Country Programme in Ukraine

Photo:Tuva RaanesPhoto:Tuva Bogsnes FACT SHEET January 2017

Norwegian Refugee Council’s Country Programme in Ukraine

NRC established an initial presence in Ukraine in late 2014, with its operations centred in Severodonetsk (Luhansk oblast).

Our impact In 2016 NRC reached

65,500 Since becoming operational in eastern Ukraine, Individuals with Information, Counselling NRC has progressively expanded activities as and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Shelter and concerns programme responses, core Non-Food Assistance (NFI), Food Security competencies and geographic reach in order to and Livelihood Assistance address evolving humanitarian needs Budget: 2016: 45 million NOK The NRC strategy has focused on addressing the Donors: NMFA, UNHCR, ECHO, DFID needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and International staff: 8 conflict-affected communities, especially along the National staff: 80 front-line (the so-called “contact-line”) in Luhansk Established: 2014 oblast (both in government controlled areas (GCA) and non-government controlled areas (NGCA). In March 2016, NRC expanded activities into districts of northern Donetsk oblast (GCA), which is another location of a very high IDP concentration. In mid- NRC provides basic support to improve the living 2016 NRC opened a field office in Stanytsia conditions of the most vulnerable conflict-affected Luhanska (Luhansk oblast), which provides population in GCA through cross-sectoral protection and assistance services to civilians in assistance and protection. With the relative this contact-line district – including to the stabilisation in communities away from the front- thousands who travel regularly between GCA and line and the reduction in intensity of the conflict in NGCA at the crossing point in this town.

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Areas of operation: Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts Country office: Kyiv some localities, there is an evolution from purely to civilians in many contact-line communities. emergency towards early recovery needs; consequently, in 2016 NRC has initiated some The civilian population in eastern Ukraine activities to address such needs (livelihoods). continues to suffer from ongoing hostilities. The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2017, Humanitarian and political background issued in December 2016, estimates some 4.4 million people have been affected by the armed Despite two and a half years of negotiations to conflict, of whom some 3.8 million require resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, hostilities humanitarian assistance. Those deemed to be of remain a fact of life for millions of people affected most concern are the civilians living along both by the armed violence. Although efforts continue to sides of the contact line. Many persons fled the implement the provisions of the Minsk II conflict area, within Ukraine and abroad; some agreement established in February 2015 between 1.66 million people are registered as internally the parties to the conflict, negotiations have yet to displaced (per the Ministry of Social Policy of produce effective steps towards conflict resolution. Ukraine). Since the beginning of the conflict, more than 9,700 people have been killed, 2,000 of The situation along the contact-lines in both which are civilians; 22,700 people have been Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts remains volatile. wounded. Serious human rights concerns persist, During the last months of 2016, the number of according to the latest report of the UN Human ceasefire violations along the contact-line Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (November remained high. In some localities, shelling became 2016). more frequent, adding to the risks faced by the thousands of civilians living along the contact-line The hostilities have generated significant or crossing between GCA and NGCA. In parallel to humanitarian needs among displaced and resident this, mine/ERW contamination is a major concern communities alike. In many localities affected by in many areas and continues to be a serious threat hostilities – especially in frontline communities,

Contact: Country director: Christopher Mehley Country office: Kyiv Phone: +380 67 828 5818 Address: 33 Yaroslaviv Val, 01054, Kyiv, Ukraine E-mail: [email protected]

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basic life-supporting services have been disrupted; regulations for the movement of humanitarian some civilians have little access to income, little in personnel. the way of medicine, food, heating or money. Additionally, the destruction of water infrastructure NRC established a full presence in NGCA (Luhansk in some areas poses a threat to the civilian city) in July 2015. However, a registration process population. The economy in Ukraine has suffered was subsequently imposed on all international from serious economic decline due to the conflict humanitarian actors by the de facto authorities (in and ongoing economic reform efforts. Consumer Luhansk and Donetsk) and, in late September, prices have increased at a faster pace than many almost all NGOs - including NRC - were informed household incomes, thus negatively affecting that they were no longer authorised to operate. purchasing power and access to life’s necessities, Since that time, NRC has submitted a series of especially for vulnerable groups already heavily requests to the de facto authorities to conduct impacted by the armed conflict. humanitarian activities in NGCA. However, NRC has yet to receive a positive response to these Freedom of movement across the contact-line authorisation requests. remains a major concern; it is estimated that 700,000 civilians travel between GCA and NGCA every month in order to maintain family ties, look after property, access markets, health care and social payments in GCA. Difficulties are linked to the destruction of infrastructure, but also because of a strict permit system, which has been put in place to cross between GCA and NGCA. Indeed, at the few crossing points open, civilians often stand in queues for hours in adverse weather while awaiting document checks. Additionally, due to ceasefire violations, localised hostilities sometimes force the closure of crossing points. These imposed restrictions on movement continue to weaken the coping capacities among civilians.

Humanitarian access Humanitarian access into NGCA remains a major issue of concern due to the numerous restrictions of the de facto authorities and of the Ukrainian government. A “registration” process imposed by the de facto authorities for international humanitarian actors resulted in the suspension in late 2015 of most international agencies and their departure from Luhansk and Donetsk. As of the present, only a very few international agencies have managed to acquire authorisation from the de facto authorities to operate in NGCA. The Ukrainian government also has complicated procedures for allowing humanitarian agencies to operate in NGCA; the humanitarian community has continued to advocate on the need for multiple crossing points to NGCA, simplified, fast-track procedures for humanitarian cargo and clearer www.nrc.no

NRC activities in the field households, while the beneficiaries organized the reconstruction work themselves. The situation in Ukraine remains volatile and of  Rehabilitation of 62 heavily damaged houses concern to the international community. With the in 13 towns and villages located close to the needs of affected-communities being diverse, NRC frontline. has developed a holistic programme within the core competencies of ICLA, Shelter and Food As part of its efforts to address winterisation needs Security/Livelihoods. This responds to needs both of civilians in frontline communities, NRC provided in the conflict and post-conflict areas. Due to the coal, firewood and fuel briquettes to 2,982 unstable situation, new and secondary vulnerable families (5,865 individuals) in 12 towns displacements can take place; thus, NRC and villages along the contact line. Additionally, 7 maintains the capacity to rapidly respond to schools and one kindergarten received 200 tons of evolving humanitarian needs. At the same time, fuel briquettes, which allow 471 children to NRC is working to mitigate the risk of protracted continue their studies in the winter months. displacement and has begun to pursue approaches that offer durable solutions for the NRC continued to provide emergency relief through displaced and host communities; in this regard, the distribution of non-food items in Luhansk NRC has launched projects aimed at meeting early- oblast, with a range of vulnerable groups targeted: recovery needs in certain localities. isolated households along the contact-line, extremely vulnerable individuals, returnees, IDPs (particularly non-registered ones) and families Shelter and Non-food assistance hosting IDPs. General household NFIs (like hygiene The primary components of NRCˈs Shelter and bedding kits) were distributed between programme include: emergency shelter and relief September and December among 3,222 assistance (primarily non-food items (NFI)), individuals in villages along the contact-line. In recovery shelter, transitional shelter for IDPs, order to prepare families for the winter period, NRC winterization, community infrastructure repairs and distributed winter NFI kits (blankets, thermos, household contingency preparation. Shelter/NFI heating coils, hygiene items, etc.) to 2,727 activities are mainly conducted in communities individuals in 8 towns and villages across Luhansk along the contact-line in Luhansk oblast (GCA). In oblast. the period of September-December 2016, 919 households (1,761 individuals) received NRC Information, counselling and legal assistance to repair, reconstruct or insulate their homes; NRC shelter activities included: assistance (ICLA) NRC’s Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) programme aims to help  Provision of building materials for light and displaced and conflicted-affected persons to medium repair of damaged houses in 38 exercise their rights and overcome legal obstacles towns and villages located along the contact- through the provision of information, awareness- line; this benefitted 730 households (1,387 raising and legal counselling free of charge. Legal individuals). In terms of the renovation of aid has been provided to communities across infrastructure, 4 schools and 1 kindergarten in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts through NRC Legal frontline districts received construction Aid Centres (in Severodonetsk, Stanytsia Luhanska materials, which will improve educational and Kramatorsk), mobile teams of lawyers, home conditions for 553 children. visits to the elderly and to people with disabilities,  Reconstruction of 6 houses along the frontline group information sessions and through a that were totally destroyed by shelling (Core telephone hotline. House project). Based on an owner driven In total, from September until December 2016, approach, NRC provided construction across eastern Ukraine NRC provided ICLA materials or conditional cash grants to the information services to 6’637 beneficiaries, legal www.nrc.no

