CP sub-cluster Newsletter for April 2021

Incidents:

In April 3 mine and UXO incidents took place.

On the 2nd of April in Oleksandrivske, Donetsk NGCA, a 5-year-old boy died due to blast trauma and shrapnel wounds.

On the 6th of April one boy (born 2004) died in incident with unidentified explosive device. The incident occurred in western suburb of Slovianoserbsk, NGCA. One more boy was injured.

On the 14th of April In Pokrovsk, Donetsk GCA, a teenage boy (born 2006) was injured as a result of explosion of an unknown object that was detonated while burning fallen leaves. The boy has received injuries to his back and was hospitalized. The boy has received support from Center for social services and Terre Des Hommes mine victims' assistance program.

Key child protection concerns:

People in need bring attention to the fact that due to the non-appointment of the head of the Svitlodarsk City Military-Civil Administration, the issue of establishing Center of social services remains unresolved, so the provision of basic social services is impossible in Svitlodarsk, Novoluhanske, Luhanske, Zaitseve, Myronivskyi.

SOS Children’s villages bring attention to the situation in Stanytsya Luhanska that is currently also undergoing decentralization process and there is a risk for interruption of social services in the area due to this process. Also, organization highlights lack of opportunities for long-term psychological support for vulnerable families and children under alternative care.

Response:

SOS children’s villages provided comprehensive support to 571 children in Luhansk region (152 children out of 68 families in Stanytsya Luhanska, 244 children out of 116 families from , 175 children out of 80 families in ). The support included psychological counseling (group and individual), positive parenting sessions, support groups for parents, speech therapy, health services, cash support. Psychological and pedagogical service provided 500 consultations to 100 beneficiaries (children and adults) from vulnerable families.

Terre Des Hommes in cooperation with UNICEF continued supporting mobile teams that conducted PSS sessions for 244 adolescents aged 12+ (100 girls and 144 boys). The sessions had been conducted offline in the schools of Berestove, , , Sievierodonetsk. Dynamics of activities were impeded by COVID-19 restrictions stipulated by mode of school work in quarantine zoning. In context of mine victim assistance project Case Management Team identified 14 children (9 boys, 5 girls) whose cases are in focus. Case Management Team identified 11 families where at least one caregiver was affected and whose cases are in focus. (5 men, 6 women)

Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health in cooperation with UNICEF continues support of 12 GBV mobile teams. In April mobile teams conducted 78 emergency outreach visits in GBV/domestic violence cases. Most of the cases (86%) are related to domestic violence (psychological) against women (88%) and girls (60%). 2 572 online consultations were provided through phone and Skype. Among all calls, 83% were women and girls.

Consultations on violence including domestic violence, violence outside the family and violence against children comprised more than 50% of all calls. At the same time, requests for information about COVID- 19 increased by 37% in April due to quarantine restrictions and increase of the COVID-19 incidence in region.

Save the children: facilitators in Community center conducted an event “My safe life”. As the security situation in Krasnohorivka deteriorated considerably in April, children have felt very worried and emotionally unstable, the staff made visits to the shelter with children to remind them of the safety place in the Co