Throughout 2018, UNHCR has provided Individual Protection Assistance (IPA) as a part of its wider protection response. IPAs are a one-time cash or non-cash assistance provided to vulnerable persons with specific protection needs, which prevent their exposure to further risks and rights violations. For more information on IPAs, refer to page 8
In October, UNHCR’s legal partner The Right to Protection (R2P) received 268 calls from 244 persons through its hotline used as a way for people to voice their complaints and to increase accountability to affected population. The number of calls received doubled as compared to the previous month. 47% of calls were requests for legal aid.
Fostering resilience for displaced and conflict-affected communities has been one of UNHCR’s priorities in 2018. Community support initiatives help bring communities together, increase awareness of citizens’ rights and strengthen Community-Based protection. For more information regarding CSIs, refer to page 9.
KEY INDICATORS
16,240
Internally displaced (IDP) and other conflict-affected persons have received legal assistance from UNHCR partners in 2018.
2,638
Internally displaced and other conflict affected persons have been selected to receive cash through the individual protection assistance programme (IPA) in 2018.
770
Households in eastern Ukraine have benefited from UNHCR shelter assistance in 2018.
FUNDING (AS OF 05 NOVEMBER)
USD 31.1 million
UNHCR’s financial requirements 2018
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP)* AND CONFLICT-AFFECTED PERSONS
1.8 million
Operational Highlights
In October, the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) recorded around 37,000 ceasefire violations, which represents almost twice as much as compared to the previous month. The SMM also recorded four civilians killed and six injured.
In this context, UNHCR and its partners conducted 636 protection monitoring visits in seven regions in October. Most of the visits focused on conflict-affected populations of settlements located on the ‘Contact Line’. In October, UNHCR’s NGO legal partner, R2P, conducted 88 protection monitoring visits to five entry/exit checkpoints (EECPs), where they surveyed and counselled 2,501 persons crossing the ‘Contact Line’. Fifty five percent of respondents were over the age of 60. This month, UNHCR and R2P finalized an Online Checkpoint Monitoring Dashboard, which is also available on the UNHCR Website. The Online Dashboard provides an overview of latest trends related to people crossing the ‘Contact Line’, their profile, and protection concerns.
UNHCR’s protection monitoring visits prioritizes settlements near the ‘Contact Line’, which have either limited or no access to humanitarian support. During the reporting period, the village of Khutir Vilnyi of Zolote-4 saw regular fighting and displacement. UNHCR supported eight displaced families with nonfood-item (NFI) kits and individual protection assistance (IPA) in the form of cash. Despite continued presence of armed personnel, shelling, power outages, restricted food supply and medical service, around 67 persons, mainly elderly, remain in Khutir Vilnyi because of lack of other options. Some residents have requested local authorities for relocation.
Between 15 and 23 October, a 900-meter water pipeline remained damaged due to shelling in the village of Chyhari, cutting the water supply to over 70,000 people living near Toretsk and nearby settlements. As a response, UNHCR’s NGO partner Proliska distributed more than two tons of water to 200 vulnerable persons. UNHCR supplied 500 jerrycans to Proliska field hubs to ensure an adequate humanitarian response in case of future emergencies.