DESK REVIEW – UKRAINE
March 2015
Summary
This desk review is a compilation of existing secondary data, using the Minimum Standards for
Child Protection as an analysis framework. All data points are citations which have been compared
and interpreted, but not triangulated and verified.
The desk review includes data from before and during the emergency:
Part 1 gives some background information on the country, the child protection and the
education system. This introductory part will remain relevant over the next years to come.
Part 2 gives an overview on the current emergency and highlights elements with regards to
affected children.
Part 3 outlines how the emergency affects child protection and education needs, the number
of children affected, the response to date as well as coverage and gaps. As the crisis is evolving
very fast, this part will have to be updated monthly to remain relevant.
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Table of content
1.
BACKGROUND
Country Profile
Child Protection
Legal Framework
Social and cultural norms related to child wellbeing and development
Existing capacities
Child Protection Needs
Dangers and Injuries
Physical violence and other harmful practices
Sexual Violence
Psychosocial distress and mental disorders
Children associated with armed forces and groups
Child Labor
Unaccompanied and separated children
Justice for children
Education System and Needs
National Laws and Policies
Access and availability
4
4
5
6
7
7
7
7
7
8
8
8
8
9
9
9
9
9
2.
EMERGENCY PROFILE
Main drivers of the crisis
Geographical extent of affected areas
Number of people affected
Main characteristics of affected population
Coordination Mechanisms
Existing capacities
Affected Children
Access to services and goods
Excluded groups
10
10
10
11
12
12
12
13
13
13
3.
CHILD PROTECTION NEEDS AS EXACERBATED BY THE CRISIS
Dangers and Injuries
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Gaps
Physical violence and other harmful practices
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Coverage and gaps
Sexual Violence
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Gaps
Psychosocial distress and mental disorders
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
13
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
16
16
16
16
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Capacities
Response to date
Coverage and gaps
Children associated with armed forces and groups
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Coverage and gaps
Child Labor
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Coverage and gaps
Unaccompanied and separated children
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Gaps
Justice for children
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Coverage and gaps
16
17
17
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
4.
EDUCATION NEEDS AS EXACERBATED BY THE CRISIS
Access to education
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Gaps
Availability of education
Overview/Issue
Number of children affected
Capacities
Response to date
Gaps
20
20
20
21
21
21
21
22
22
22
22
22
23
Annex I: Contacts
23
Annex II: Abbreviations
24
Annex III: Timeline
25
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1. Background
Since Ukraine achieved independence in 1991, the country’s economy began to increase and there
were improvements for children. The infant mortality rate has been cut by half since 1991. The
rate of HIV transmission from mother to child was decreased from 27.8% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2009.
In 2011 the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights office was established. But the transition to a free
market has also resulted in an increase in unemployment and social inequality, factors that
severely affect children - especially since the disintegration of the state social protection system.
The gap between rich and poor is widening and the unemployment rate is considerable (8.9%),
especially among youth (17.8%) and in rural areas.1 The situation has become difficult for single
parent households and two-parent families with more than one child.2
Since the eruption of hostilities in April 2014, insecurity and displacement have increased across
eastern Ukraine . Ongoing ceasefire violations – heavy shelling and armed conflict – in Donbas
region have displaced to date more than 1 million people within Ukraine and abroad. Those
remaining in conflict-affected areas of Donbas region, particularly in densely populated urban
areas, face imminent security threats due to military activities by all parties to the conflict. Children
continue to bear the brunt of this conflict, with schooling disrupted and access to basic services
limited.3
Country Profile
Country Profile Statistics
Population
(UNICEF, 2012)
GDP per capita (current $)
(World Bank, 2010-2014)
GNI per capita (current $)
(HDI, 2013)
Gini Index
(HDI, 2013)
Fertility rate (child per
woman) (UNICEF, 2012)
Maternal mortality rate
(UNICEF, 2012)
Children born to mothers
under 18 (UNICEF, 2013)
Under 5 mortality rate
(per 1,000 live births)
(UNICEF, 2013)
Infant mortality rate
(per 1,000 live births)
(UNICEF, 2013)
HIV/AIDS prevalence
(UNICEF, 2012)
Improved water source
(% of population with
access) (UNICEF, 2012)
Improved sanitation
facilities (UNICEF, 2012)
INFORM vulnerability value
/ rank
45,529,900
$3,900
$3,960
25.6
1.5
32 deaths
per 100,000
live births
Population under 18 (UNICEF, 2013)
7,865,080
Population under 5 (UNICEF, 2013)
2,532,458
HDI Index & Ranking
0.734 / 83 of 187
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty
lines (% of population) (HSM, 2014)
21.7%
Life expectancy (World Bank, 2012)
Literacy rates - 15 years+
(UNICEF, 2012)
70.9
99.7%
4%
Net Primary school enrollment
(UNICEF, 2008-2012)
99.8%
boys
91.6%
boys
10
Gross primary school enrollment
(UNICEF, 2008-2012)
99.3%
boys
100.4%
girls
9
Primary completion rate
(UNICEF, 2008-2012)
98.2%
boys
100%
girls
0.9
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary
16
98%
Children aged 6-11 out of school
(UNICEF, 2009-2013)
2%
94%
4.86 / 37
Gross pre-primary school enrollment (UNICEF,
2008-2012)
Gross secondary school enrollment
(UNICEF, 2008-2012)
100.2%
boys
84.5%
boys
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99.7%
girls
92.7%
girls
97.5%
girls
84.7%
girls
DESK REVIEW – UKRAINE
March 2015




Ukraine is a Republic and Petro Poroshenko was elected president in June 2014.
Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 24 August 1991. It adopted a
constitution in 1996, which was amended in 2004 and 2010.
Ukraine consists of 27 regions which are 24 oblasts (provinces) and one autonomous
republic, Crimea. The cities Kiev, the capital, and Sevastopol, have a special legal status. The
24 oblasts and Crimea are subdivided into 490 raions (districts) and city municipalities of
regional significance, or second-level administrative units.
The main minority groups include Russians (17.3%), Belarusians (0.6%), Moldovans (0.5%),
Crimean Tatars (0.5%) and Bulgarians (0.4%). Ukraine also has smaller populations of Poles,
Jews, Romanians, Armenians, and Hungarians.4
5
Child Protection
Legal Provisions
Definition of child
(age)
Minimum age for
light work
M
Minimum age for
work
Age of criminal
responsibility
(with parental
consent)
Minimum age of
marriage
Age of sexual
consent
Children with
disabilities
F
Child Protection Statistics
Source
Child Protection Indicator
18
Birth registration rates
Labor
Code
14
16
16
18
17
16
167,000
Labor
Code
Criminal
Code
Family
Code
Criminal
Code
UNDP
(2013)
Child labor rates
M
F
100%
3%
2%
Child marriage (under 18)
Children in detention
9%
(comparative rates of detained
children per 100,000; 2012)
17.4
Children in institutional care
(UNICEF, 2012)
Children living or working on
the streets
Children (0-17) orphaned
94,000
40,000 300,000 (est.)
80,000 –
100,000 (est.)
