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Ukraine

Ukraine: Humanitarian Situation Snapshot (October - November 2024) [EN/UK]

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With Ukraine entering its third winter since the escalation of the war, attacks impacting critical civilian infrastructure disrupted basic services across the country. The Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (HRMMU) noted an increase in civilian casualties from the use of aerial glide bombs in densely populated urban centres, including in Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia. Some 2,180 civilian deaths and injuries were verified in October and November, with people over 60 years old accounting for 45 per cent of those killed in October, according to the HRMMU. For instance, on 7 November, glide bomb attacks in Zaporizhzhia killed at least 9 civilians and injured 42, causing severe damage to an oncology centre where cancer patients were undergoing chemotherapy. In the south, increased strikes in Odeska Oblast since October impacted vessels and seaport infrastructure, including port workers and ship crew. In Khersonksa Oblast, attacks with short-range unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) killed and injured civilians on a near-daily basis, accounting for nearly half of the civilian casualties in the oblast in November.

Hostilities in front-line areas in Donetska and Kharkivska oblasts continued, and more people fled from high-risk areas to safer parts of the country. The security situation continued deteriorating as hostilities intensified near Kurakhove and Pokrovsk in Donetska Oblast and Kupiansk in Kharkivska Oblast. It further impacted humanitarian operations and civilians’ access to basic services and humanitarian aid.

Another wave of large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure across the country resulted in extended blackouts on 28 November, reportedly affecting an estimated one million consumers across the country. This is the 11th major coordinated attack on energy since the escalation of the war in February 2022, further worsening the already dire situation for the most vulnerable people, including children, older people, and people with disabilities, according to the HRMMU. The latestwinter assessment by REACH identified Kharkivska, Donetska and Sumska oblasts as the areas of Ukraine with the highest risk of increased humanitarian needs this winter. This heightened vulnerability is attributed to war-related damage, high population density and anticipated extreme temperatures. An assessment by IOM further noted that internally displaced people and people who returned home after displacement were more likely to live in locations affected by electricity outages.

Power outages impacted health-care facilities, denying patients access to life-saving medical care and forcing health workers to perform surgeries with no light. The impact of systematic attacks on energy, including power outages, harmed and endangered patients and health workers, according to a report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and Truth Hounds. This also resulted in interrupted or delayed surgeries, caused failures in life-support systems and disrupted water supply to hospitals. Additionally, diagnostic and treatment equipment became unusable, patients experienced panic attacks and cardiac arrhythmias (heart-related issues), and maternal care services were also adversely impacted.

Attacks impacting the energy infrastructure also resulted in water and heating services disruptions, exposing vulnerable people to increased risks and needs for winter-related support. Notably, the water supply was disrupted for several days in large urban centres such as Kherson, Khmelnytskyi and Rivne in the south and west of the country after attacks on energy facilities on 28 November. In front-line areas, the highest number of people without water access was recorded in Donetska Oblast, where the war severely damaged water systems. Heating systems were also impacted as temperatures dropped. The disruption of water and heating services is a significant concern in front-line Donetska and Kharkivska oblasts, where Pokrovskyi and Kharkivskyi raions require support for repairs and maintenance, according to the REACH Winterization Assessment.

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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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