Ukraine Humanitarian Response 2023: Situation Report, 23 Nov 2023 [EN/UK]

HIGHLIGHTS

• The war in Ukraine continues to severely impact people's lives and damage civilian infrastructure, triggering evacuations from front-line areas and driving humanitarian needs.
• Despite challenges, aid workers continue to deliver assistance across Ukraine, including to those close to the front line, with 10 million people assisted by the end of October.
• Attacks on energy, water and gas systems, particularly near the front line, could worsen the situation as winter arrives and temperatures drop below zero.
• Humanitarians are also responding to needs arising with the onset of winter, as identified in the Winter Response Plan, aiming to support 1.7 million people through March 2024.

ANALYSIS

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION OVERVIEW

The war in Ukraine continues to severely impact people's lives, damage critical civilian infrastructure and livelihoods, and trigger mandatory evacuations of civilians from front-line communities and driving high humanitarian needs. Deadly attacks with humanitarian consequences have continued across Ukraine since the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation in February 2022. Since, over 28,350 civilian casualties have been verified as of October 2023, and this number is likely to be considerably higher. On 5 October, a missile attack against a funeral reception in Hroza, Kharkiv Oblast, killed 59 civilians. The attack was the deadliest in 2023 in terms of civilian casualties. Also, the deteriorating security situation and heightened risks in the areas near Kupiansk City and in front-line areas of eastern Donetska, southern Khersonska and south-eastern Zaporizka oblasts triggered mandatory evacuations of children with families. As of September, 3.7 million people are internally displaced. Attacks on Black Sea ports and grain storage facilities continue and add another burden on farmers already struggling with heavy land mine contamination, particularly in Ukraine's breadbasket regions, including Kharkivska, Khersonska and Mykolaivska oblasts.

With winter's arrival and temperatures plummeting below zero, attacks on energy infrastructure, water and gas systems could further aggravate the situation, particularly near the front line. Since the beginning of 2023, attacks have continued to damage homes and energy facilities. People most affected by the war could face a tough winter and be forced to make difficult choices such as between warmth and other services. The UN and its partners estimate that 1.7 million people will need winter assistance, particularly in front-line oblasts, through March 2024. Provision of such assistance is ongoing, and over 361,000 people received winter support as of October.

Education facilities are severely damaged, disrupting the education of children, including those who faced displacement and evacuation from front-line areas. From February 2022 to October 2023, nearly 3,800 Ukrainian educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed, severely impacting education in front-line oblasts like Donetska, Kharkivska, Khersonska, Luhanska and Zaporizka. This disruption has affected over 5 million children, with only about 30 per cent attending schools, and most displaced children, including those in front-line areas, are schooled through online or combined learning.

Over 1,300 attacks on health care have been reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), making access to health services extremely challenging in areas close to the front line, leaving millions with invisible scars, trauma and health-related issues. WHO noted that over 50 per cent of global health-care attacks from February 2022 to October 2023 occurred in Ukraine, severely limiting access to medical services in the most affected areas. The situation is most critical near the front line, with people struggling for adequate medical care. The full-scale war has escalated health needs, including emergency, trauma and mental health services, and could worsen this winter due to ongoing attacks. Nearly 10 million people, particularly children and people with disabilities, are at risk of acute stress and other mental health conditions.

For more information, download the latest Ukraine Humanitarian Situation Snapshot.