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Legal Framework
International Conventions6
International Convention
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflicts
Year of
adherence
1991
2005
International Convention
ILO Minimum Age Convention
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons,
Especially Women and Children
Convention concerning the
Prohibition and Immediate Action for
the Elimination of the Worst Forms of
Child Labor
Year of
adherence
1979
2011
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography
2003
The Agreement on Cooperation of the CIS
Member-States on issues pertaining to
repatriation of minors to their state of
permanent residence
2005
The Convention on the Civil Aspects of
International Child Abduction
2006
The European Convention on the Exercise of
Children’s Rights
2006
The European Convention on the
Legal Status of Children born out of
Wedlock
2009
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities and Optional Protocol to the
Convention
2009
2000
National Laws and Policies
Law/Policy
Year
Law on Child Protection
2001
Civil Code and Family Code
Law on Provision of Organizational and Legal
Conditions for Social Protection of Orphans
and Children without Parental Care
and on the Main Principles of Social
Protection of Homeless Persons and Street
Children
Law On the National Program “National
Action Plan for Implementation of the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child” for
the period until 2016
2004
Law of Ukraine on out-of-school children
2000
Law on State Assistance to Families with
Children
Services Reform Strategy and Prevention of
Social Orphanhood
Law on the Protection of Childhood
Law on Social Work with Families, Children
and Youth
2005
2009
2000
Law/Policy
Year
Law on Charity and Charitable organizations
to support charitable
assistance to children
Law on Social Services
2003
Law on Ensuring the Legal and
Organizational Basis for Social Protection of
Orphaned Children and Children without
Parental Care Social
Procedure of Identification of Families
(Persons) on Difficult Life Circumstances,
Provision of Social Services to Them, Social
Accompaniments of Such Families (Persons)
Law on State Bodies and Services for
Children and Special Institutions for
Children
Law on the Foundations of Social Protection
of the Homeless People and Street Children
2012
Law on the Prevention of Family Violence
2001
Law on Custodial Arrest
Orders on coordination of the Centers of
Social Services for Families, Children and
Youth with other public agencies
2001
1997
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Procedure on Coordination among Social
Accompaniment State Bodies
Regulation on the Center of Social Services
for Families, Children, and Youth
Model regulations for institutions (shelters,
psychosocial rehab. Centers, etc.) and state
bodies – like Children Services
State Targeted Social Program of Reforming
the System of Child Care Institutions

The lack of an effective policy framework had traditionally been a significant bottleneck
in the realization of children’s rights. In 2013, significant improvements have been
recorded: three Presidential orders were issued for implementation by the Government
on Development of Children and Support to Families, Measures to Ensure Observance of
Rights and Interests of Children, and on a National Strategy on Education Development.7

Regarding child labor in commercial sexual exploitation, there are gaps remain in some
areas of laws as well as policy and program implementation. The Criminal Code does not
prohibit the possession of child pornography and lacks clarity regarding the age of consent
for sexual relationships.

The National Action Plan to Implement the CRC and the National Program for Combating
Human Trafficking remained unfunded in 2013.8
Social and cultural norms related to child wellbeing and development
94,000 children live in institutions. Key causes of child abandonment include family poverty and
childbearing by underage mothers. Children are often removed from families through legal action
as a result of family breakdown or other reasons. According to official statistics, the absolute
number of children living in some type of institutions has been decreasing, from 104,000 (2008)
to 94,000 in 2012. Ukraine has clearly transformed the state policy to move away from institutional
care to family based care for children in vulnerable/difficult circumstances, with understanding
that long-term placement in an institution is harmful for the physical and psychological
development of a child. This has included greater investment into social services and the further
development of the foster family system and family-type children’s homes. The government has
confirmed its commitment to gradually close institutions all over Ukraine through an array of
initiatives and partnerships.9
Existing capacities
With regards to social services, despite the absence of concrete numbers, the introduction of an
additional 12,000 social workers in 2012 resulted in increased numbers of families being registered
with social services, an important step in enhancing service provision for vulnerable families. Cash
benefits allocated to low-income families increased by 7.4% from the end of 2012 to the end of
2013.10
Child Protection Needs
Dangers and Injuries
Landmines: Ukraine ratified the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling,
Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction in 2005, but reportedly
the country remains in violation of the treaty after having failed to complete the destruction of
their stockpiles by the four-year deadline (1 June 2010). An estimated 5,767,600 antipersonnel
mines remained to be destroyed.11
Physical violence and other harmful practices
Domestic violence poses a serious problem for hundreds of thousands of children, women and the
elderly. According to official statistics, the number of domestic violence cases registered is
increasing by 10% annually and has reached more than 160,000 in 2013.12 Thousands of children
run away from domestic violence.
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According to UNICEF Global Databases (2014, MICS and DHS surveys), the percentage of boys and
girls aged 2 - 14 years old who experience any violent discipline (psychological aggression, physical
punishment) are 68% and 55% respectively.13
Sexual Violence
At the center of the silence surrounding sexual violations appear to be the deeply entrenched
cultural stigma and general victim-blaming that exist around rape and sexual violence. Women
and children do not come forward to report violence or seek assistance from NGOs and
humanitarian aid organizations, thereby reinforcing the near-total absence of attention to this
problem. Sexual violence is often seen as the fault of the victim, partly because there is not much
of an open public debate on the issue.14
Psychosocial distress and mental disorders
Mental health care is mainly focused on specialized care, taking place in and around psychiatric
clinics and institutions. Psychosocial support is a relatively new concept. People are used to coping
with their problems on their own (also with negative coping mechanisms such as alcohol abuse)
or within family circles.15
There are many psychologists who have clinical expertise but none in management, coordination,
results based planning and programming. All issues of the mind are medicalized as psychological
problems to which the solution is to have psychologists work with individuals to solve and cure
their trauma. There is little understanding of community-based psycho-social support, resilience
building, community mobilization or psychoeducation.
Children associated with armed forces and groups
Ukraine’s Military Service Law (1992) states that 18 years is the recruitment age for the armed
forces. Adolescents of 15 to 17 years old can enter military schools after having passed a medical
examination. Military education and military service for persons who have not reached 15 years
of age are forbidden. (Military Service Law, 1992) (ICRC, Ukraine, Practice Relating to Rule 136.
Recruitment of Child Soldiers)
In 2009, in its first periodic reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Ukraine stated
that no cases of children under the age of 18 being enlisted or forcibly recruited for use in armed
conflict were recorded in the 2006–2007 period. No newer information on the topic is available.
Child Labor
According to the MICS 2013, 3.4% of children aged 5 - 11 years, and 0.3% of children aged 12 - 14
years were involved in different forms of child labor. Overall, 2.4% of children aged 5 - 14 were
engaged in child labor. The worst forms of child labor (WFCL) reportedly prevail in agriculture,
street trade, informal coalmines, the entertainment industry, sex industry, and illegal activities.
Adolescent girls aged 10 - 19 selling sex comprised an estimated 20% of the female sex worker
population in Ukraine.16
The Government made advancements in efforts to eliminate the WFCL and increased the
punishment for forcing children into pornography, begging, and other exploitative labor to
between 5 and 10 years of imprisonment. It provided training on child labor to labor inspectors
and on trafficking to law enforcement and migration officials as well as judges. The Ministry of
Social Protection also published guidelines to use in providing services to trafficking victims.
