Critical infrastructure and housing have been hard hit in both oblasts. In Luhanska oblast, on 23 March, more than 25 residential buildings, including at least 13 multi-storey apartment buildings, were reportedly damaged or destroyed in Kreminna, Lysychansk, Pervomaisk, Novodruzhesk, Sievierodonetsk and Voievodivka (GCA). As of 24 March, more than 95,300 users across 20 settlements are reportedly without electricity in Luhanksa oblast (GCA), while some 41,000 users remain without access to gas supplies in nearly 30 settlements. In the city of Kharkiv (Kharkivska oblast), municipal authorities say more than 1,140 buildings have been destroyed since the military offensive began. Of these, nearly 1,000 – around 87 per cent – are residential buildings, raising serious concerns about the shelter and protection situation in the worst-affected areas. On 24 March, a missile strike hit a shopping mall’s parking lot in the city, reportedly leaving at least six dead and another 15 injured, according to oblast authorities.

Meanwhile, in Mariupol (Donetska oblast, east), a humanitarian convoy sent by the Government of Ukraine carrying lifesaving aid failed to reach people in need on 24 March, remaining blocked outside the encircled city for three days. More than 2,340 people were evacuated through agreed-upon evacuation corridors on 24 March. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says a detailed agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation forces is urgently needed to properly evacuate civilians from Mariupol, where hundreds of thousands remain trapped without food, water, medicines, electricity or heating, with reports of people dying from starvation being of particular concern. While the civilian death toll in Mariupol cannot be assessed amid active hostilities, the city council reports that at least 300 people were reportedly killed following the bombing of the city’s drama theatre on 16 March.

Humanitarian situation in southern Ukraine. In Khersonska oblast, the number of people without access to water and electricity continues to grow, reaching approximately 51,250 on 23 March – an increase of more than 5,000 users in just 24 hours. Similarly, growing numbers of people are being cut off from natural gas supplies – commonly used for cooking and heating – with around 5,700 left without gas as of 23 March.

Evacuation of civilians. According to the Government of Ukraine, on 24 March, more than 3,340 people were evacuated through agreed-upon corridors. Over the last 29 days, Ukrainian Railways reports that it has evacuated around 3 million people from the most affected areas of the country toward the west, while some 430,000 have been transported abroad. On the other hand, the Russian Federation reports that around 420,000 people have crossed the border from Ukraine towards Russia since the escalation of hostilities, including 18,510 during the past 24 hours. This includes people who have reportedly been evacuated and those who have crossed the border seeking refuge on their own.