"The number of people in need has actually increased by 700,000 since 2016 HRP, according to humanitarian assessments. People have exhausted their savings, their ability to cope is stretched too far after more than 30 months of conflict. The suspension of social payments and pensions to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in 2016 further aggravated the protection situation in Ukraine. Some 2.9 million people are believed to be in need of protection, while 3.7 million people need water and sanitation assistance, 2.2 million people need health care and 1.1 million need food assistance or livelihood interventions," the United Nations in Ukraine said in an announcement about the launch of the plan on December 5.
"Humanitarian partners in Ukraine propose to complement the government-led response and other actors' humanitarian interventions with a focused and prioritised HRP, totaling $214 million to assist some 2.6 million people most in need of humanitarian assistance in 2017. Of the total requirement, activities worth $ 127 million were identified as critical priority for which early funding is crucial to ensure timely delivery of multi-sector life-saving assistance for the most vulnerable, and to ensure that key benchmarks are met, especially for winterisation and other seasonal-sensitive efforts," the plan reads.
The 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for Ukraine encompasses 94 projects put forward by 45 organizations, including 35 national and international NGOs and 10 UN agencies. More than US$42 million of the funding is for protection, US$33.8 million for shelter and non-food items and US$26 million for access to safe water and sanitation.
"As the conflict enters its fourth year in May of 2017, humanitarian partners struggle to meet critical needs of people in an almost invisible conflict. At the same time, there is potential, particularly in government-controlled areas, to move more firmly into recovery. Simultaneous urgent action at both fronts is crucial to address real needs caused by man-made conflict," UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator Neal Walker said in his comment on the launch of the plan.
Read alsoVadym Chernysh: We must not reject Donbas peopleThe Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs, Vadym Chernysh, highlighted that plans of Ukraine's government for areas affected by the conflict include not only the implementation of development projects, but also humanitarian assistance to the population. "In coordination with international organizations, the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan will help to ensure the most basic needs of the people living in both government and non-government controlled territories of Ukraine," he said.
