Ukraine: Humanitarian Impact of Intensified Hostilities in Kharkivska Oblast - Flash Update #8 (Last Updated: 25 May 2024) [EN/UK]

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HIGHLIGHTS

  • Civilians in Kharkiv City and Kharkivska Oblast continue to be impacted by attacks – in the last four days, strikes caused scores of civilian casualties, damaged and destroyed homes, educational establishments, shops, public transport, railway infrastructure and other civilian facilities across the oblast.
  • As of 22 May, the International Organization for Migration estimated that over 17,300 people were displaced from the six most affected hromadas during the last two weeks.
  • Humanitarian partners continued to provide aid to people fleeing hostilities in the northern areas of Kharkivska Oblast, supporting over 10,100 people through the transit centre in Kharkiv City with different types of assistance.
  • Complementing the efforts of first responders, aid workers mobilized emergency support to people affected by attacks in Kharkiv City and Kharkivska Oblast, delivering materials to cover the houses damaged by attacks and providing legal and psycho-social counselling.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Civilians in Kharkiv City and Kharkivska Oblast continue to be impacted by attacks, which caused civilian deaths and injuries and damaged civilian facilities during the past days. People fleeing from the areas of active fighting in search of safety to the oblast administrative centre, Kharkiv, continued to experience insecurity there. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, condemned the repeated attacks in Kharkiv and Kharkivska Oblast, saying the people who had to leave their homes suffer new trauma coming under attack again in Kharkiv, where they arrive in search of safety.

According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), at least 35 civilians have been killed and 137 injured in Kharkivska Oblast since 10 May. Of those killed or injured in the northern part of the oblast, which has seen the heaviest fighting, more than half were over the age of 60, reflecting the disproportionate number of older people in border and front-line areas unable or unwilling to leave their homes even amid increased violence.

In the last four days, strikes continued to damage and destroy homes, educational establishments, shops, public transport, railway infrastructure and other civilian facilities across the oblast. Missile strikes in Kharkiv City on 23 May reportedly killed or injured over 50 civilians, according to the authorities. A printing house was hit during working hours, killing seven and injuring 21 workers and destroying equipment and warehouses with printed books, as verified by the HRMMU. Civilians were also affected in Derhachi, Liubotin and Zolochiv towns.

The Ukrainian Railways reported damage to railway infrastructure and injuries sustained by railway workers due to repeated strikes in Kharkivska Oblast.

People continued to leave areas of intense hostilities. As of 22 May, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that over 17,300 people had been displaced from most affected Derhachivska, Lypetska, Starosaltivska, Tsyrkunivska, Vovchanska and Zolochivska hromadas during two weeks, with 45,600 people remaining. Priority humanitarian needs for people displaced to Kharkiv City and other areas were food, hygiene products, bedding and other household supplies, according to IOM assessment.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

During the last four days, humanitarian partners continued to provide aid to people fleeing hostilities in the northern areas of Kharkivska Oblast and responding with emergency assistance to strikes that impacted families in the city of Kharkiv and across the oblast.

During 10-24 May, almost 3,700 people who had been evacuated from Vovchanska and other affected hromadas through social transport organized by humanitarians and volunteers in coordination with local authorities were registered and received immediate aid at the transit centre in Kharkiv City. Nearly 60 per cent of them were women; more than 35 per cent of all evacuated people were aged 60 and above, and 8 per cent were children. During the same period, 3,400 people who had left the affected areas by their own means during the past two weeks and more than 3,000 people who had fled to Kharkiv from across the oblast previously were also provided with support at the transit centre. The hotline managed by the Coordination Relief Centre registered nearly 4,200 calls since 10 May and processed close to 800 requests for evacuations during this period.

As of 24 May, nearly 20 organizations were on site, with some 50 organizations involved in the evacuations and response during the past two weeks. At the transit centre, people received food, including hot meals and food packages sufficient for one person for a week; bottled water; clothes; mattresses, bedding, household appliances and other items; hygiene supplies, including for women and people with disabilities; and other assistance to support people in their everyday life. Over 1,000 people received medicines and health services at the centre during 12-24 May. More than 4,000 people were registered for multi-purpose cash assistance in two weeks. Cash assistance was indicated as the most preferred modality of aid by recently displaced people, according to IOM findings. Since 10 May, aid organizations have provided psycho-social support to over 530 people. Some 300 people were supported with protection, legal counselling, and assistance, including on their damaged or destroyed housing due to hostilities, including addressing cases of repeated damage sustained by houses and using allocated assistance for repairs. Humanitarian partners also continue disseminating information on available protection services and identifying people at risk for specialized case management.

Since 10 May, more than 900 people have been offered accommodation in 46 collective sites in Kharkiv City and its vicinity, of them nearly 490 women and more than 410 men; nearly 70 children and over 330 older people. At collective sites, they received clothes, bedding and other household items, hygiene supplies, food and water. Medical care was made available through medical personnel, including psychologists, visits, and referrals to health-care institutions. Humanitarian organizations continued to monitor living conditions and emerging needs at the collective sites to ensure an appropriate response.

Complementing the efforts of first responders, aid workers mobilized emergency support to people affected by attacks in Kharkiv City and Kharkivska Oblast. Humanitarian partners delivered materials to cover the damage to the residents whose apartments were damaged by the attacks, including distributing emergency repair materials and helping nearly 50 affected people in Zolochiv Town and some 90 people in Derhachi Town to cover the damaged windows and roofs. Aid workers also delivered materials for repair to over 70 families and provided consultations regarding the compensation for war-damaged property in Chuhuiv Town, which came under attack on 22 May.

NOTE: This Flash Update is prepared through collected public information and current response data from partners available at the time of publication and could be amended as the situation evolves.

For more information, please contact OCHA Ukraine: Adedeji Ademigbuji adedeji.ademigbuji@un.org | Tanya Lyubimova, tanya.lyubimova@un.org