Statement by Deputy Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine at the online-briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine

Your Excellences, dear Ladies and Gentlemen!

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the organisers and participants of this event for the efforts to facilitate and to hold today’s briefing.

The Government of Ukraine highly appreciates endeavour of the UN, international humanitarian community and all the donors that, considering challenging work environment, continued to support affected by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation Ukrainian citizens for more than six past years.

It shall be noted, that in 2020 humanitarian community provided assistance to a great amount of people in need, which may be seen from the successful fulfilment results of the Humanitarian Response Plan 2020 (62%), comparing to previous years, and even in times of COVID-19 pandemics.

We acknowledge achieved results and sincerely hope to continue and increase our cooperation to restore peace in Ukraine.

For over the six past years, many IDPs had integrated into their new place of residence. However, this does not allow us to forget about the civilian population residing in the temporarily occupied territories and bearing the burden of the negative consequences of the activities of the occupying administrations of the Russian Federation.

Armed aggression of the Russian Federation caused humanitarian crisis on the temporarily occupied territories, affecting millions of innocent Ukrainians. As a result of the aggression, the purchasing power of the civilian population decreased and access to educational and medical services deteriorated. The situation with food security remains especially critical.

Particular concern shall be expressed due to the fact that the occupying administrations of the Russian Federation do not take sufficient measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, withhold from local population information about the morbidity rates and deprive the civilian population from the opportunities to protect one’s health.

That is why we constantly call on international humanitarian organizations, within the framework of their respective mandates, to intensify the monitoring of the situation regarding medical care for the residents of temporarily occupied territories and to inform the international community about blatant violations of human rights to life and health by the Russian occupying administrations.

Measures taken by the Government of Ukraine

Today I would like to inform about main activities of the Government of Ukraine in 2020.

First of all, I will stress that the Government ensured the work of all entry-exit checkpoints on the contact line, however the Russian armed formations continue to block five entry-exit checkpoints. Therefore, due to the criminal actions of the occupiers, only 2 entry-exit checkpoints operate in a limited mode.

Apart from that, at the end of 2020, two entry-exit checkpoints were equipped with service areas where one may get all the necessary social and administrative services. In the future similar service areas are to be opened at all 10 entry-exit checkpoints.

The Government is well aware of the duties of the state before its citizens. So, an exhaustive list and volumes of restricted or prohibited goods for transfer as well as a simplified procedure for movement of humanitarian goods by international humanitarian organizations to temporarily occupied territories has been introduced. The entry-exit procedure for children under the age of 16 has also been simplified and the humanitarian grounds for crossing the entry-exit checkpoints during movement restrictions have been introduced.

The housing problems of IDPs and victims of armed aggression of Russian Federation have not gone unnoticed. I would like to emphasize that in the period from 2017 to 2020 at the expense of the subvention 340 apartments have been purchased for more than 1,100 IDPs. It is planned to purchase in 2021 as many apartments as it has been done in the previous 4 years. This would allow providing temporary housing for around 850 people. In 2021, about $ 4.5 million has been allocated for financing this program.

In addition, in December 2020, the Agreement between the Governments of Ukraine and Germany has been ratified. It provisioned 25.5 million euros for the purposes to provide housing for about 680 IDPs families, which will enable them to get a loan at 3% per annum.

Particular attention shall be given to the start of compensation process to the first 74 victims of destroyed as a result of armed aggression by the Russian Federation housing in 2020. In 2021 it is planned to pay compensation to more than 380 victims. In six years Ukraine has overcome a difficult path that other countries have spent decades on.

Constant shelling of infrastructure water supply objects by the armed forces of the Russian Federation raised a sharp problem of access to drinking water. In 2020 with involvement of France, a project aimed at providing more than half a million residents of Mariupol with drinking water has been launched. A similar project is planned to be implemented in Luhansk region in 2021. The total cost of the projects amounts to over $ 160 million.

It is worth noting that in 2020, in times of global pandemics, the Government has provided uninterrupted accrual of social allowances and pensions for residents of temporarily occupied territories, resolved the issue of IDP’s participation in local elections and launched electronic IDP certificate which will facilitate access to administrative services to almost 1.5 million IDPs.

Active work is underway to facilitate access to education for residents of temporarily occupied territories.

2,026 children from temporarily occupied territories benefited from a new program allowing to enrol to any institution of higher education under a separate quota in 2020. All in all, $ 4.5 million has been allocated for the purposes of integration of youth from temporarily occupied territories in 2021.

In addition, in 2020 the Concept of economic development of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which shall provide conditions for improving the quality of life of our citizens, as well as a full-scale reintegration of temporarily occupied territories, has been designed.

A law on unification of approaches to temporarily occupied territories in Donbass and Crimea, introduction of transitional justice and consolidation of social guarantees is being drafted.

Because of restriction of the rights of Crimean Tatars to receive education in their native language, the Government also works on the Concept of development and popularization of the Crimean Tatar language.

Summary

As one may see, the work is carried out in many dimensions: from extension of legal framework to the introduction of modern technologies. Also in 2020-2021 the Government has provided a significant increase in humanitarian funding.

However, the situation remains difficult and even deteriorates due to the pandemic and criminal activity of the occupying administrations of the Russian Federation, which not only abstain from applying necessary measures, but also create barriers to receive assistance.

Therefore, the continuation of humanitarian activities and ensuring access of civilian population to livelihoods is critically important.

In order to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the east of the country, we constantly and fruitfully cooperate with OCHA, ICRC, SDC (Swiss Development Cooperation), other UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations that assist affected populations, people in need of protection, housing, water, food, medicine and other necessities.

To solve the full range of humanitarian problems, Ukraine requires reliable support in implementation of Humanitarian Response Plan measures from the side of international partners and donors.

The Government supports humanitarian responses that meet needs of the current humanitarian situation on the ground and that correlate with the Government's priorities regarding meeting the needs of civilians affected by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. We are convinced that the combined efforts of the Government and the world humanitarian community will allow significantly improve the humanitarian situation in the temporarily occupied territories.

I take this opportunity to call on the representatives of the UN Member States to provide necessary support for the implementation of the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2021.