However, children continue to engage in child labor in the service sector and in WFCL in
commercial sexual exploitation. Shelter and rehabilitation centers for children, including street
children and victims of trafficking, are insufficient to fully address the extent of the problem.17
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Trafficking: Ukraine is a country of origin for trafficking in men, women and children subjected to
forced labor and sex trafficking. Internal trafficking is also a growing problem. According to a
research commissioned by IOM, over 120,000 Ukrainians became victims to human trafficking
since 1991, which makes Ukraine one of the largest “suppliers” of slave labor in Europe. Largescale child prostitution and trafficking in children, both cross-border and internally, are a serious
problem. The majority of children who are trafficked are aged between 13 and 18 years. Girls are
more likely to be sexually exploited, whereas boys are reported to be used to labor in illegally
operated mines, in construction and agriculture, or the illegal drug trade.18 Unaccompanied and
separated children are especially at increased risk of trafficking. Some Ukrainian children are
subjected to forced begging. Children in orphanages and crisis centers continue to be particularly
vulnerable to trafficking within Ukraine. The Government does not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making efforts to do so. 19
Unaccompanied and separated children
More than 94,000 children live in state-run children’s institutions such as orphanages, boarding
schools, and shelters.
Children living on the streets: estimations range from 40,000 to 300,000 children who are
homeless and living on the streets. Children are abandoned due to family poverty, unemployment,
alcoholism and drug use. Many children had been left to fend for themselves while their parents
have emigrated to find work.20 No information on the scale or background of this statement could
be found.
Justice for children
Ukraine has some of the components of a juvenile justice system. There is no law specifically on
juvenile justice, or juvenile courts. Each trial court has a judge assigned to cases of juvenile
offenders, however, and there is a specialized police unit. Juveniles detained during investigation
and trial are kept in a separate section of detention centers, and convicted juveniles given
custodial sentences are confined in specialized correctional facilities. The agency that supervises
offenders given noncustodial sentences does not have specialized staff for juveniles. The number
of offences committed by juveniles increased dramatically from 1992 to 2003, and has fallen
sharply since then. The minimum age for prosecution is 14 years for serious offences and 16 years
for other offences. Children over age 11 found to have committed an offence may be placed in a
closed ‘school for social rehabilitation.21
Sentenced women who are at least four months pregnant, or women with children under age
three are sent to serve their sentence in a correctional prison with a childcare center. According
to the Office of the Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights, at the beginning of 2013, there
were 94 children under age three in such institutions.22
Education System and Needs
National Laws and Policies
The education system is regulated by federal legislative acts. In their activities the educational
establishments follow the guidelines laid down in the Constitution and the Law on Education issues
in 1996. Education is also regulated by a number of Parliament Resolutions, Presidential Decrees
and Regulations, Resolutions and Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers, and normative acts of
the Ministry of Education.23
Access and availability
The Ukrainian Constitution guarantees free education for all children and mandates 12 years of
compulsory schooling. The percentage of GDP spent on education is 6%. Access to education faces
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some challenges at pre-primary, primary, and secondary levels, especially in rural areas. Ukraine’s
tertiary education system is a leader in the region. Gender enrolment is about equal until tertiary
education. Girls are more likely to complete secondary education and to pursue higher education.
Students complete an average of 14 years of education. Only about 0.1% of students repeat a
grade.24 This indicates that the system is efficient, though efficiency is not necessarily indicative of
quality. No figures are available on the number of school dropouts. Outside of school, youth are
vulnerable to drug abuse, prostitution and trafficking, and HIV/AIDS are increasing concerns
among this population of young people.
Teachers’ salaries are equal to 80% of the national wage, which is among the highest in the region
relative to the national average wage. This is nevertheless still lower than ideal.
Despite progressive national laws, linguistic minorities do not receive any accommodations to
support their mother tongue language in school. Further, the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights expressed concern in 2014 about the segregation of Roma children in education,
the fact that schools in the Trans Carpathian and Odessa regions are attended exclusively by Roma
children, and the overrepresentation of Roma children in special education schools.25
26
2. Emergency Profile
The humanitarian situation in parts of eastern Ukraine remains volatile and fast-evolving. Because
of the crisis, people continue to flee their home and become increasingly vulnerable. As the
fighting continues in the eastern border areas, loss of life and injuries continue, as well as other
human rights concerns. The breakdown in law and order, impunity and lack of accountability, and
the weakness of basic services are becoming more entrenched; community cohesion, family unity
and wellbeing are becoming increasingly fragmented, and the economic and social fabric of
Ukraine is becoming more unstable.
Main drivers of the crisis
Heavy fighting, massive destruction and general insecurity, deaths of family members and friends
as well as loss of property and livelihoods have caused massive stress to families who are directly
affected. 27 The situation is evolving rapidly and conditions are likely to deteriorate given
continuing shelling and fighting and limited access to non-government controlled areas (NGCA).28
The humanitarian crisis, even under the best case scenarios, is not expected to be over in the
coming months. Humanitarian access to the conflict areas remains challenging, and the modalities
of effective provision of aid to the GCA are yet to be established.
Geographical extent of affected areas
The resumption of the battle for Donetsk airport in mid-January has been followed by intensive
fighting to Debaltseve, a key location linking Donetsk and Luhansk, to the north, and to Mariupol,
a strategic port town, to the south. The conflict is particularly intense in the vicinity of Donetsk and
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Luhansk cities. In the area of Debaltseve, thousands people have been trapped, desperately
sheltering from heavy shelling and lacking running water, food, electricity and basic medical
supplies. In late January separatist groups launched an offensive on several fronts of the GCA,
including the port city of Mariupol, strategic communication center of Debaltsevo with intensive
fighting around the town of Donetsk. Despite the ceasefire of 12 February, the attacks continued,
mostly in the contested Debaltseve area.
Breakdown of population displacement (23 January 2015)29
Kharkivska
122,622
Luhanskska
99,076
Donetskska
93,296
Dnipropetrovska
70,856
Zaporizska
55,269
Kyiv
39,047
Kyivska
30,381
Poltavska
22,338
Odeska
21,904
Sumska
12,522
Cherkaska
11,718
14 other regions (numbers 342,611
<10,000)
Kharkiv region has the largest number of IDPs with 122,622 individuals, followed by Luhansk and
Donetsk regions with 99,076 and 93,296 people respectively, as of 23 January 2015.
The rest of the country is also very much impacted by economic factors: Inflation is officially 28.5%,
but, according to Johns Hopkins professor Steve Hanke, it's more likely 272%. Due to dwindling
reserves, the IMF announced a USD 17.5 billion bailout in return for tough reforms, including
cutting energy subsidies for households.30
Number of people affected
 5.2 million people are affected by the crisis (12% of the population)
 1.7 million affected children
 1.4 million people living in the conflict-affected areas of Lugansk and Donetsk31
 1,042,066 are officially registered IDPs of which 134,290 are children32
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
520,000 people sought refuge in the neighboring and other countries (Russia, Belarus,
Germany, Poland, Italy, France, Sweden)33
Main characteristics of affected population
Most affected population groups are people in the areas directly affected by the fighting, IDPs and
refugees who fled the crisis areas, and returnees. The vulnerability of the population affected by
the crisis is assessed to be high. Specifically vulnerable groups include single-headed households,
separated/unaccompanied children, those with special needs (including physical and
psychological war trauma), the elderly, minority groups such as Roma and the Muslim Tatar
minority, LGBTI, those with HIV/AIDS, and substance abusers. Data available to UNICEF indicates
that there are 39,000 people with disabilities within the IDP population.
The conflict is forcing families to separate with women and children finding accommodation
elsewhere as IDPs and men staying behind: women comprise approximately two thirds of all adult
IDPs. IDP’s from initial waves of displacement after the onset of the crisis have reportedly arrived
with some money and self-confident. IDP’s from more recent waves appear more frightened,
distressed, and lack funds.34 The resilience of the IDPs, of host communities and of the conflict
affected population is steadily depleting and social tensions, discrimination and stigmatization are
on the rise.
Trends point to a steady increase of IDP arrivals and a tendency to prolonged stays as homes and
schools in the violence affected areas have been severely destroyed.35
Coordination Mechanisms
As of December 22, 2014 the cluster system has been activated in Ukraine. As of mid-January the
UN Resident Coordinator (RC) has been appointed as Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), further
strengthening the focus of UN and its partners to addressing the humanitarian crisis.
UNICEF is sub-cluster lead for Child Protection. The protection cluster is led by UNHCR and OHCHR.
The Working Group on Child Protection was established in xxx and it was agreed that the CPWG
would be a permanent working group, established and developed for the emergency but with ToR
and planning to address the longer terms issues of children. This has added credibility and leverage
to the work of the CPWG as National and Oblast Administrators see the CPWG as a long-term
forum where the complex issues of children can be impartially discussed and developed. It is not
clear yet, which government entity will be the main partner.
Further, UNICEF is the cluster lead for Education.
The CPWG has consistently had the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) and other agencies
working in education attending its meetings.
Existing capacities
The displacement of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians has created a humanitarian emergency,
for which the Government was ill-prepared; the Government has had no adequate capacity to
respond to the crisis, in spite of expressed readiness to respond to the needs. Early on in the crisis
much assistance has been channeled through people solidarity, private companies and local
charities. The capacity of Ukrainians to respond and support IDPs is vast, but with the growing
stress on a state system already eroded by years of systemic deficiencies there is evidence of a
‘kick back’ against IDPs where state budgets, resources and civil support are waning. State
employees are reporting clinical burnout in attempting to process the sheer volume of IDP needs
and registrations.36 Gradually, the Government has come to openly recognize that significant gaps
remain and more assistance is needed by the international humanitarian community.
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Affected Children
Access to services and goods
The conflict-affected areas are confronted with disruption of basic services and the need for
medicine, food, basic household items and shelter is rising by the day. An increasing number of
civilian population is attempting to flee areas of intense fighting, however many are trapped within
the zones of direct conflict due to continued fighting, especially in Debaltseve. Many of those
remaining in the conflict zone are living in unhygienic, overcrowded, underground shelters with
no WASH facilities, intermittent electricity in areas close to the frontline.
Nutrition of babies and small children within the conflict-affected population is deteriorating due
to decrease in supply in markets as well as ability of families to purchase sufficient quantities of
basic supplies, including food. Inside the conflict-areas there is lack of specialized medicines for
babies and children with chronic diseases. Treatment of HIV/AIDS affected children and pregnant
and breastfeeding women has been stopped inside the NGCA.
Most IDPs have left their homes with few belongings and are in need of shelter, food and nonfood assistance, water, health services, and protection. This is placing particular pressure on
neighboring regions such as provinces of the Donbas region (i.e. Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov and
Zaporozhe) but also on the capital of Kiev and other regions.
Presidential decrees of 15 November 2014 shut state institutions and banking services in NGCA in
the eastern region. The elderly and other vulnerable groups are at risk due to the non-payment of
pensions and state benefits in NGCA. People had been obliged to register as IDPs in governmentcontrolled territory by February 1 in order to receive payments. 37 Further, many IDPs have
experienced significant delays in receiving benefits, thus having been deprived of any money for
weeks or months.38
Excluded groups
Children and women are bearing the brunt of this crisis and are increasingly vulnerable. Of
particular child protection concern is the situation of children in the zone of conflict, notably
precarious situation of those forced to live in ‘bomb-shelters’ (over 1000 children) and in state
institutions, inadequate care and protection of children living with HIV/AIDS along with increasing
number of reports suggesting use of children by armed forces.
Further, Roma families and their children cannot be registered as IDPs as they lack civil
documentation, meaning they are not included in the provision of services. Roma have been and
continue to be subjected to open aggression by militants in NGCA, according to a report of the
Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group from January.39
The findings of an inter-agency mission to Donetsk showed that the groups identified for UNICEF
immediate intervention include: children engaged directly in armed conflict; children out of
schools; children with disabilities; children living in conflict areas; children deprived of parental
care; children living with HIV; pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV.40
3. Child Protection needs as exacerbated by the crisis
The Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM) for November – December 2014 ranks the
protection severity score at 5.04 (i.e. critical problem, as a result of shortages and disruption of
services, some people have already died).41
Critical needs cited are:
1. Separated family members
2. Lack of information and freedom of movement
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3. Difficulty acquiring identity documents
Critical raions highlighted are:
1. Donetsk
2. Lozivskyi
3. Berdiansk and Slovianskyi
Dangers and Injuries
Overview/Issue
The continuing heavy shelling puts children at risk of dangers and injuries, especially through the
indiscriminate bombing of schools, resident neighborhoods and hospitals.
ERW and landmines are reportedly used by both sides of the conflict and present a security risk,
especially for children. According to the SES, in the past five months more than 31,000 ERW were
discovered in the eastern regions, and much more to be cleared.
Number of children affected
From mid-April 2014 to 6 February 2015, at least 5,617 people, including 63 children were killed
and 13,400 people were wounded including 169 children across eastern Ukraine.42
There were reports of five children wounded and two killed by unexploded ordnance in the
Donetsk region in the beginning of October.43 No further data is available.
Capacities
No detailed information available.
Response to date
 Several international NGOs and IOs (ICRC, OSCE, IRC, DRC, UNDP) are carrying out awareness
campaigns of the risks posed by ERW, and donated metal detectors, protective aprons, visors
and other equipment to the State Emergency Service to support the authorities' efforts to
clear ERW in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
 SES, which is currently implementing humanitarian demining operations, provides safety mine
awareness posters and the educational video materials. By mid-January some 43,000 more
workbooks were available for schools in other eastern towns.
 OSCE produced ammunition risks awareness videos aired by Ukrainian broadcasters. To
enhance the capability of the SES to respond to existing challenges, OSCE conducts training
courses for its personnel on international mine action standards, as well as providing
protective and demining equipment.44
Gaps
The numbers of killed and wounded is considered a conservative estimate. Actual numbers are
likely to be much higher and need to be investigated, as does the number of families and children
remaining in areas of fighting.45
Physical violence and other harmful practices
Overview/Issue
Displacement, family separation and the experience of conflict create a situation where girls and
boys are vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and violence. Children of all ages and gender are at risk
to violence at home and in schools.
While there are reports on numerous human right violations, including killings, harassment, forced
conscription, abductions, torture, have been reported by international organizations in areas
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controlled by armed groups, but also in other areas,46 so far there no reports specific to children
were found.
Number of children affected
No information available.
Capacities
No information available.
Response to date
No information available.
Coverage and gaps
No information available.
Sexual Violence
Overview/Issue
The risk of sexual violence, particularly the use of sexual violence by armed actors against women
and girls in the region is a concern. There are undocumented reports of sexual violence in the
conflict area.47
According to the assessment by the International Medical Corps, the reports on the issue of
conflict-related sexual violence are contradictory. In areas assessed, documented reports of sexual
violence at health facilities or police units do not currently exist. In major urban centers service
providers and some local officials did not believe the issue to be a significant problem. Farther
removed from major urban areas and closer to the front line/buffer zone various entities spoke of
the use of sexual violence by armed actors as extremely problematic but that survivors were
hesitant to come forward. Consistently, respondents associated alcohol use by armed actors as a
contributing factor to the instances of sexual assault that they were aware of.
Social services have had a few reported cases of child sexual abuse from within family systems.48
No conclusive reports on children survivors of sexual violence could be found.
Number of children affected
No information available.
According to accounts during the November Education Cluster meeting, four girls were released
from sex slavery in the conflict zone.49
Capacities
There is no systematic monitoring or mandatory aggregate reporting mechanism for sexual abuse
cases within the health system. Additionally, police do not have jurisdiction over crimes committed
by members of the national military and are required to hand over such cases to the military for
additional investigation and prosecution.
Clinical management of rape services are not readily available across the sites that International
Medical Corps accessed. Service providers had not been trained in relevant protocols and no postrape kits were found at health facilities. There was also a lot of confusion as to what level of care
post-rape care could be found. Psychosocial support is provided predominantly through social
workers at the Social Support Centers for Family and Youth and these services are available to
survivors.50
Response to date
There is a lack of GBV data and response in the crisis.
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Gaps
Physicians, psychologists, and other medical personnel need to be trained in international and
national guidelines and on how to adequately respond to cases of sexual violence in the conflict.
Potential sexual exploitation and violence towards children aggravated by the conflict situation
needs investigation.
Recommendations on the response needs made by IMC include51:
 Make services available through governmental as well as civil society actors to facilitate
ease of access for survivors who might be concerned with impartial treatment.
 Information regarding available services needs to be made available through traditional
IEC materials as well as confidential hotline to minimize any potential risk associated with
reporting.
 Pre-position post-rape kits in key hospitals and health centers.
Psychosocial distress and mental disorders
Overview/Issue
Approximately 100,000 children and parents are estimated to need support to address
psychological distress and aggression as negative coping mechanisms, caused by witnessing
violence and other traumatic events.52 There are many accounts of people with concerns about
the future, of people feeling hopeless and insecure, and children being afraid of loud noises and
wetting their beds. These problems can have immediate as well as long-term consequences for
individuals, families and communities in a divided part of the country.53
Many psychologists work together in groups and since the crises started, learnt that they need to
form ‘an agency’ in order to obtain funding. Yet, they have no experience or knowledge of how to
manage projects or how to write a proposal. The need for psychologists is overemphasized, e.g.
one foundation has trained 600 psychologists to give one to one support to traumatized children
and adults.
While the needs are increasing, the population affected by the conflict will not easily look for
MHPSS services and activities. There is a huge gap between what people can manage on their own
and the specialized care provided in institutions.54
Number of children affected
A UNICEF assessment of May 2014 in Mariupol, Donetsk, Horlivka and Yenakiieve (Donetsk оblast)
revealed that in the surveyed groups, different psychological methods of assessment showed
heightened fear and anxiety in about a quarter of the children 3- 6 years, around a sixth of children
7-12 years and up to a quarter of children 13-18 years:
 Every fifth child 13-18 years has a higher level of anxiety in comparison to the norm for
schoolchildren.
 Children 3-6 years showed significantly higher fear of blood and sudden, sharp noises than
the norm. Boys additionally displayed higher fear of death, while girls displayed higher
fear of pain than the norms for their ages.
 Every sixth child 7-12 years and every fourth child 13-18 years showed heightened levels
of social stress compared to norms.55
Capacities
Mariupol and surrounding areas: while many social services, schools, and medical care are
functioning, all of these services are stretched to capacity and few providers have substantial
training in working on CP issues, and almost no one has expertise in working on these issues in
humanitarian contexts.
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Large networks of local volunteers are doing remarkable work in providing basic inputs and in
some cases services to conflict affected populations but few if any have received training in best
practices, PSEA, IASC guidelines or do no harm principles.56
Response to date
 From 3 to 17 February, the child hotline run by La Strada and supported by UNICEF, received
a total of 1,486 calls. Of those 59 per cent were from girls and 41 per cent from boys. Most of
the calls were concerning legal advice and requests for psychosocial support. All callers
received counselling, support and referral when needed.
 During the reporting time 20 January - 3 February, trained psychologists in Donetsk and
Luhansk have provided the following psychosocial services: 11 individual counselling for
children and their families; 38 group counselling for children and their families, reaching a
total of 874 persons. Trained psychologists from Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts have provided
six outreach sessions for teachers, reaching 188 persons.57
 UNICEF conducts consultations with the Cluster members about a joint implementation
platform that would ensure more effectively reaching children in eastern Ukraine, with
psycho-social interventions making use of teachers and psychologists in schools.
 Slavyansk and Kramatorsk: Terre des hommes is creating 12 elementary-school based child
friendly spaces (Ludotecas) that will provide children in targeted areas with safe environment
for play, communication, relaxation and informal learning. It also includes the development
of basic referral pathways for children in need of protection, involving humanitarian, social
protection and education actors in the target areas. The intervention aims at benefiting 1,500
children.
Coverage and gaps
In the current situation there is a huge gap between needs and available MHPSS activities and
services. There are only few community-based initiatives or services integrated into primary health
care. Staff and volunteers of local NGOs and agencies are trying to fill this gap and support the
affected population. Service providers such as staff working in general health care, psychologists
and social workers similarly have limited experience in and skills in psychosocial support.58
Slavyansk and Kramatorsk: a commonly agreed upon acute need is the lack of opportunities to
engage IDP children and adolescents in constructive and developmentally appropriate activities
after they return home from school, whether they live in collective centers or in the community.
While mothers continue to supervise their children, the lack of structure and stimulation in
children’s lives is perceived to undermine their ability to cope positively with the situation. The
necessary space to develop activities for children and adolescents exists but local NGOs lack the
necessary financial means. Center managers would welcome the opportunity to engage with
international CP partners.59
Recommendations made by IMC include60:
• Improved cross-sectoral coordination, information sharing and dissemination of best
practices for MHPSS response to the crisis.
• Support capacity development of local agencies and organizations responding to MHPSS
needs among the affected population.
• Engagement of affected families and communities in promotion of psychosocial wellbeing and self-care.
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Children associated with armed forces and groups
Overview/Issue
Displacement, family separation and the experience of conflict in different regions of Ukraine
create a situation where girls and boys are deeply vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and violence.
Children, especially male adolescents and youth, are at risk of recruitment into the conflicts.
UNICEF has received anecdotal evidence that children have been recruited on both sides of the
conflict and may be directly involved in the fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
Number of children affected
No information available.
Capacities
No information available.
Response to date
No information available.
Coverage and gaps
No information available.
Child Labor
Overview/Issue
The emergency and the potential loss of livelihoods, breadwinners and access to education, and
when families are displaced and separated, children become particularly vulnerable to child labor
and WFCL.
The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA)
has stated concerns about the negative consequences of the current crisis on anti-trafficking
activities, and has noted that the growing number of IDPs are vulnerable to human trafficking.
Numerous attempts of illegal movement of orphans and children deprived of parental care who
have not reached the age of 16 abroad have been reported. The Ukrainian Government has taken
steps to strengthen control over the movement of children out of the country.61
In the September 2014 Human Rights Council panel discussion on accelerating global efforts to
end violence against children, the Ukraine National Human Rights Institution spoke about violence
against children in eastern Ukraine, which included kidnapping, trafficking, and the use of children
as shields in combat.62
Children begging for money and food on the street, encouraged by their parents, were observed
in the town of Makeevka in Donetsk region during a needs assessment in November 2014.63
Number of children affected
No information available.
Capacities
No information available.
Response to date
No information available.
Coverage and gaps
No information available.
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Unaccompanied and separated children
Overview/Issue
The ongoing conflict and population displacement causes separation of children from their parents
and families, which exposes children to increase risk of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.
In particular, unaccompanied and separated children are at increased risk of trafficking.
Hundreds of civilians are evacuated from Debaltseve, Donetsk, Luhansk area to government
controlled territories. Evacuations are being taken care of by MSP and SES. The Global Protection
Cluster reports that no involuntary evacuations were observed. 64 While there are often
evacuations of whole families, there are also reported cases where children were separated from
their families according to the President’s Ombudsman for Children Rights.65
The return of IDP orphans to post-conflict areas (not original locations): According to UNHCR,
demands by local authorities to return IDP orphans from the rest of Ukraine to state-controlled
parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions have increased. A special committee with representatives
from the UN agencies, the Department of Education, NGOs and the Ombudsman for Children was
established to address these cases. Follow-up interviews in line with CRC were conducted.66
The withdrawal of government services from NGCAs has raised concern about access to healthcare
and education for orphans, children in correctional institutions and abandoned children.
Displaced children who fled to safer areas through organized and spontaneous evacuations lack
documentation: policies for notaries in conflict areas are changing, making any documentation not
in line with Ukrainian laws. This will cause problems for those children who fled with relatives or
other caregivers who are not recognized as their legal guardians, and for issuance of recognized
birth certificates.67
In Mariupol, unaccompanied or orphaned children were not widely reported by service providers
though government officials did raise the current status of some residential care facilities as a
concern. Further, local representatives describe declining numbers of street children but not much
understanding as to why these numbers were declining and/or where the children were going.68
Number of children affected
The director of a boarding school in Sievierodonetsk (government-controlled) told the OSCE SMM
on 9 February that 53 unaccompanied children (26 girls and 27 boys, aged from 2-17), out of 100
evacuated (from areas Luhansk region), have arrived in Sievierodonetsk. The director told the
SMM that some of the children will soon travel onward to Odessa. Other children will soon reunite
with their parents in areas not experiencing conflict. The director’s main concern about the
displaced children is the double trauma of separation from their parents and other effects of
conflict on them.69
As of 31 January, at least 2,332 people remained in institutional care in NGCAs of Luhansk,
including 631 children in orphanages and children’s homes.70
Between 28 January and 13 February, 8,959 people including 2,012 children and 268 disabled
people were evacuated from Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Capacities
No information available.
Response to date
The Protection cluster and Child Protection Sub-Cluster have agreed on the task of defining key
principles under international humanitarian responses regarding evacuation policies. This policy
document will be shared among state and non-state partners as an advocacy tool.
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Gaps
The number of unaccompanied children, children orphaned by the conflict, or separated from their
families, and the care they need, is not known and needs to be monitored.
The current situation in residential institutions for children needs to be assessed so as to provide
adequate shelter, care, food, education, and medical and psychological support to the children.
Need to build awareness of international/humanitarian principles in the evacuation process and
to ensure that children’s best interests are being considered and catered for.71
The impact of the conflict of street children needs to be assessed thoroughly.
Justice for children
Overview/Issue
Humanitarian situations often increase the possibility of children coming into contact with the
justice system as alleged offenders, victims or witnesses, or in a combination of these roles. The
justice system is generally understood to include the courts, police and correctional facilities, as
well as informal systems such as those working under traditional and customary law.
According to the OHCHR, various armed groups have performed quasi-judicial functions such as
issuing arbitrary sentences, deciding on the detention of civilians and members of the armed
groups on charges of looting, desertion, drinking, and other alleged acts.72
There is no information regarding children in contact with the justice system.
Number of children affected
No information available.
Capacities
No information available.
Response to date
No information available.
Coverage and gaps
No information available.
4. Education needs as exacerbated by the crisis
Access to education
Overview/Issue
Children’s access to school in and around the conflict zone continues to be hampered by insecurity.
900 schools in the conflict areas failed to open by 1 September due to safety concerns and it is
unclear how many have opened since due to ongoing insecurity. While the MoES does not have
reliable information regarding the actual number of schools operating in the conflict zone and the
number of children attending, it estimates that 60-70% are operating, although only 55% of
schools are operating in Donetsk city.73 Children living in the settlements in close vicinity of the
line of contact are reportedly not attending schools and pre-schools since September.
The use of school buses for military purposes has hindered rural children’s access to educational
facilities in some regions. Such problems were reported from the Kherson, Mykolaiv, Volyn and
Rivne regions.74
There are contradictory accounts on IDP children attending schools: for example ACAPS, referring
to UNICEF, states that parents are not registering their children in new schools, as they expect
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either further displacement or intend to return home, meaning IDP children have limited
opportunities for integration in the education system in host communities. The HSM on the other
hand reports that over 50% of IDP children have joined schools in their host communities.
As of 16 February, the MoES reported that the number of IDP children registered in schools and
kindergartens is increasing in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions.75
Number of children affected
According to the Ukrainian MoES, out of approximately 1 million children in Donetsk and Luhansk
regions, 557,696 children are of school age (6-18 years old). Up to 50,000 children are reported to
be facing disrupted education.
As of 6 February, the MoES reports 71,632 IDP children registered in schools mainly in Donetsk,
Karhrkiv, Dnipropetrovsk regions and Kyiv. This represents an increase of 1,371 since December
2014.
Capacities
Overall, the Ukrainian school system has been reasonably successful in accommodating more than
70,000 IDP children into existing educational facilities throughout the country.76
Response to date
 The Education Cluster raised the issue of the final exam for secondary school students in the
NGCA with MoES and oblast education authorities in Luhansk and Donetsk. Issues around
exams in NGCA remain as all students attending the final year of secondary schools in those
areas can receive state-format educational certificates only if they are registered at the
nearest school in GCA.
 Donetsk: all schools in the city were closed in the beginning of February due to heavy shelling.
Fourteen schools have been damaged to various extent in this time. Pupils were enrolled in
distance education programmes.
 Debaltseve: 860 school children were no longer attending class and were instead engaged in
distance-learning, as a result of shelling in the city. The remainder of the 1,290 registered
children of school age in the area were believed to have left the area.77
 Slavyansk and Kramatorsk: NGO programmes plan to establish elementary-school based CFS
(Ludotecas) that will provide children in targeted areas with a safe environment for play,
communication, relaxation and informal learning.78
 The schools of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk - affected by recent hostilities - received newlyproduced awareness raising materials to help their students avoid risks of accidents,
associated with ERW. The regional authorities received 7,000 workbooks with covers
displaying instructions on safety rules for children in case they encounter ERW.
Gaps
Continuous insecurity represents the main obstacle to access to education.
Safeguarding uninterrupted access to education for IDP children and children who have remained
in the areas of conflict, including kindergarten, and primary and secondary school, needs to be
monitored.
