Ukraine. Humanitarian Impact of Intensified Hostilities in Kharkivska Oblast – Flash Update #1
HIGHLIGHTS
Several waves of attacks in Kharkivska Oblast over the past few days led to more civilian deaths and injuries, including among children. With the deteriorating security situation, humanitarian needs in the oblast are growing.
Government-led efforts resulted in more than 4,000 civilians evacuating from their homes to safer locations in the oblast and other parts of Ukraine on 10-12 May, according to oblast authorities.
Aid organizations – complementing the efforts of national rescue and municipal services – distributed food, hygiene supplies, and essential household items; arranged accommodation; registered people for cash aid; and provided health-related, psychological, and legal services through the coordinated response.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
Several waves of attacks in Kharkivska Oblast over the past few days led to more civilian deaths and injuries, including among children, and massive destruction of the energy systems, homes and other civilian infrastructure, triggering increased displacement from the border and front-line hromadas.
With the deteriorating security situation, humanitarian needs in the oblast are growing. Government-led efforts since 10 May resulted in more than 4,000 civilians evacuating from their homes to safer areas in the oblast and other parts of Ukraine as of 12 May, according to the local authorities. They also confirmed that at least 30 per cent of these people are seeking accommodation in collective centres for temporary accommodation in the oblast while the rest are reportedly found other ways, including staying with their relatives or friends.
At the same time, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy reported on 8 May limiting electricity supply for private consumers in Kharkivska Oblast while nearly 200,000 families remained with disrupted access to electricity after continued attacks on energy infrastructure in the oblast.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Humanitarian organizations have rapidly mobilized resources to provide emergency assistance to people fleeing for safety from the border and front-line communities to other parts of the oblast.
Aid organizations – complementing the efforts of national rescue and municipal services – distributed food, water and hygiene supplies, as well as essential household items; arranged accommodation; and provided health-related, psychological, and legal services through the coordinated response by the aid organizations and volunteer groups.
The national NGO Relief Coordination Centre, jointly with local authorities, has established a hotline (0 800 33 92 91) for people who have been or need to be evacuated in Kharkivska Oblast.
Aid organisations, including ADRA, ETOS, Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS), NGOs Mission Proliska, The Tenth of April, local NGOs Iia Vriiatovanyi, Iiednist ta Syla, Inventrum, Misto Dobra, Piiatykhatky BAM, PZ Angel, Shliiakh Ukraiiny, Spilna Sprava Dliia Liudeii, Svit ta Ukraiina, Troiianda na Rutsi, Ukraiinski Rubezhi, Volonter-68, Zrobleno v Ukraiini are complementing evacuation by supporting people from impacted communities with social transport, enabling them to leave areas with active hostilities.
First aid and other health-related services and supplies are being provided at the transit centre by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Médecins du Monde, Première Urgence Internationale, Stellar and URCS. Right to Protection and Peaceful Heaven, with the support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP), respectively, as well as the IRC, have been registering people arriving in Kharkiv City for multi-purpose cash assistance to help cover their immediate needs.
The food response consists of in-kind baskets (ADRA, Roxana, WFP, World Central Kitchen), rapid rations (Peaceful Heaven) provided to people arriving at reception centres, and hot meals at the Kharkiv City transit centre.
Through Peaceful Heaven, UNICEF has provided families with basic supplies for children on the move and emergency family hygiene supplies. Additional supplies, water and hygiene items were provided by the local NGO Myrne Nebo. Clean drinking water was distributed by the People in Need and the Congress of Christians of Ukraine.
Psychosocial support mobile teams supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) worked with people as they arrived in transit centres, providing consultations and distributing hygiene and other essential supplies. Psychologists and social workers from the NGOs Mission Proliska and Right to Protection were present at the transit centre in Kharkiv City to help relieve the stress of people who fled hostilities.
NGOs Mission Proliska and Spilna Sprava provided people with essential supplies from the UNHCR and Lutheran World Federation, such as bedding, matrasses, blankets, pillows and sleeping bags. Other critical supplies were distributed by the URCS.
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.