Ukraine
Ukraine - 1.1 Humanitarian Background

Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

Natural Disasters

Type

Occurs

Comments / Details

 

Drought

Yes

The European Commission has estimated that at least 11 % of Europe's population and 17 % of its territory have been affected by water scarcity to date and put the cost of droughts in Europe over the past thirty years at EUR 100 billion (1).  The drought of 2003 caused a total economic cost of over EUR13 billion in around twenty European countries http://www.climatechangepost.com/ukraine/droughts/

 

Earthquakes

Yes

The largest earthquake in Ukraine:

  • 2023: 4,7 in Foros, Crimea, Ukraine

http://earthquaketrack.com/p/ukraine/recent

 

Epidemics

Yes

Diphtheria, 1991-1997.  By 1995, a mass immunization strategy was adopted by the Government of Ukraine.
Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), SARS-CoV-2, 2020-2023.  By 2023, a mass immunization strategy was adopted by the Government of Ukraine.

 

Extreme Temperatures

Yes

Can reach minus 35C0 in the winter months.

 

Flooding

Yes

The highest risks of flooding are found in the southern and western regions of the country. 

 

Insect Infestation

Yes

Information on a broad range of insects effecting Ukraine, including import issues. https://zelenasadyba.com.ua/sad-i-gorod/komahy-shkidnyky-roslyn.html

https://www.cherk-consumer.gov.ua/novyny/3754-prohnoz-rozvytku-shkidlyvykh-komakh-i-khvorob-silhospkultur-na-terytorii-cherkaskoi-oblasti-u-chervni-2022-roku

 

Mudslides

Yes

After intense rainfalls mudslides occur mostly in the Carpathian region, but may happen throughout the country. They block the roads and railways and are very rarely associated with fatalities.

 

Volcanic Eruptions

No

 

 

High Waves / Surges

No

 

 

Wildfires

Yes

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ed to a surge in forest and rural fires across the country. Even before the invasion, wildfires were common in the Ukrainian forests https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/cp_data_news/ukraines-wildfires-surge-amidst-war/

 

High Winds

Yes

High winds have caused blackouts and increased the spread of wildfires.

 

Man-Made Issues

Man-made disaster

Yes

The destruction of the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric station was committed at about 2:50 am on 06 June 2023. The dam was under the control of the Russian military, which seized it in the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.. Located in the disaster zone were about 16 thousand people and about 80 settlements.

 

International Conflict

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes

The Russian-Ukrainian war is a direct and indirect use of armed force by the Russian Federation against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The stages of the International armed conflict, which began in 2014, are:

Russian armed invasion of
the Crimea in February-March 2014 (with the subsequent beginning of the temporary occupation of the peninsula by Russia on February 20, 2014).

The conflict in the East of Ukraine (Donbas) since April 2014, which began with the illegal so-called referendums in parts of Donetska and Luhanska Oblasts and lasted until the beginning of the escalation into a war.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine since 24 February 2022, which is still ongoing today (as of November 2023).

 

Internally Displaced Persons

Yes

As of July 2023, 5.1 million [AA1] internally displaced persons are officially registered in Ukraine. At the same time, more than 6.2 million Ukrainians found temporary shelter outside Ukraine.

 

Refugees Present

Yes

http://unhcr.org.ua/en/

 

Landmines / UXO Present

Yes

In connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there is a high probability of detection of explosive objects throughout the state. The mined territories of Ukraine are the South, East and North regions of the country.
https://mine.dsns.gov.ua/

 

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

Seasonal Effects on Transport

Transport Type

Time Frame

Comments / Details

Primary Road Transport

November

 to February

Limitations are to be expected due to freezing/low temperatures during the winter months

Secondary Road Transport

November

 to February

Limitations are to be expected due to freezing/low temperatures during the winter months

Rail Transport

November

 to February

Limitations are to be expected due to security situation in the region.

Air Transport

 

Occasional closure due to fog and snow. However, with the onset of the invasion the airports in Ukraine have been closed; the airspace is closed.

Waterway Transport

November

 to April

River transport is not operational in winter months when rivers occasionally freeze

 

Ukraine has a temperate continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. Heavy snow falls and freezing in winter may affect transport/movement. 

 

Seasonal Effects on Storage and Handling

Activity Type

Time Frame

Comments / Details

Storage

November

to February

Potential freezing of goods

Handling

 

 

 

Heated warehouses are recommended in winter to avoid freezing of goods. Heavy snow and freezing can affect all aspects of warehouse operations.

 

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

GOVERNMENT

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) https://dsns.gov.ua/ is the central executive body responsible for the implementation of state policy in the area of civil protection, protection of population and territories from emergencies, prevention of emergencies, elimination of emergencies, rescue, firefighting, fire and labour safety, rescue and emergency service management, and hydro-meteorological activity.

The SESU operates in a government-controlled area and is mainly focused on dealing with disasters of technogenic natural, social, and military nature.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

 

HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY

During the war, the number of humanitarian organizations in Ukraine has increased more than 5 times. Currently, there are more than 700 humanitarian organizations, including both international agencies and local non-governmental organizations/charitable foundations. For more than half of humanitarian operators, the main activity remains food assistance and the provision of basic necessities and livelihoods. Since the beginning of the war, UN agencies and their partners have provided humanitarian assistance totalling more than $4 billion. A third of these funds were paid in the form of cash assistance. It was received by more than 5 million Ukrainians.[AA2] 

The Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories continues to actively cooperate with the humanitarian community in Ukraine. Joint projects of the Ministry are ongoing together with UNHCR Ukraine, UNICEF, WFP, IOM, ICRC, OCHA, and other international and local humanitarian operators.

Because of the ongoing fighting, humanitarian needs in Ukraine continue to increase, especially for people who remain in communities near the front line and on territories directly affected by active hostilities. The war has severely affected access to all basic services, such as housing, healthcare, or welfare.

As a result of the further escalation of hostilities in 2023, the number of people in need for humanitarian assistance increased drastically.

Humanitarian organizations continue to support people in Ukraine: at the end of June 2023, almost 7.3 million people received the necessary assistance and social and legal protection services. However, only 4% who received assistance live in areas under the temporary control of the Russian Federation, access to which remains extremely limited and, in many cases, impossible.

In addition to security issues and other obstacles, the work of humanitarian workers is also complicated by a lack of funding from the State budget which is heavily oriented at war-related expenses.

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