WASH Cluster Coordination Meeting Minutes

Meeting held on : 21.04.2017, 13:00 – 17:00 hrs At : ACF Offices, Sieverodonetsk Chaired by : Yulia Yanchenko, WASH Cluster Focal Point ( GCA areas) Mark Buttle, WASH Cluster Coordinator (WCC), +380 50 448 4546 [email protected]; [email protected] https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations//water-sanitation-and-hygiene Field Code Changed The meeting agenda was adjusted at the start of the meeting as representatives of the Oblast department for Field Code Changed housing and utilities apoloigised that they could not stay for more than a few minutes. Field Code Changed Field Code Changed 1. Welcome & Introductions. Field Code Changed 2. Updates: Field Code Changed a) Department of Housing and Utilities Field Code Changed b) Partners’ updates Field Code Changed 3. Emergency preparedness for water systems issues

4. Any Other Business.

(List of participants and action points are at the end these minutes.)

1. Welcome & Introductions Mark Buttle opened the WASH Cluster meeting and underlined that the main objective for the meeting was to prepare contingency plans to deal with the reality that Popasyanskyi Vodakanal (PVK) is currently not supplying water to Non-Government Controlled Areas (NGCA of Luhansk Oblast (although the group around the table had limited possibility to help in those areas). Secondly LEO electricity company is threatening to cut off four water utility companies on 25th April 2017 which would affect 220,000 people served by PVK; Vodakanal; Voda; and Rubizhanske Vodakanal. 2. Updates 2.a. Update from Luhansk Department of Housing and Utilities The department deputy Mr Sergei xxxx expressed that the likelihood of LEO cutting off four water utility companies simultaneously is perhaps not as great as expected. Also he expressed that Karbonit system is currently receiving no water in NGCA areas as pipes are under repair. However WASH cluster partners pointed out that it seems LEO have permission from the Min. of Energy to cut off the water companies; that LEO is desperate for help and while the debts of water companies is minor in comparison to LEO’s other debtors; and that LEO have waited until the spring to take action so that town heating systems will not be affected. Cluster partners also queries when PVKs repairs will actually be finished, and the deputy confirmed that three more days should be sufficient. Mr Oleg yyyy then presented project costs associated with their strategic plan for 2018 to 2020. The WASH cluster expressed willingness to try to support by sharing the document with international donors. Unfortunately the department representatives has to depart after the initial discussion. Cluster partners expressed thanks that the depatment attended and expressed willingness to work more closely in future.

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2.b. Partners updates. The table below shows newly planned and ongoing activities reported during the meeting. For full information please refer to the 3W or 5W spreadsheet produced by the WASH Cluster.

Full Name Category Activity Location Mercy Corps Checkpoint At Stanitsia Luhanska Checkpoint MC will construct four toilets Stanitsia Luhanska Checkpoint WASH (2 normal and 2 for disabled people) havin supplied materials to the raion who will now do construction. MC have also provided cleaning materials sufficient to last until August 2017. The raion will organise cleaning of the toilets. Dumpsters, bins and water storage tanks will also be installed. 2 thermo potshot water containers (20 liters each) and dumpsters will be installed in mentioned above check-point. 4 wheelchairs will be donated to check-point for easier crossing of people with disabilities. UNICEF Water UNICEF are working with Lysichansk Vodakanal (LVK) to upgrade PVK, LVK Supply borehole pumps. They are supplying excavators to PVK and LVK. UNICEF have delivered water quality test reagents to water company laboratories in Luhansk Oblast GCA areas (sufficient for 1 year)

NRC Hygiene NRC are distributing hygiene kits (300 adult kitschild kits, 100 kits Line of Conflict areas for children under 1 elderly people, 25050 kits to people with disabilities). Doshkekaban They are also working with PVK to enable emergency pipeline repairs in Doshkekaban. WASH Cluster will send NRC the needs database to see if those repairs are identified as a need that can be crossed off the list.

ACF WASH ACF have not received funding to continue with key activities such as institutional WASH and a widespread programme of water quality testing. The WASH cluster will liaise with them to see if the activities can be implemented by others, or if other donors can be found to complete their work.

REACH Assess- Fieldwork starts May 15th. WASH cluster will work with the Kiev ment REACH team to define more clearly what information the REACH team should collect regarding WASH issues.

