Ukraine

 

The situation in Ukraine remains unpredictable due to ongoing conflict in the east and a struggling economy, and could deteriorate rapidly.
 
In 2016, UNHCR will continue to address the needs of internally displaced people (IDPs) and affected communities in Ukraine. By November 2015, the Government had registered around 1,5 million IDPs. According to the Ministry of Social Policy (MoSP) of Ukraine the total number of internally displaced persons has reached 1.5 million[1].

Analysis and crosschecking of data on the basis of multiple government datasets indicate that the likely figure of IDPs located in government controlled areas (GCA) is approximately 800,000. The majority of the 4.3 million people affected by the insecurity are living in non-government controlled areas or in regions bordering conflict-affected areas, such as the Government-controlled areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhia provinces.
 
UNHCR interventions will target affected communities in non-government controlled areas, affected communities along the contact line, and areas with a high concentration of IDPs. More emphasis on stabilization and a solutions-oriented approach will be adopted, including activities to promote integration and institutional capacity-building. The Government of Ukraine bears the primary responsibility for the protection of displaced citizens, in accordance with national legislation. UNHCR continues to advocate for the adoption of the regulatory framework to implement important provisions of the national IDP law, including those relating to housing, socio-economic rights and property rights. UNHCR and partners will continue to advocate for freedom of movement, housing rights, and access to legal assistance for IDPs, and humanitarian access to IDPs.

The Office will continue working with partners in non-government-controlled areas and along the contact line to provide shelter and relief items. In light of the increase in refugee flows to Europe, UNHCR will pursue its refugee protection and asylum-related interventions in 2016, including by building the capacity of partners and border monitoring.