Cash Working Group Meeting, Skype – Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Sievierodonetsk, Mariupol 27 May 2021 Discussion Action points/Decisions ACTED provided the briefing/refresher on the tasks and modality of the Cash Working Group (CWG). Since 2018, ACTED voluntarily co-chairs the CWG facilitating coordination. Also, the relevance of the Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) transfer amount is regularly discussed and reviewed at the CWG meetings, and the findings of the regular rounds of the Joint Market Monitoring are presented. 1. Results on MPC activities in 2021 Q1 (by UNOCHA) ACTED to re-share the link to • 8 partners were operational in terms of MPC in Q1 2021 – ACTED, Caritas Ukraine, German Red Cross, IOM, People in Need, Polish the CWG Web-page on Humanitarian Action, DRC/DDG, and PIN. humanitarianresponse.info and • Based on the information provided by partners, the total amount of MPC provided in total 2020 Q1 was 28,904,000 UAH. presentation with Q1 2021 achievements to the partners • 4,322 beneficiaries received assistance under the projects included in HRP and 1,461 outside of HRP, UAH 15,996,500 and UAH 12,907,500, respectively. The request for the participants had been shared for the cross-checking of the figures. • All information will be available in the form of interactive dashboards on the HR.info web platform with detailed information as per Cluster, partner, delivery mechanism, and modality after receiving confirmations from partners. 2. Partner updates on the MPC and other sectoral cash assistance programs • Caritas informed on the plans to start a new project for MPC and cash for health in August 2021. Verification processes of the new beneficiaries for the current MPC project has been finished. • Triangle has implemented cash for work project for 48 beneficiaries in the current month – volunteers supported with transfer amount of 1000 UAH/volunteer/month. Payments had been done through the Ukrposhta. In December 2021-March 2022 a new project will be implemented. • German Red Cross (GRC) implements MPC project in partnership with local Ukrainian Red Cross (Donetsk oblast department) in 2021-2022 from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022. Number of beneficiaries planned for 2021 – 650 beneficiaries in Donetska oblast, amount of 1150 UAH/person/month, area of intervention: Volnovaskyi raion, Toretsk municipality. Number of beneficiaries planned for 2022 – 1300 beneficiaries in Donetska oblast and GRC is planning to expand intervention to Luhanska oblast. By the end of 2021, all beneficiaries are supposed to receive assistance on the monthly basics (12 payments). GRC expressed an interest to cross-check beneficiaries with other partners. • IOM implements MPC project in Luhanska (from Sivierodonetsk office) and Donetska (from Kramatorsk office) oblasts in Jan-Aug 2021. The selection of beneficiaries has been done already. The amount distributed is 1225 UAH/person/month. 576 beneficiaries in Luhanska oblast and 299 in Donetska oblast has been selected. IOM made a decision to increase the transfer amount because the budget allowed it. • ASB informed they implement two-year project providing cash assistance for food and hygiene. In April 2021, the amount of 1236 UAH/month/person has been distributed to 3450 beneficiaries, in 0-5 km zone along the contact line in Donetska and Luhanska oblast covering three months of assistance. Extra caseload of 920 beneficiaries had received three months of assistance as well, covering April-June. In Q3-Q4 ASB is going to start an MPC project and enlarge geographical coverage to 0-20 km along the contact line. • ACTED has several cash projects. In April 950+200 beneficiaries received MPC assistance in Avdiivka, in May-June it is planned to cover another 450 beneficiaries in Avdiivka. In June, there is a plan to provide cash for food assistance to 250 people in Nyzhne, in summer it is planned to cover with MPC assistance for more than 2000 beneficiaries in total in the 0-5 km area along the contact line. