UKRAINE MARCH 2021 PROTECTION HIGHLIGHTS • Security situation and civilians: The security situation along the contact line continues to be tense. The International NGO Safety Organization reported PROTECTION CLUSTER CONTACTS 533 security incidents, which is at the same level as in February, following the Raquel Trabazo, Protection Cluster escalation of hostilities at the beginning of the year. In March, partners Coordinator, [email protected] recorded 8 civilian casualties (three persons died and five injured), six of Kateryna Martynenko, Child Protection them caused by ERW incidents. The number of damages to civilian housing Sub-Cluster Coordinator further increased with 27 houses damaged as a result of shelling. [email protected] • Freedom of Movement: Two Entry Exit Crossing Points (EECP) are Olena Kochemyrovska, GBV Sub-Cluster Coordinator [email protected] operational on both sides (Stanytsia Luhanska and Novotroitske). On 19 March, free COVID-19 testing became available at the EECP Stanytsia Martin Oubrecht, Mine Action Sub- Cluster Coordinator Luhanska. However, the number of medical staff is not sufficient to cover [email protected] existing needs: every day around 850 persons were crossing the EECP while Akbar Nazriev Age and Disability TWG less than 100 persons could be tested. People have to stay in lines for several Coordinator [email protected] hours to get tested. Protection partners advocate to prioritize vulnerable Volodymyr Khorbaladze, Housing, Land people for free testing. and Property TWG Coordinator Due to the limited operation of the checkpoints, the residents of non- [email protected] government controlled areas (NGCA) are compelled to travel to GCA through the Russian Federation. About 1,700 persons are entering Ukraine daily through the state border crossing point in Milove (Luhansk region), which is RELEVANT ONLINE DASHBOARDS not equipped with the necessary infrastructure (benches, sheds, water, Protection Cluster partners’ operational presence – February 2021 toilets, internet connection). People wait in lines for up to 19 hours and subjected to administrative penalties for travelling from NGCA to the Russian Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) Sessions Federation outside official border crossing points. MHPSS and GBV Services • Legislative developments: On 24 March, the President signed the National Checkpoints: people’s monthly crossings Human Rights Strategy. The Strategy reaffirms the right of residents of NGCA Settlements Map to pensions and social payments, access to administrative, medical, and Legal Aid Directory educational services. Also, it provides for an administrative procedure on the registration of personal documentation (birth and death certificates, medical certificates). The mechanism should be established by the Action Plan on the implementation of the Strategy. On 24 February, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted the National Social Programme for Prevention and Countering Domestic and Gender-Based violence to enhance protection of GBV survivors in the context of decentralization reform. • HLP rights: In March, the Compensation Committees in Donetsk and Luhansk regions approved 24 requests for compensation for destroyed housing. The assessments of damages in the Avdiivka amalgamated territorial community (ATC) were postponed due to staffing issues caused by the decentralization. • Access to social services: Due to poor transport connections in the area along the contact line, access to social services remains limited for half of the local population. According to the UNHCR and Proliska joint Protection Monitoring in 98 settlements and localites in the 0-5 km area along the contact line: Departments of Social Protection (DoSP) are only located in eight settlements with overall 116,000 residents. In 43 settlements with 107,567 residents, people can access DoSP services only by using public transportation, available at least once a day. In the other 47 settlements (5,504 residents) with no DoSP services, there is no or very limited access to public transport. The offices of the Pension Fund are located in nine settlements, which have transport connections with 41 other settlements. There is no or very limited access to public transport in the other 48 settlements. Social workers do not cover 57 settlements with a total of 19,836 residents. In 21 of these 57 settlements, the share of elderly people is more than 70% of the total population. OPERATIONAL RESPONSE • Protection and legal counseling: NGO Proliska provided protection consultations to 1,706 persons. Key concerns included access to humanitarian aid, health services, and freedom of movement. Norwegian Refugee Council’s community-based network of paralegals provided legal consultations to 576 persons residing along the contact line in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. NGO Donbas SOS provided individual counseling to 1,558 persons and legal assistance to 451 persons through its hotline, which is a 10% increase compared to February. Hotline operators registered an increased number of inquiries regarding travelling from NGCA to GCA through Russia. ©UNHCR / Office equipment delivered to the authorities • Mine action: The HALO Trust cleared 21.5 hectares of mine- of Ivanopilsk district of Kostiantynivska ATC contaminated land and conducted online and offline Explosive Ordnance Risk Education sessions for 10,914 children, teachers, and caregivers. Ukrainian Deminers Association conducted training for 23 military sappers. • Child Protection: SOS Children’s Villages jointly with the workers of DoSP conducted three webinars on the prevention of child abandonment for vulnerable families, doctors from maternity hospitals, and maternity welfare centers in Luhansk region. UNICEF jointly with Terre des Hommes conducted Positive Parenting sessions for 196 parents and caregivers. Save the Children conducted sessions on Parenting without Violence for 17 children and 20 adults in Krasnohorivka community center. • GBV: UNDP jointly with UNFPA, UN WOMEN, and FAO launched daycare centers for GBV survivors in Vuhledar (Donetsk region) and Kreminna (Luhansk region), as well as a shelter in Popasna (Luhansk region). Daycare centers provide psychological, social, and legal services for people who suffered from domestic violence. The shelter can accommodate up to nine persons. • Older people and people with disabilities: Triangle Génération Humanitaire’s community volunteers provided home-based care to 232 older people from eight settlements along the contact line. Polish Humanitarian Action provided home-based care to 547 older people, living along the contact line. • Psychosocial support (PSS): People in Need (PIN) provided PSS support through its hotline to 905 persons. PIN conducted 3 trainings on professional and emotional burnout for 36 PSS specialists, educators, and volunteers. International Organization for Migration conducted a training session on burnout prevention for 9 workers of the Donbas Center for rehabilitation of people with disabilities. • Capacity building: On 19-28 March, Stabilization Support Services organized the Advocacy Youth Academy for 50 young activists from Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. The curriculum focused on advocacy with local authorities on issues related to conflict and internal displacement. Danish Refugee Council conducted seven online sessions on entrepreneurial activities during the quarantine for 94 conflict-affected persons owning or interested in registering their business. • Сommunity support: UNHCR jointly with NGO Proliska delivered office equipment to the community of Ivanopilsk District of Kostiantynivska ATC (Donetsk GCA), with a population of 2,000 residents. This will improve access to online administrative services for older people and those who do not have a personal computer. ADVOCACY • On 1 March, Free Legal Aid (FLAC) Coordination Center launched the project “FLAC volunteer”, supported by UNDP, UNHCR, and the Council of Europe. The project aims to improve access to free legal aid for people residing in remote areas through local volunteers, who will conduct awareness-raising activities and provide referral services. • On 11 March, OHCHR released a report on the Human Rights situation in Ukraine covering the issues of civilian casualties, attacks on © TGH / TGH volunteer provides home-based care to civilian infrastructure, and freedom of movement during COVID-19 older woman quarantine restrictions. • On 31 March, NGO Right to Protection released a report on ‘IDPs housing needs, intentions and opportunities’. The findings showed that the existing six state programmes do not fully address IDPs’ housing needs while this remains the key prerequisite for successful integration in the host communities. Protection Cluster Ukraine I March 2021 .