Lack of clean water is one of the most urgent problems for communities near the contact line in the east of Ukraine

On International Water Day, it is of utmost importance to draw public attention to the issue of providing forcibly displaced people with full access to water and necessary hygiene services, especially in the context of preventing the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Water security is one of the most urgent problems for communities living near the contact line in the east of Ukraine. Many of them do not have centralized water facilities, making wells their only source of drinkable water in the region.

Humanitarian mission “Proliska” with the support of UNHCR Ukraine is currently addressing the issue by executing numerous projects on purification, chlorination and delivery of water to local populations.

For instance, in 2020 “Proliska’s” team delivered around 3 tons of water to Shumy village. Only three people live there and “Proliska-Toretsk” continues to provide aid and supports water delivery. The village does not have a centralized water supply system, wells or drillings. People have to gather rainwater and use it to cook food or boil it.

Toretsk and other towns, which are located near the contact line are constantly suffering from water supply problems either because of deterioration of communications or as a result of shelling. For example, last August “Proliska” mission team, thanks to financial support from the European Union, managed to transfer 84 litres of water to 42 people with reduced mobility in just 3 days. Overall, “Proliska” provided Toretsk with 3500 litres of water in 2020.

At the beginning of 2021 a lot of single residents with reduced mobility from Toretsk used the telephone “hot line”. They applied for water deliveries after the centralized water supply was broken on 5th January because of hostilities. At the beginning of 2021 Toretsk and Pivdenny residents received 48 canisters of water (almost 500 litres).

Moreover, during massive forest fires in July and October 2020 “Proliska’s” team in Luhansk oblast organized water and food deliveries for local residents and rescuers.