Providing humanitarian assistance in the framework of strengthening food security to people living in rural areas at the NGCA of Donetsk region The humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict in eastern Ukraine has been going on for eight years. According to the 2022 Humanitarian Needs Survey, 2.9 million people, mostly in NGCA, will be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022. In NGCA, humanitarian needs remain significant and growing. Residents of NGCA have been the hardest hit by COVID-19-related restrictions on movement across the “contact line”. The weakening of the resilience of the most vulnerable groups of the population leads to an increase in their dependence on humanitarian assistance.
Due to the migration of the able-bodied population aged 18 to 45-50, many older people were left alone - without material support. Most of them are forced to live on minimal social security benefits.
The situation worsened significantly after the escalation of hostilities, which began on February 24, 2022. Now we can say with confidence that there is a humanitarian catastrophe in the NGCA. The conflict has forced some civilians living along the NGCA contact line to evacuate or hastily leave their homes. However, many preferred to stay in their places of residence, hiding from danger in basements or bomb shelters. Some housing was located in settlements on the GCA (for example, Pavlopol and Pyshchevyk, previously located in the "gray zone" on the "contact line") and, as a result of hostilities, turned out to be under the control of the other opposing side. Many houses were destroyed as a result of hostilities, and residents were forced to move to temporary residences deep into the NGCA – in particular, if we talk about the locations mentioned above, the Novoazovsky district.
This project is divided into two components. First, it will help improve the welfare of female-headed households living in rural areas. As part of this event, 250 households, 50% of which are headed by women, with resources (land, premises for livestock or crop production, etc.) for agricultural activities, will be provided with the necessary equipment and tools, based on their needs and requests.
The second component is designed to provide emergency assistance in the form of a food kit, calculated at 2100 kcal per day for one month (as an emergency response measure), to at least 1100 beneficiaries. In the present context, it is best to provide an alternative food kit in accordance with the FSLC recommendations. The Novoazovsky and Starobeshevsky districts were chosen as the location for the project implementation. In agreement with the cluster and FSLC, candles and matches can be added to the kit.
Priority categories of recipients of emergency food aid: people in temporary accommodation facilities people whose housing was destroyed or seriously damaged as a result of hostilities.
Due to the limited availability of humanitarian convoys, CF "HADC" will make a local purchase to quickly respond to needs by holding a tender among companies with Ukrainian registration and the ability to supply goods to the NGCA. All actions will be coordinated with other humanitarian actors carrying out similar activities on the ground and the de facto authorities.