Ukraine - Emergency Health Care - WHO 2015

March 2015 – In eastern Ukraine approximately 5.2 million people have been affected by the conflict either through the breakdown of law and order disintegration of families and communities or the deterioration of basic infrastructure and essential services. Of these approximately 1.4 million are considered to be highly vulnerable and in need of humanitarian assistance. More than one million people have been displaced from Donbas region and Crimea since March 2014. Most of the internally displaced from eastern Ukraine are located within Donetsk and Luhansk regions as well as Kharkiv Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. In 2015 the humanitarian community is prioritizing its support to 900 000 of the most vulnerable people who live mainly in the five most-affected regions. With the support of DFATD and other donors WHO is expanding its health response in Ukraine to support the health needs of those affected in conflict areas and internally displaced by the ongoing fighting. Project activities include: (1) providing emergency health kits and logistics support for their distribution; (2) strengthening early warning systems for infectious diseases; and (3) working with partners to establish mobile clinics and first aid centres.

The expected outcome for this project is increased access to basic health care. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.