The UN systems require $162 million for the implementation of humanitarian projects in Ukraine, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Osnat Lubrani has said.
“For 2019, $162 million is needed (of this, $135 million has been identified as critical priority requirement) to reach 2.3 million most vulnerable men, women and children with assistance and protection,” the coordinator’s appeal reads, made public on Jan. 31 in the report titled “Multi-Year Humanitarian Response Strategy: January-December 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan.”
Some $47.6 million provided for psychosocial support, monitoring of human rights protection, assistance in the field of individual protection, marking of areas contaminated by mines; $31.8 million is needed to ensure sustainable access to conflict-affected people with sufficient water of adequate quality and minimum hygiene and sanitation services; $27 million is provided for building materials and non-food supplies in case of emergency, as well as heating fuels, heaters, warm clothing and shelter insulation for the most vulnerable groups of the population.
In addition, $19.2 million is needed to ensure food security; $18.1 million is given for the provision of essential and primary medical services, rehabilitation and reconstruction of medical services and infrastructure, the purchase and distribution of medical supplies, essential medicines, as well as direct support to laboratories, including blood bank services.
Also, it is planned to provide $6.5 million for improving the access of children and young people to education, $5 million for coordinating and managing humanitarian activities, $6.5 million for multi-purpose financial assistance to the affected population.
The plan provides for extension of humanitarian assistance to the area within 20 kilometers on both sides of the ‘contact line’ “ensuring that the most vulnerable will receive essential assistance, even though they may not be directly affected by shelling,” it said.
Almost 45 percent of projects included in the 2019 response plan have a cash or voucher component, compared to less than 40 percent last year.
“Though humanitarian access to people in need was at times unpredictable, constrained and was exacerbated by the lack of funds (the 2018 HRP was 38 percent funded) they were able to provide assistance and protection services in hard-to-reach areas,” the report reads.