counselling to 3’245 persons and legal assistance conflict affected persons living along the to 144 individuals; additionally, 256 persons – contact-line. mainly representatives of authorities and civil  A workshop was organized on civil and other society – participated in ICLA trainings on IDPsˈ documentation, IDP registration and related rights. services as well as on housing, land and property for 36 representatives of the Main To address legal barriers affecting IDPs, NRC Territorial Departments of Justice in Donetsk coordinates closely with the Civil-Military and Luhansk oblasts, of the judiciary, Administration, the Department of Social Departments of Social Protection of Donetsk Protection, the Department of Justice, Migration oblast and Luhansk Regional State Service, the Pension Fund and the Custody and Administrations and the State Secondary Legal Guardianship Service; cooperation is also pursued Aid Centre. with local organizations, international NGOs and UN agencies. In December, NRC organized a National Conference “Voices from the East” in Kyiv, at which A range of problems remain of significant concern it presented a consolidated report on challenges in for IDPs and conflict-affected persons: suspension the implementation of the rights of IDPs and of the of IDP social benefits and pensions; problematic conflict affected population in eastern Ukraine. aspects of IDP registration linked to changes in Such issues as civil and other documentation, IDP legislation and in procedures for granting registration and access to related services, HLP (restoring) IDP social benefits; control checks of rights of IDPs were considered jointly by NRC, IDP places of residence; challenges in inheritance representatives of the Government of Ukraine, registration procedures; and certain aspects of judges, members of Verkhovna Rada (Parliament), legislative regulation of the procedure for international organisations and NGOs. As an obtaining/restoration of lost or damaged/ outcome of the Conference, 25 recommendations destroyed civil documentation. for the Verkhovna Rada and Cabinet of Ministers of During the period of September to December Ukraine were proposed; these proposals can 2016, NRC organized a series of seminars, contribute to finding solutions for problems and workshops and conferences: concerns of the conflict-affected population. In order to strengthen NRC legal information  a seminar was held for government authorities activities, NRC issued one new booklet “Obtaining concerning the general principles of Permits for Children to Cross the Contact-line” (in humanitarian protection and assistance, as well as the IDP legal framework in relation to Ukrainian, Russian and English). civil documentation and access to social benefits. As part of its efforts vis-à-vis Housing, Land and  a seminar concerning IDP property rights was Property Rights (HLP), NRC continued to lead the organized for 21 lawyers of territorial bodies of HLP Technical Working Group (TWG), which brings ministries and other central executive together members of the Protection and Shelter authorities, public enterprises, institutions and Clusters at meetings in Kyiv, Severodonetsk and organizations. Kramatorsk.  In Sviatohirsk (Donetsk oblast), a seminar was held for 56 judges of local and administrative .Food security/Livelihoods courts, and the Appeals Court, and representatives of the Chief Territorial The ongoing violence and displacement has Department of Justice of Donetsk oblast on the severely affected the agricultural sector, both protection of human rights of IDPs and of smallholder farmers and major farming conflict-affected individuals. enterprises, in the region considered as the  2 roundtable meetings were organized in breadbasket of eastern Ukraine. According to a Severodonetsk and Kramatorsk in order to report by FAO (September 2015), access to food, address the issues of utility subsidies and particularly for IDPs and vulnerable households preferential retirement pensions for IDPs and www.nrc.no

along the contact-line, labor market opportunities and sustainable income sources remain weak in eastern Ukraine.

NRC launched a food security/livelihoods project in June 2016, with the goal to improve food and livelihood security for IDPs and conflict-affected families living along the contact-line in Luhansk oblast (GCA). Through this project, NRC aims to restore agricultural productive capacity and sustainable livelihoods, improve access to agricultural markets by communities living along the contact-line, and strengthen capacity of local organizations to support livelihoods and food security activities. Overall, in 2016, 325 households from 7 frontline communities received such support from NRC.

During the period of September-December, NRC provided families (who are capable to pursue livelihood activities) with agricultural assistance, namely: greenhouse repair materials, irrigation pumps and pipes, chickens and chicken feed, stock feed and vegetable seeds. A total of 239 families received 8ˈ060 chickens; in parallel, each family received stock feed for a two month period (200 kg per family). In order to avoid destocking of valuable animals such as pigs and cows, selected vulnerable families received some 1.5 metric tons of animal feed per family; 22 families selected from frontline communities received a total of 27.63 metric tons of feed, enough for at least six months. Finally, 48 families living along the contact-line and struggling to get water for both domestic and agricultural purposes were provided with water pumps and accessories.