ReliefWeb

Highlights

• A fire at an ammunition depot near Balakliya, Kharkiv oblast, led to explosions that lasted several days, resulting in the death of one woman and two people injured as well as the temporary displacement of nearly 30,000 people, including 3,500 children. Almost 8,000 children missed school for several days as they had to be relocated.

• In response to the incident in Balakliya, UNICEF delivered hygiene supplies to 858 affected people and provided psychosocial support to reduce elevated levels of stress among children and their caregivers as well as teachers in schools that briefly provided accommodation to the displaced.

• UNICEF provided 100 computers to 10 schools along the ‘contact line’ to ensure continued access to learning to more than 2,000 boys and girls through a distance learning programme.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

In March, the de facto authorities imposed ‘external control’ over all Ukrainian business entities located in non-government-controlled areas (NGCAs) of eastern Ukraine, including the electricity company, DTEK. The exceptions were the public utility company, Voda Donbassa, the largest water company in eastern Ukraine and the telecommunication company, MTS. In response to this, the Government of Ukraine enacted a ‘state of emergency’ in the energy sector through an executive order and, soon after, a ban on all trade has come to an effect across the so-called ‘contact line’ that separates government-controlled areas (GCAs) from NGCAs. Although the measures did not have an immediate impact on UN operations on both sides of the ‘contact line’ (as humanitarian convoys are normally exempt from the measures), such developments were widely considered to have amounted to a ‘freezing of the conflict’. Notwithstanding the flare-ups of hostilities, including shelling of critical civilian infrastructure that resulted in the recurring interruption of water services, the intensity of hostilities was on a lower scale compared to the previous two months.

On 23 March, a fire at an ammunition depot in Ukraine, located on the outskirts of Balakliya, Kharkiv oblast, resulted in explosions that continued for several days, killing one woman and injuring two others (see Map 1). The explosions also led to the temporary evacuation of nearly 30,000 people, including 3,500 children, from a 10km radius of the incident. Approximately 8,000 children missed school for several days as classrooms and kindergartens were used as temporary accommodation for the evacuees. As 0f 29 March, most residents of Balakliya and neighbouring villages had returned to the city. The city’s infrastructure, including schools and kindergartens, is functioning again; and operations on clearing unexploded ordnance are ongoing in multiple locations.