HIGHLIGHTS
Approximately 5.2 million people are affected by conflict in eastern Ukraine, the highest number since 2014
The UN requests approximately $162 million to respond to humanitarian needs in 2019
USG partners provide winter assistance to at least 3,200 vulnerable people in eastern Ukraine
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
The number of civilian casualties recorded in Ukraine between mid-August and midNovember 2018 decreased by approximately 50 percent compared to the period from mid-May to mid-August, the UN reports. The UN attributes the decrease to two consecutive recommitments to the 2015 ceasefire in July and September.
The number of people affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine increased from 4.4 million in November 2017 to 5.2 million people as of December 2018, representing the highest figure since the conflict began in 2014, the UN reports. Moreover, 3.5 million of those affected by conflict require humanitarian assistance to address the impact of widespread explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination, increasing psychosocial trauma, and insufficient access to basic services.
On January 31, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched the 2019−2020 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Ukraine, requesting $162 million for 2019, including $135 million to respond to the most urgent needs, especially winter assistance. The UN and humanitarian partners will target 2.3 million people with multi-sector assistance under the plan.
Conflict continues to damage water infrastructure in eastern Ukraine, placing more than 4.8 million people in conflict-affected areas at risk of losing access to safe drinking water and heat should water systems stop functioning. To date in 2019, water workers at one water pumping station in Donetsk oblast alone have reported seven incidents of shelling or small arms fire, injuring three maintenance workers, according to the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) Cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian shelter activities, comprising UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders.