International Medical Corps UK Navigation WHAT WE DO WHERE WE WORK Utility Nav DONATE GET INVOLVED You are here: UKRAINE breadcrumb navigation: THE CHALLENGES AND OUR RESPONSE Conflict between armed groups and government forces in eastern Ukraine is rarely in the headlines, but it has affected some 1.45 million people since fighting broke out in 2014. By autumn 2020, violence on both sides of the 450-kilometer “line of contact” (LoC) had claimed the lives of more than 3,000 Ukrainians and more than 300 civilians from other countries. A further 1.45 million Ukrainians have been driven from their homes by fighting, seeking refuge elsewhere in the country and leaving Ukraine with the world’s ninth-largest population of internally displaced people. The UN reports that some 3.5 million people in Ukraine continue to endure protracted violence and need humanitarian assistance. Clashes along the LoC in eastern Ukraine have had other far-reaching humanitarian consequences for residents, including lost livelihoods and reduced access to basic needs. Residents in conflict-affected areas have experienced outages of electricity, water and heating, as well as restricted access to agricultural land—and the loss of potential income those restrictions bring. Insecurity, cold winters and deteriorating economic condition have further compounded people’s suffering. International Medical Corps works both directly and in partnership with local organisations to increase access to child protection, mental health and psychosocial support services for those living in conflict-affected areas. We work with the Ukraine Ministry of Health to help contain the spread of infectious disease, including COVID-19, providing critical infection prevention and control (IPC) training for healthcare facility staff and promoting proper hygiene among community members. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) International Medical Corps is working both directly and indirectly with local partner organisations to provide MHPSS programming to those in need. We implement psychosocial support through mobile teams that reach villages along the LoC, and work with partners in government and non-government-controlled areas. We have established support groups run by psychologists, caseworkers and community-based facilitators for adults and the elderly, to reduce social isolation and increase contact within the community through psycho-education and recreational activities. We address psycho-educational topics, which are needs-based, through participatory activities aimed at improving wellbeing. We provide a training-of-trainers course according to Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines for MHPSS focal points in Ukraine and continue to lead MHPSS coordination—which includes mapping of services—by helping to organise coordination meetings and strengthening referral pathways. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have adapted training, redirected resources and now offer counselling support by telephone or online to those unable or unwilling to attend in-person sessions. Health International Medical Corps works with 19 primary healthcare clinics and one long-term care facility to provide training on infection prevent and control (IPC) measures for both medical and non-medical staff, as well as to supply hygiene materials and install additional handwashing stations. At the community level, we promote good hygiene practices and provide families with take-home hygiene kits. EXPLORE UKRAINE OUR IMPACT AND WORK FILTER CONTENT BY SMASHING THE PATRIARCHY READ MORE STOPPING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN READ MORE THE IMPROBABLE JOURNEY READ MORE MIKHAIL'S STORY READ MORE "OUR FUTURE SEEMED HOPELESS" READ MORE “SHE WAS UNWILLING TO TRY TO MAKE HER OWN LIFE BETTER – SHE HAD GIVEN UP” READ MORE JOIN THE FIGHT TO HELP THOSE HIT BY CONFLICT AND DISASTER AROUND THE WORLD. SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EMAILS FROM US. GET IN TOUCH International Medical Corps UK will send you emails about our work and how you can contribute to that work using the data you provide. You may unsubscribe at any point. Your data will be processed in line with our privacy policy. Footer Navigation ABOUT US CONTACT FRAUD ALERT JOBS MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT PRIVACY AND COOKIES PRESS RELEASES REPORTS VOLUNTEER Connect KEEP INFORMED International Medical Corps UK will send you emails about our work and how you can contribute to that work using the data you provide. You may unsubscribe at any point. Your data will be processed in line with our privacy policy. share this facebook icon twitter icon instagram icon linkedin icon Small Print Registered Charity Number 1093861 Registered in England and Wales as Company Number 04474904. Cookies & Privacy Policy. Our website uses cookies. By continuing we assume your permission to deploy cookies. You can read our cookies and privacy policies (updated May 25th 2018) here..