The inclusion of IDP children, children from minority groups, and children with special needs
require assessment.79
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The HSM for November – December 2014 ranks the education severity score at 3.00 (i.e. major
problem, shortages and disruption of services are affecting everyone, but they are not life
threatening).
Critical needs cited are:
4. School repairs
5. Food support
6. School materials
Critical raions highlighted are:
1. Novoazovskyi and Slovianskyi
2. Pervomaisk (Luhansk)
3. Zaporizhzhia and Zaporizkyi
Availability of education
Overview/Issue
Children’s school attendance in and around the conflict zone continues to be hampered by
damaged or destroyed schools and insecurity. Indiscriminate shelling has significantly damaged
schools and pre-schools inside the areas of direct conflict. 203 educational facilities within the GCA
of northern Donetska and Luhansak oblasta were damaged during the course of the conflict
remain damaged and are in urgent need for improved winterization.
The OHCHR reports that in non-government-controlled areas, school curricula have been altered
to exclude the teaching of Ukrainian language and history. The new system comes into force early
next year and officials in Donetsk say parents will have a choice as to whether their children will
use Russian or Ukrainian as their main language.80
In the conflict areas Russian is spoken; further west Ukrainian is spoken. Everyone understands
the languages but not everyone is bilingual. The formal education language is Ukrainian; hence
Russian-speaking IDP children from the conflict areas displaced to the Ukrainian-speaking west
struggle to entirely understand the classes and their peers.
There were no reports found indicating that schools/learning facilities are used for noneducational purposes.
Number of children affected
Up to 50,000 children are reported to be facing disrupted education.
Overall, the Ukrainian school system has been reasonably successful in accommodating more than
70,000 IDP children into existing educational facilities throughout the country.81
Capacities
Response to date
 Several INGOs and the UN agencies are distributing learning material in post-conflict and
reception areas.
 UNDP and UNICEF signed a MoU on 4 February for the “Early Recovery of Social Services and
Peacebuilding in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts”, including the improvement of school
infrastructure such as water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in the affected areas for at least
eight schools and kindergartens.
 UNICEF and NGO partner ‘Ukrainian Frontiers’ are jointly distributing educational kits to
displaced children in Svyatohirsk, Kramatorsk, Slovyansk.82
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Gaps
School repair was the most urgent specified need for better education, according to an assessment
of 36 educational institutions in Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and governmentcontrolled parts of Donetsk and Luhansk.83
The location and capacity of functional educational facilities and safe learning spaces, and the
availability of educational material and qualified teachers needs to be established.
Annex I: Contacts
Education Cluster – UNICEF (lead)
• Cluster coordinator: Mr. Rudi Luchmann, rluchmann@unicef.org, +380 50 312 9915
• Technical focal points: Mr. Oyvind Wistrom, owistrom@unicef.org, +380 503 86 6532; Ms Olena
Sakovych, osakovych@unicef.org, +380 44 254 2439; Mr. Vladyslav Lashko, vlashko@unicef.org,
+380 50 384 4833
Protection Cluster – UNHCR (co-lead) and OHCHR (co-lead)
• Cluster co-coordinators: Mr. Ilija Todorovic, todorovi@unhcr.org, +380 50 463 7115; Ms Fiona
Frazer, ffrazer@ohchr.org, +380 50 386 8072
• Technical backups: Mr. Yuriy Vereschynskyi, vereschy@unhcr.org, +380 93 236 9613; Mr.
Uladzimir Shcherbau, ushcherbau@ohchr.org, +380 95 275 2714
Sub-cluster: Working Group on Child Protection – UNICEF (lead)
• Sub-cluster coordinator: Ms. Gabrielle Akimova, gakimova@unicef.org +380 95 283 8442; Keep
in copy: Mr. Vanno Noupech, noupech@unhcr.org, +380 50 445 9119; Ms Noel Calhoun,
calhoun@unhcr.org, +380 95 271 0879
Sub-cluster: Sexual and Gender Based Violence – UNFPA (lead)
• Sub-cluster coordinator: Ms Nuzhat Ehsan, ehsan@unfpa.org, +380 50 446 4803
• Technical focal point: Ms Olga Osaulenko, osaulenko@unfpa.org, +380 50 446 4815
Overall humanitarian coordination – UN OCHA
• Head of Office: Mr. Marcel Vaessen, vaessen@un.org, +380 96 522 7509
• Humanitarian Affairs Officers: Mr. Ivane Bochorishvili, bochorishvili@un.org, +380 93 674 3154;
Ms. Alexandra Eurdolian, eurdolian@un.org, +380 95 284 7322; Mr. Olexandr Ovdiienko,
ovdiienko@un.org, +380 50 463 6404
Please submit updates to ocha.im.ukraine@gmail.com
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Annex II: Abbreviations
CBO
Community based organization
CP
Child protection
CFS
Child friendly space
ERW
Explosive remnants of war
GCA
Government-controlled area
GBV
Gender based violence
GDP
Gross domestic product
GNI
Gross national income
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
HSM
Humanitarian Situation Monitoring
ICRC
International Committee of the Red Cross
IDP
Internally displaced people
LGBTI
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex
MoES
Ministry of Education and Science
MoU
Memorandum of Understanding
MSP
Ministry of Social Policy
NGCA
Non-government controlled area
NGO
Non-Government Organization
OCHA
Office for the CO-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OSCE
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
SMM
Special Monitoring Mission
SES
State Emergency Service
TdH
Terre des Hommes
UNCRC
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
UNDP
United Nations Development Program
UNFPA
United Nations Population Fund
UNHCR
United Nations High Commissioner’s Refugee Commission
UNICEF
United Children’s Fund
UNMAS
United Nations Mine Action Service
WFCL
Worst forms of child labor
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Annex III: Timeline
84
2013
30 November: Public support grows for the Euromaidan anti-government protesters in Kiev
demonstrating against Yanukovych’s refusal to sign the EU Association Agreement as images of
them injured by police crackdown spread.
2014
20 February: Kiev sees its worst day of violence for almost 70 years as at least 88 people are killed
in 48 hours, with uniformed snipers shooting at protesters from rooftops.
22 February: Yanukovych flees the country after protest leaders and politicians agree to form a
new government and hold elections. The imprisoned former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, is
freed from prison and protesters take control of Presidential administration buildings.
27 February: Pro-Russian militias seize government buildings in Crimea and the new Ukrainian
government vows to prevent the country breaking up as the Crimean Parliament sets a
referendum on secession from Ukraine in May.
16 March: Crimea votes overwhelmingly to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in a ballot
condemned by the US and Europe as illegal.
6 April: Pro-Russian rebels seize government buildings in the eastern cities of Donetsk, Luhansk
and Kharkiv, calling for a referendum on independence and claiming independent republic.
7 June: Petro Poroshenko is sworn in as Ukraine's president, calling on separatists to lay down
their arms and end the fighting.
27 June: The EU signs an association agreement with Ukraine, along with Georgia and Moldova,
eight months after protests over the abandonment of the deal sparked the crisis.
17 July: Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 is shot down over eastern Ukraine , killing 298 people.
29 August: Nato releases satellite images appearing to show Russian soldiers, artillery and armored
vehicles engaged in military operations in eastern Ukraine .
