© Luhansk Regional State Administration
Dnipro, 21 August 2023 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Luhansk Regional State Administration today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to solidify and further strengthen their ongoing cooperation to support war-affected people from the Luhansk region.
As the full-scale invasion continues, Luhanska oblast, in the frontline of the war, remains one of the top five regions of origin of people displaced across Ukraine, and one of the most affected in terms of destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Under the leadership of the Luhansk Regional State Administration and in coordination with other humanitarian actors, UNHCR will continue to prioritize live-saving assistance to war-affected people, including legal aid, cash assistance, psychosocial support, and critical non-food items, and provide emergency shelter kits and construction materials to enable people to repair their damaged homes. Jointly with its local NGO partners, UNHCR will also help improve the living conditions for thousands of IDPs from Luhanska oblast, who are now displaced in other regions of Ukraine.
With the approach of winter, the vast needs of war-affected people in Ukraine are expected to further increase, particularly in the frontline areas. Within its winterization programme, UNHCR will provide cash assistance to help some of the most vulnerable IDPs, and war-affected people who have remained in or returned to their homes, cover heating and fuel costs during the winter. UNHCR will also provide winterized items like thermal blankets, and help insulate individual homes and collective centres hosting internally displaced people.
© Luhansk Regional State Administration
© Luhansk Regional State Administration
© Luhansk Regional State Administration
“Since 2014 and continuing throughout the full-scale invasion, UNHCR has enjoyed excellent cooperation with the Luhansk Regional State Administration. This has enabled us to efficiently provide humanitarian assistance to war-affected people, including some of the most vulnerable, who have remained in frontline settlements. We are committed to continuing this support in the areas of our work, and to advocate for sustained and increased support for the people of Ukraine and the recovery of their communities,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.
“We are grateful to UNHCR for the assistance as they have been reliable partners since 2014 and are ready to provide a quick response. Our cooperation will help to restore the oblast”, said Artem Lysohor, Head of Luhansk Regional State administration.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, UNHCR and its NGO partners have assisted almost 20,000 war-affected people in Luhanska oblast with protection services, cash assistance, non-food items and emergency shelter kits. Another 26,000 IDPs from Luhansk region who were displaced to Dnipropetrovska, Zaporizka, Kharkivska and Poltavska oblast have been supported by UNHCR and its local partner “Proliska” in humanitarian hubs established by the Luhanska oblast authorities. This assistance included beds, sleeping mats, blankets, mattresses, pillows, solar lamps, hygiene kits and kitchen sets, enabling to improve living conditions for people in their temporary homes or collective sites.
Across Ukraine, UNHCR and its NGO partners reached over 4.3 million people in 2022 and over 1.86 million people so far in 2023 with protection services including free legal aid and psychosocial support, emergency shelter materials and housing repairs, support for collective centres hosting displaced people, and cash and in-kind humanitarian assistance.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Victoria Andrievska
Associate Communication/PI Officer
Iryna Tymchyshyn
Assistant Communications Officer
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