ReliefWeb

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Ceasefire violations and the presence of mines and explosive remnants of war continued to pose a threat to children on both sides of the line of contact. To mitigate such threats, UNICEF initiated the design of a comprehensive training program on first aid for teachers in Donetsk and Luhansk oblast with the aim of ensuring enhanced children’s knowledge on basic first aid. In partnership with the Danish Refugee CouncilDanish Demining Group UNICEF rolled out a mine victim assistance project the objective of which is to enhance the management of mine victim information with adequate referral pathways based on service mapping whilst strengthening the inclusivity of the environment for children with disabilities in communities and in schools.

Throughout the month of August UNICEF, in cooperation with civil society, supported a campaign focused on [suggest ‘improving’] access to education for children residing along the contact line and nongovernment controlled areas. As a result over 2,500 children were referred to and accessed education centers located in Eastern Ukraine.

Summary Analysis of Programme Response

HEALTH

UNICEF continued the implementation, in non-government controlled areas, of its program on Prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission. Through this support, in August 18 babies delivered by HIV positive women were supported by a multidisciplinary team of social and medical workers for clinical monitoring and psychosocial support. In addition, UNICEF supported HIV prevention activities among school age adolescents via peer-to-peer training. During the reporting period, 53 adolescent peer-to-peer consultants and 35 HIV positive children received systematic psycho-social support.
WASH Within its ongoing support to ensuring access to safe drinking water, UNICEF continued to supply liquefied chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite to 6 filter stations and 10 production departments of Voda Donbasu.

In August UNICEF initiated the supply of sodium hypochlorite as a new activity and continued supplies of liquefied chlorine gas, aluminum sulfate and activated carbon to the Western Filter Station of Popasna vodokanal that supplies drinking water to people on both sides of the contact line. Working with civil society partners, UNICEF provided e-vouchers for hygiene products to 4,752 households, reaching 14,219 vulnerable individuals in Volnovakhskyi, Bakhmutskyi, Nikolskyi, Pokrovskyi, Kostiantynivskyi rayons and settlements under the authority of the Toretsk city council. Such family e-vouchers, which are redeemable in 36 partner stores, are expected to provide a major boost for vulnerable families in meeting the needs for personal and household hygiene items. Additional vouchers were provided to families with children (covering 1,739 children under five), persons with disabilities (1,403) and women (3,134) to allow procurement of diapers for children and adults, baby hygiene products and menstrual pads. In Luhansk NGCA, 119 children, women and persons with disabilities received individual and family hygiene kits.

CHILD PROTECTION

UNICEF continued to support a Child Protection Center in Luhansk and the mobile outreach to remote areas in Luhansk NGCA. During the reporting period, 60 families (92 adults and 91 children) benefitted from comprehensive case management ,1292 beneficiaries (1176 children (559 boys and 617 girls) and 116 adults) participated in psycho-social individual and group activities aimed to address stress and other mental health issues, such as anxiety, aggressiveness, fear, 1080 children and their caregivers received knowledge on healthy lifestyles and the rights of children and 36 of them benefited from MRE education , 42 adolescents and youth participated in youth-friendly activities on the basis of ‘anti-café’, while 35 parents received training in positive parenting aimed to ensure use of positive child upbringing practices.

Through its support to 15 mobile teams, UNICEF continued to provide assistance to survivors of genderbased violence (GBV) and to children affected by violence in Donetsk and Luhansk areas (GCA). In August, a total of 452 GBV survivors and 52 children affected by violence (22 boys/30 girls, 1 of them with special needs) benefited from PSS first aid and the referral services.

In August, UNICEF in partnership with Danish Refugee Council-Danish Demining Group (DRC-DDG) initiated a comprehensive mine victims assistance project for child mine victims and their families which included four components - a) situation analysis in relation to child mine victims; b) mapping of available services in order to contribute to improved referral and service provision; c) individual case management for child mine victims and their families; d) ensuring a protective environment for child mine victims through community support networks and awareness raising to support their inclusion. The overall objective is to contribute to the development of essential foundation blocks for child mine victim assistance in Ukraine through the establishment of a complete and up-to-date system of managing mine victim information. This includes the development of adequate referral pathways based on service mapping whilst strengthening the inclusivity of the environment for children with disabilities in communities and in schools.

In partnership with the All-Ukrainian Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine Council (ARCEM, and in coordination with the Education Department of the Donetsk Oblast Administration, UNICEF initiated the design of an updated training course for teachers in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts on first aid provision focusing on explosion and bullet wounds. The course is being designed for teachers working with senior students, grades 10-11. Considering the risks posed to children (16 children were killed in mine/unexploded ordnance related incidents in the first six months of 2018), UNICEF determined, in close consultation with children, caregivers and professionals, the critical need to ensure all children are trained in basic first aid.

EDUCATION

In August, UNICEF completed the rehabilitation of 5 schools in Donetsk oblast and 1 school and 2 kindergartens in Luhansk oblast, situated along in the 0-5 km area along the contact line. As a result 1,796 children benefited from improved access to safe learning environments. In addition, UNICEF distributed 2,500 educational kits in 14 schools of Stanychno-Luhansky and Popasnyansky rayons of Luhansk oblast, GCA (0-5 km) to ensure all children have critical supplies to start the new school year which began on September 4th.

In partnership with civil society, UNICEF conducted a workshop from 28-29 August, 2018 on Safe School Modelling for representatives of 14 education facilities from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Each school’s action plans, presented to the Ministry of Education and Sciences and UNICEF, are now being finalized with the aim of implementing the plans in 2018-2019. In addition, 304 teachers and school administrators from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, GCA accessed Life School Education training, online.

UNICEF continued to support distance learning for children residing along the line of contact and in nongovernment controlled areas. Together with local civil society, UNICEF supported a media campaign to enhance access to vocational and distance learning education. This included press-briefings, teleconferences and meetings with teachers. According to civil society, 801 children from Luhansk oblast and 1785 children from Donetsk oblast were referred for assistance of educational centers "DonbasUkraine" in 2018.