Ukraine Crisis Response Plan 2021 - 2023
IOM Vision
The Strategic Approach of IOM Ukraine for 2020-2023 focuses on three priorities for ensuring an efficient crisis response and recovery, long-term development while contributing to efforts to leave no one behind and to reach those furthest behind first. These priorities include: i) sustainable recovery of conflict-affected communities through multi-sectoral integrated programming; ii) strengthening communities’ resilience through inclusive dialogue initiatives; and iii) further advancing Ukrainian society through long-term and people-centred sustainable development initiatives. The Crisis Response Plan reflects these priorities throughout the proposed activities, which aim to respond to the needs of conflict-affected communities as well as to the drivers and impact of crises and displacement in recovery, taking into consideration the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objective
Saving lives and protecting people on the move
Conflict-affected population residing in Eastern Conflict Area (ECA), prioritizing: elderly 60+; single-headed households (HH)/single-parent households with a focus on female HH; households with three or more children; low-income households; households including members with disabilities; households including members with chronic diseases; households whose houses were destroyed as a result of wildfires and armed actions; households with members of pre-pensionable age out of employment and households with family members who have experienced physical violence, exploitation, abuse, including suspected/confirmed cases of human trafficking; and COVID-19-affected communities at large.
The impact of the conflict on individual households and social infrastructure and the recurrence of natural disasters are impacting communities’ capacity to uphold essential shelter and NFI standards at the household level, as much as within social/medical institutions. In line with the shelter/NFI cluster’s recommendations, IOM will:
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Global evidence demonstrates that vulnerabilities among various population groups are likely to increase during crisis time (such as the ongoing pandemic and conflict in Eastern Ukraine), and in the past Ukraine has witnessed this in relation to vulnerability to human trafficking, gender-based violence (GBV) and exploitation. In line with the IOM Protection in Humanitarian Action roadmap and the Institutional Framework for Addressing Gender-based Violence in Crises, IOM plans to:
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Many vulnerable households living in conflict-affected areas face food insecurity due to extremely high unemployment rates and insufficient social support mechanisms. For most of them, meagre retirement or long service pensions are the main, if not the only, source of household income. In line with the cash working group and the food security and livelihoods (FSL) cluster recommendations, IOM will:
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Volatile security, protracted displacement, limited access to basic goods and services and the COVID-19 pandemic have compounded existing vulnerabilities of the most fragile ECA communities. In line with IOM’s Manual on Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies and Displacement, IOM will:
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The protracted conflict has damaged critical WASH infrastructure and limited communities’ access to safe water and hygiene supplies. The lack of maintenance has compromised the functionality of WASH facilities in many social and medical institutions. IOM will therefore:
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Due to a lack of maintenance and timely upgrades, and the overall impact of the conflict the health system capacity in parts of Ukraine is precarious. These conditions expose communities in conflict-affected areas to increased morbidity and mortality, especially considering the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that furthermore limits access to healthcare services. In line with the health and nutrition cluster recommendations, IOM will:
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Objective
Driving solutions to displacement
Conflict-affected communities; communities that are exposed to regular natural hazards; communities in regions neighbouring Crimea; IDPs and their new communities; IDPs who returned to the NGCA; former combatants, their family members, and communities; survivors of human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of the ongoing armed conflict; labour migrants, returnees and their dependents during COVID-19 pandemic; communities of return; other population groups including IDPs with diminished livelihoods; teenagers and young adults (14-35 years), prioritising IDPs, minority groups, persons with disabilities, orphans, from rural areas, from low-income families, skilled but unexperienced; Government and local authorities; CSOs and NGOs; and international stakeholders. |
As a result of protracted and/or multiple displacement, compounded by inefficient social services, returnee and displaced households often face challenges related to housing, land and property (HLP), especially in relation to restitution and compensation. To address this IOM will:
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Government and community-level knowledge and capacities pertaining to reparations and related mechanisms are relatively limited and not based on a strong underlying legal framework. To address this IOM will:
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The lack of housing and long-term community support are frequently highlighted by IDP and returnee communities as the main barriers to safe and sustainable reintegration (through National Monitoring System (NMS) survey and various fields assessments carried out by IOM). In alignment with IOM’s Progressive Resolution of Displacement Situations, IOM will:
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Multiple exposures to distressing events due to conflict, overall human insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic are weakening the social fabric in already fragile communities. Building upon the platforms and referral mechanisms developed through its humanitarian response, IOM will:
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The ongoing crisis has further weakened the health system, resulting in limited capacity of the health system to address the needs of additional displaced communities. The main public health challenge in Ukraine is reducing non-communicable diseases (NCDs): heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease. NCDs are estimated to account for 86% of the country’s annual deaths. To address these issues IOM will:
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Key drivers of instability include economic insecurity, lack of inclusive governance and social polarization induced by the protracted conflict and COVID-19-related uncertainties. To support community stabilization IOM will:
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To contribute towards the Government of Ukraine’s broad spectrum of peacebuilding efforts, IOM will work with government and community counterparts to:
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The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the livelihood of already vulnerable migrant workers and conflict-affected communities, many of which are not sufficiently covered by existing social protection schemes. To address the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic IOM will:
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IOM has assessed the need to support health and social institutions, as well as key community sites to conduct their lifesaving, life-preserving, and regular work more scalable, sustainable, and resilient. To support adequate water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) IOM will:
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Objective
Strengthen preparedness and reduce disaster risk
Conflict-affected communities; communities affected or exposed to natural hazards and environmental degradation; and government authorities, local authorities, and civil society organizations (CSOs). |
The 2020 wildfires in eastern Ukraine, the annual floods in the west, the increased risk of droughts, together with the impact of the conflict, have highlighted the need to strengthen effective disaster prevention capacities, particularly at the local level. To address these issues IOM will:
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The lack of public funding, compounded by increased urban/rural divide further deepened by the impact of the conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the isolation of certain rural communities, with extremely limited access to basic health services. To address this IOM will:
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As a result of the conflict, several exit-entry checkpoints (EECPs) were established along the line of contact between the government-controlled and the non-government-controlled areas of Ukraine. At these checkpoints IOM will:
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While MHPSS becomes an increasingly relevant service sought by those emotionally affected by the conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, the country’s capacity to offer such services remains limited and specialized assistance is scarcely available, especially in remote locations. To address this IOM will:
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The recurrent manmade and natural hazards in Ukraine consistently highlight a great impact on WASH management systems. To address this IOM will:
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Objective
Contribute to an evidence-based and efficient crisis response system
Conflict-affected communities; communities affected or exposed to natural hazards; Government authorities, local authorities, civil society organizations (CSOs); and humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors. |
To inform evidence-based programming by the government and humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors, and through the collecting of sex-age-disability disaggregated data, IOM will:
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IOM has signed an MoU with the United Nations Division of Healthcare Management and Occupational Safety and Health (DHMOSH) to provide critical health services to eligible UN personnel, dependents, and other persons in need of care referred by the UN, as part of the ‘First Line of Defence (FLoD)’ for the COVID-19 response. IOM will provide the following services to the FLoD and IOM programme beneficiaries:
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Ukraine
The map used here is for illustration purposes only. Names and boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.
Figures are as of 31 December 2023. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.