5 September: Ukraine's president orders government forces to cease fire following an agreement
signed at talks attended by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the rebels and the OSCE in Minsk.
September - November: Cease-fire repeatedly violated before breaking down completely. Nato
confirms Russian troops and heavy military equipment entering eastern Ukraine .
October: Parliamentary elections produce convincing majority for pro-Western parties, which
begin process of forming a new coalition led by Prime Minster Arseniy Yatseniuk.
November: Donetsk and Luhansk separatists hold elections not provided for by Minsk plan.
Ukraine withdraws pledge for regional autonomy in response.
2015
17 January: Separatists capture remains of Donetsk airport in renewed offensive.
12 February: Germany and France broker new ceasefire deal at talks in Minsk.
18 February: Fighting continued regardless and Ukrainian forces pulled back from the town of
Debaltseva as truce faltered.
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1
The World Bank: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.1524.ZS
UNICEF Ukraine website: www.unicef.org/ukraine/children.html
3
Humanitarian Needs Overview 2015 (December 2014):
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2015_HNO_Ukraine_20141205_0.pdf
4
2001 Census, www.minorityrights.org/5053/ukraine/ukraine-overview.html
5
Map from Online Maps: http://onlinemaps.blogspot.ch/2012/06/euro-2012-on-maps.html
6
OHCHR Status of Ratification Interactive Dashboard: http://indicators.ohchr.org/
7
UNICEF Annual Report 2013 – Ukraine:
www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Ukraine_COAR_2013.pdf
8
United States Department of Labor, 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor Ukraine:
www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/ukraine.htm
9
UNICEF Country Profile 2010, Education in Ukraine; UNICEF Annual Report, op. cit.
10
UNICEF Annual Report, op. cit.
11
ACAPS with Save the Children, Eastern Ukraine Briefing – 16 December 2014 and 30 January 2015:
www.acaps.org/img/documents/e-ukraine-sdr.pdf and www.acaps.org/img/documents/b-acaps-bnukraine-conflict-30-jan-2015.pdf
12
UNDP (May 2014), New study on court practice to help judges fight domestic violence more
effectively: www.sa.undp.org/content/ukraine/en/home/presscenter/articles/2014/05/26/a-newstudy-on-preventing-domestic-violence-was-presented-at-the-ombudsman-office.html
13
GCPWG Country profile Ukraine, March 2015
14
Women’s Media Center (29 December 2014):
www.womenundersiegeproject.org/blog/entry/evidence-mounts-in-ukraine-that-both-sides-arecommitting-sexualized-violen
15
International Medical Corps, Emergency Assessment Report, Eastern Ukraine, January 2015:
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/International%20Medical%20Corps%20Emerg
ency%20Assessment_Eastern%20Ukraine_January%202015.pdf
16
ACAPS, op. cit.
17
United States Department of Labor, op. cit.
18
ACAPS, op. cit.
19
U.S. Department of State, Office to monitor and combat trafficking in persons, 2014 Trafficking in
Persons Report: www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2014/226841.htm
20
ACAPS, op. cit.
21
UNICEF (2009), Assessment of juvenile justice reform achievements in Ukraine:
www.unicef.org/ceecis/UNICEF_JJUkraine08.pdf
22
Children of Prisoners Europe, Justice for Children of Prisoners (2013):
http://childrenofprisoners.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/PrisonsAcrossEuropeNewslettersite.pdf
23
World Data on Education (2010/2011):
www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/WDE/2010/pdf-versions/Ukraine.pdf
24
UNICEF Country Profile 2010, op. cit.
25
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (13 June 2014), Concluding observations on the
sixth periodic report of Ukraine, E/C.12/UKR/CO/6
26
UNESCO Education Profile: www.uis.unesco.org/DataCentre/Pages/countryprofile.aspx?code=8070&SPSLanguage=EN
27
UNICEF Ukraine, child protection situation update: www.unicef.org/ukraine/donor-briefs19-01-052.jpg
28
ACAPS, op. cit.
29
Terre des hommes (January 2015), Community-based child protection in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk,
Donetsk oblast, eastern Ukraine.
30
The Washington Post (1 March 2015), Ukraine unofficially has 272 percent inflation:
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/01/ukraine-unofficially-has-272-percentinflation
31
HNO, op. cit.
32
UNICEF Ukraine Humanitarian Situation Report # 27 (6 February 2015) and # 28 (20 February 2015)
33
UNHCR Operational Update, 6 February 2015
2
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34
Terre des hommes, op. cit.
Ibid.
36
HNO, op. cit.
37
Internews (February 2015), Understanding information and communication needs among IDPs in
eastern Ukraine
38
Ukraine, Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM), November – December 2014
39
Kharrkiv Human Rights Protection Group 01/01/2015, IPS 28/01/2015
40
UNICEF Sit. Rep., op. cit.
41
Ukraine (HSM), op. cit.
42
OCHA Situation report No.26 (6 February 2015) and No.27 (13 February 2015); UNICEF Sit. Rep., op.
cit.
43
ACAPS, op. cit.
44
OSCE (19 December 2014), OSCE helps children of eastern Ukraine learn safety rules to avoid
accidents with ammunition and unexploded ordnance: www.osce.org/ukraine/132591
45
ACAPS, op. cit.
46
European Commission (January 2015), Humanitarian Implementation Plan, Ukraine
47
Ukraine Strategic Response Plan (December 2014), prepared by the Ukraine Humanitarian Country
Team (HCT):
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2015_SRP_Ukraine_20141205_0.pdf
48
International Medical Corps, op. cit.
49
Education Cluster meeting notes, 27 November 2014
50
International Medical Corps, op. cit.
51
International Medical Corps, op. cit.
52
ACAPS, op. cit.
53
International Medical Corps, op. cit.
54
Ibid.
55
UNICEF Assessment (May 2014) rapid psychosocial assessment of children in Donetsk oblast
56
International Medical Corps, op. cit.
57
UNICEF Sit. Rep., op. cit.
58
International Medical Corps, op. cit.
59
Terre des hommes, op. cit.
60
International Medical Corps, op. cit.
61
Ibid.
62
Human Rights Council holds panel discussion on accelerating global efforts to end violence against
children (September 2014):
www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15089&LangID=E
63
ACAPS, op. cit.
64
OCHA Sit. Rep., op. cit.
65
UNICEF Sit. Rep., op. cit.
66
UNHCR Operational Update (6 February 2015)
67
Ibid.
68
International Medical Corps, op. cit.
69
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of
18:00 (Kyiv time), 10 February 2015: www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/140056
70
OCHA Sit. Rep., op. cit.
71
Ibid.
72
ACAPS, op. cit.
73
HNO, op. cit.
74
ACAPS, op. cit.
75
UNICEF Sit. Rep., op. cit.
76
Ukraine (HSM), op. cit.
77
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, op. cit.
78
Terre des hommes, op. cit.
79
ACAPS, op. cit.
35
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80
Euronews (2 November 2014): www.euronews.com/2014/11/02/ukraine-s-rebels-open-schooldoors-to-russian-education; ACAPS Eastern Ukraine Briefing – 16 December 2014
81
Ukraine (HSM), op. cit.
82
UNICEF Sit. Rep., op. cit.
83
ACAPS, op. cit.
84
The Independent (September 2014): www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-atimeline-of-the-conflict-from-the-euromaidan-protests-to-mh17-and-civil-war-in-the-east9706999.html
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