2c.Updates of Infectious service of Lugansk region • Over the past two years, the number of recorded cases of intestinal infections has increased by 10% in Popasnianskiy and Stanichno-Luganskiy rayon’s. The same situation is in Starobelsk and Svatovo. In Rubeznoe number of recorded cases has doubled. 70% of cases are children. The number of cases of cholera has doubled in Lugansk oblast within the last 3 years. • The reason is problems with water treatment and with water supply. • From May to August, an outbreak of intestinal diseases is expected. • Also, due to inadequate sanitary safety, an outbreak of hepatitis A is expected in whole region. • A general aggravation in the epidemiological situation is expected, especially among the children. • The technical equipment of infectious departments is not financed by the government. • The Sanitary Epidemiological Station (SES) has lost the legal right to monitor the water quality in the region, which leads to uncontrolled drinking of water that does not comply with sanitary standards.

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• SES can react only in case of an epidemic of serious diseases. The problem is that hospitals are not equipped enough (and lack of staff included) to respond promptly in case of registration an epidemic in the region. 3. Contingency Planning By way of preparation representatives of the Oblast Infection control unit of the department of health presented some realities. Key points included:  The level of stomach infections has risen by a factor of 2.5 in Stanitsia Luhansk raion (since the conflict started) with around 5070% of patients are children;  In the summer they expect widespread rises in stomach infections as  People swim in surface water  Although Hepatitis A is currently under control a periodic upswing of cases is due (they happen periodically). If there was an outbreak of Hep. A they expect 70% of cases to be children;  There is currently no Oblast level hospital specializing in infectious diseases  Currently hospitals need cleaning materials to maintain basic hygiene although they did not reprt any shortages in drugs/medicines;  The department of health had a contingency plan last year 2016 therefore they are relatively well prepared for any outbreaks  There is a gap in water testing at community level, as the function of the previously named Sanitary Epidemiological Service are not yet legally established and defined. They would need financial support to do widespread water testing at community level.

The WASH Cluster explained that there is also a national level contingency planning process moving ahead, and that the WASH cluster recently met the WHO and the health Cluster in Kiev to see how the two groups can work together in the event of an outbreak.

The group then brainstormed what needs there would be and what activities would be prioritized if the four water companies are cut from the electricity network. Also they discussed what resources are available.

See Annex 1 for agreed outputs.

4. AOB

Participants noted that this was the last meeting led by Yuliya Yanchenko, who is moving on from ACF soon. Everyone expressed sincere thanks to Yuliya, who has juggled full time work wit ACF with volunteering to act as the WASH Cluster focal point. The WASH cluster team from Kiev would also like to expess a huge debt of gratitude to Yuliya for all her efforts: they were very much appreciated!

- Ends -

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Action points

# Action Who Deadline

1 WASH Cluster will send NRC the needs database to see if those repairs WASH Cluster Next are identified as a need that can be crossed off the list. meeting

2 The WASH cluster will liaise with ACF to see if their planned WASH WASH Cluster Next activities can be implemented by others, or if other donors can be found meeting to complete their work. 3 WASH cluster will work with the Kiev REACH team to define more WASH Cluster 28th April clearly what information the REACH team should collect regarding WASH issues. 4 The WASH cluster will look for a replacement Focal Point for All Next Sieverodonetsk. meeting

Participants Full Name Position E-mail Tel (Mobile) Igor Masliyak Oleg Deputy Head of +38050 445 84 63 Department of Housing and Utilities infrastructureDepartment of housing and utilities Sergey Ohliyak Sergei Deputy Department of +38050 328 89 08 Housing and Utilities infrastructureDeputy, department of housing and utilities Elena KolyadenkoYelena Regional Child Infectious [email protected] Kalindenka SpecialistInfection control unit of the department of health Olga MartynenkoOlga Regional Infectious [email protected] Matrienka SpecialistInfection control +38095 259 62 42 unit of the department of health Tagui MelkumyanTagui OCHA [email protected] +38050 382 45 40

Natalia Chervinskayamenska REACH +380504706174 Vitaliy YefimenkoVitaly Shelter Project Officer , [email protected] +38066 047 75 94 NRC Olga Volik MHCP HoP, ACF [email protected] +38095 602 17 26 Olesia Kayda Sr. Emergency Response [email protected] +38095 374 34 82 Reporting Officer, Mercy Corps Yuliya Yanchenko ACF head of WASH and [email protected] +380995260121 WASH cluster focal point in m Sieverodonetsk

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Stas Dymkovskyy WASH Cluster Focal point [email protected] in Donetsk Mark Buttle WASH Cluster Coordinator [email protected] +380504484546

Volodymyr Kalinin WASH Cluster and [email protected] +380503812237 Nutrition Sub-Cluster Information Management Officer Andrii Solonenko WASH Monitoring officer, [email protected] +380506254784 UNICEF, and WASH Cluster Focal Point

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Annex 1: Contingency plans for Luhansk GCA areas (immediate)

Insert table here Commented [WASH HoP1]: Nothing to add unfortunately. NRC and Mercy Corps are not ready to discuss their reserves. In this case I propose to share the table with all partners and give them a bit time to think.

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