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) | Ukraine Coordination Saves Lives | www.unocha.org • HelpAge implements the cash project with 600 beneficiaries to be covered in 12 locations in Donetska oblast with a three-month duration for 1150 UAH/month/person. It will be one payment for three months. • PIN is finishing the MPC project for 2000 beneficiaries in Donetska oblast, last transfers will be made in June 2021 - one transfer covering three months. PIN implements another MPC project in Donetska and Luhanska oblast that covers 400 beneficiaries till the end of September, covering 6 months of assistance with 1150 UAH/person/month. • DRC reported they had finished the MPC project in March 2021 and are not planning to implement MPC activities in 2021. • ICRC continues implementing cash project (blanket coverage) in Novooleksandivka, Popasnynskyiy raion, MPC grants on monthly basis, the transfer amount is 1200 UAH/person/month. There is another cash project implemented all over in Ukraine – monthly MPC (1200 UAH/person/month) for the families of missing persons and families of detainees (conflict related). Another activity is implemented in Odeska, Mykolayvska, Khersonska oblasts, 90 IDPs with HH members with disabilities are planned to be covered. The duration of the program is 6 months, the assistance (1200 UAH/person/month) will be distributed one-off. • Partners discussed the options of monthly distribution of cash assistance, transfers covering two months of assistance, three or months of assistance, and respective approaches for PDM activities. 3. Joint Market Monitoring findings • All data is available online on the dashboard. ACTED to share the presentation with key findings of Joint Market • Data collection was conducted in February-March 2021 to assess the economic situation on the ground. Monitoring conducted in • Geographic coverage – both within 5 km zone and outside of 5 km zone, market sub-centers, semi-periphery, periphery, GCA, and NGCA. February-March 2021 • 35 locations in Donetska and Luhanska oblast GCA. • The most common issues for customers in accessing markets are similar to previous rounds: high prices come first (82%) and are the only significant obstacle in sub-centers, while assortment follows in peripheries (35%) and semi-peripheries (36%). Transportation is a significant issue in peripheral locations (27%), while safety concerns are still low on the board. • Recent food price trends showed a significant annual increase in price (+35.6% change comparing to February 2020 and +27.5% change comparing to August 2020). • In NGCA (Donetsk), food price has increased since previous winter round (February 2020) by 30% and since August 2020 by 16% • The average annual price change for hygiene items from February 2020 to February 2021 was at +5.9% and +2.4% change comparing to August 2020 • In NGCA (Donetsk), the price for hygiene items has increased since the previous winter round (February 2020) by 3% and since August 2020 by 12%. • The average annual price change for construction materials from February 2020 to February 2021 was at +1.1% and +4.2% change comparing to August 2020 • Analysis of average price levels per market category showed that prices for medicine in the periphery were 7.8% higher than the overall average, semi-peripheries exhibited almost average price level while sub-centers demonstrated below-average prices for the medication (12.4%) United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Coordination Saves Lives | www.unocha.org • The average price change for medication from August 2020 to February 2021 was at +3.2%. • The average annual price change for agricultural inputs from February 2020 to February 2021 was at +26.6% and +24.2% change comparing to August 2020, mostly driven by Chicken feed and Wheat. • The findings on the availability of basic medicine from the list showed that these medications are widely available. • Consumers reported a small impact of humanitarian assistance on the market (5%). 25% of retailers had reported that humanitarian assistance did have an impact on the market. • Cash assistance was often seen as positive (reported by 97% of traders), while in-kind assistance was heavily associated with a negative impact (reported by 90% of traders). 96% of all the negative impact reported is due to in-kind assistance. 4. Cash transfer value • Actual subsistence level has increased by 10% since the last review of the MPC transfer value (May 2020). Partners to share de- personalized information about • The results of the PDM report conducted by Caritas showed that 52% of the beneficiaries had improved their well-being a month after income level of beneficiaries to receiving MPC assistance. inform the revision of the MPC • Partners have agreed to keep the MPC transfer value at 1150 UAH/person/month and discuss the need to revision at the next CWG transfer value meeting. • Cash Coordinator asked to share de-personalized informalized information about income level of beneficiaries to inform the revision of the MPC transfer value. Contacts: Ms. Nataliya Chervinska, ACTED Country Projects Coordinator phone: +380 50 470 61 74, e-mail: [email protected] Ms. Darya Sagaydak Information Management Officer, OCHA, Kramatorsk phone: +380 50 309 57 52, e-mail: [email protected] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Coordination Saves Lives | www.unocha.org .