Borodianka, Ukraine – Today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, Iryna Vereshchuk and UNHCR Representative in Ukraine, Karolina Lindholm Billing visited homes in the Borodianka raion of Kyiv oblast. The homes, which were damaged during shelling earlier this year, were repaired through the UNHCR housing programme in support of the local oblast authorities’ response. Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February, almost 14 million people fled their homes in search of safety, and more than 800,000 families have had their homes destroyed or damaged in missile attacks and shelling. In close coordination with the Ukrainian government, its local authorities and communities, UNHCR identifies families with specific vulnerabilities, like older age, disability or low income, who need support to repair their homes. This is part of UNHCR’s contribution to the collective effort to provide people with access to dignified and warm housing during the winter. Following the visit to the families whose homes were repaired, the Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereschchuk said: “We see with our own eyes how the territories of the Kyiv region are being restored and revitalised. Our strategy is to help them rebuild as soon as possible, to ensure safety and to provide them with everything necessary. The residents must be protected and must have the opportunity to heat their homes, buy food or medicine, and receive the services they need. In the Reintegration Plan that we developed together with UNHCR we have clear directions and understanding: who is responsible for what. Here, you can see the results – people get help and know that they are not left alone.” “The needs across Ukraine are enormous, and UNHCR is committed to doing its part of the joint effort to address these needs. As the winter temperatures can plummet as low as –20 degrees Celsius in parts of the country, UNHCR is racing to repair as many homes as possible before the winter starts so people can stay warm in their homes.” said Karolina Lindholm, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine. Note:
As part of its winterisation response, UNHCR aims to repair and insulate 8,200 houses through its programme of light and medium repairs, to create or improve 14,400 sleeping spaces in collective centres for IDPs who cannot return home and do not have the means to secure private accommodation. Some 337,000 people will receive cash support to cover increased costs associated with the winter period and 567,000 people will receive essential items like thermal blankets, thermoses and heaters. Overall, UNHCR aims to reach more than 940,000 vulnerable individuals in the winterization response to complement the Government’s efforts. For additional information please contact: Victoria Andrievska, Associate Communication/PI Officer, UNHCR Ukraine, andrievs@unhcr.org, +38(044) 288 9710.

These scams, which are seeking to obtain money and personal details for supposedly legal services to receive benefits from the United Nations are fraudulent. OCHA, which manages the Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund, wishes to warn the public and aid organizations, civil society organization and volunteer groups about these fraudulent activities and strongly recommend that the recipients of such solicitations to not provide any personal details and to not pay any fee for any organization promising humanitarian assistance. • The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage for humanitarian assistance. • While United Nations organizations might ask for banking data to be able to transfer cash assistance, they will never ask for CVV (three-digit code on the card). Employees of partner organizations should not require it. • Any citizen who provided the CVV to anyone, should contact his/her bank and block the card immediately. The case should be reported to the police. OCHA wishes to use this opportunity to remind all Ukrainian citizens who need of assistance following seven months of war, that humanitarian aid is completely free. If someone asks you to pay, do something inappropriate or perform any favour or sexual action in exchange for help, say no and email seareferral@un.org or call our partner hotline 0-800-309-110 / 0-800-30-77-11 / 0-800-331-800. *** Note to editors: - Copy of the fraudulent correspondences can be found here.  

These affect both civilians and combatants and include willful killings and numerous cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment, and conflict-related sexual violence. “Hostilities continue to kill and injure civilians as well as destroy and damage civilian infrastructure. Attacks on civilian objects not only endanger the lives of civilians, but also leave them living in degrading conditions and undermine their rights to health, education, housing, food and water,” said Matilda Bogner, Head of HRMMU. From 24 February until 25 September HRMMU has recorded 5,996 civilian deaths and 8,848 injuries, including 382 children killed. The actual figures are much higher, as the collection and verification of information from several locations affected by hostilities remain severely hindered. The report states that 90% of civilian casualties were recorded in areas under Government control when the casualties occurred and 10% in parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions controlled by Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups. The majority of civilian casualties documented since 24 February were caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. During the reporting period, HRMMU continued to corroborate the alleged killings of hundreds of civilians by Russian armed forces while they controlled settlements in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions in February and March 2022. While most victims were men, they also included women and children. According to the report, enforced disappearances and the arbitrary detention of local authorities, journalists, civil society activists and other civilians were widespread in territory controlled by Russian armed forces or affiliated armed groups, with 407 cases (359 men, 47 women and 1 boy) recorded during the reporting period. Among those cases, 18 victims (17 men and 1 woman) were eventually found dead. The report also highlights 47 cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, as well as 31 cases that may amount to enforced disappearance (28 men and 3 women) attributable to Ukrainian law enforcement bodies. The victims were people suspected of supporting Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups. The report documents cases of torture and ill-treatment of civilian detainees by Russian armed forces. Out of 38 civilians released from detention (34 men and 4 women) and interviewed by HRMMU, 33 reported experiencing torture and ill-treatment while detained by Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups. The report also recorded 34 complaints of torture or ill-treatment in cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance reportedly perpetrated by law enforcement bodies of Ukraine. “I stress that the prohibition of torture and arbitrary deprivation of life is absolute and applies in conflict and non-conflict settings to all persons, whether civilians or combatants. Perpetrators must be held accountable, and victims and their relatives must enjoy their rights to remedy and truth,” said Ms Bogner. During the reporting period, HRMMU documented the rape of 8 women and 1 girl, 15 cases of sexual violence used as a method of torture or ill-treatment against men, 11 cases of forced public stripping against both men and women considered to be ‘lawbreakers’ and 8 cases of other forms of sexual violence, such as forced nudity, unwanted sexual touching, sexual abuse and threats of sexual violence. Thirty cases were committed by members of Russian armed forces, 2 cases were committed by members of Ukrainian armed forces or law enforcement bodies and 11 cases were committed by civilians or members of territorial defense units. Since the reporting period ended, HRMMU has verified 13 additional cases of sexual violence. The report also covers the situation of prisoners of war. While during the reporting period, HRMMU enjoyed unimpeded access to places of internment for prisoners of war in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine, it was not granted confidential access to any place of internment for prisoners of war in the Russian Federation or territory controlled by Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups. However, HRMMU found that in the vast majority of documented cases, Ukrainian prisoners of war were subjected to torture or cruel and degrading treatment by the detaining power. HRMMU also documented the death of two Ukrainian servicemen as a result of torture. “Such mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war appears to be systematic, not only upon their capture, but also following their transfer to places of internment both in territory of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation and in the Russian Federation itself. This is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and the Russian Federation must address it,” Ms Bogner added. HRMMU also found that some Russian prisoners of war were subjected to torture and ill-treatment by members of the Ukrainian armed forces mostly during their capture or while in transit to places of internment. “There must be timely and effective investigations into all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and sexual violence. Regardless of their affiliation, perpetrators, including persons in positions of command, need to be duly prosecuted,” said Ms Bogner. The report also describes the so-called process of ‘filtration’ of civilians by Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups. HRMMU received numerous allegations that men and women who were perceived as having ties with Ukrainian armed forces or state institutions, or as having pro-Ukrainian or anti-Russian views, were subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearance. While the report welcomes the efforts of the Government of Ukraine to investigate and prosecute violations of international humanitarian law and of international human rights law perpetrated in the context of the ongoing armed attack by the Russian Federation, it also documents numerous fair trial violations. The report also finds that ‘courts’ in self-proclaimed ‘republics’ sentenced civilians for conflict-related crimes in proceedings that lacked transparency, independence and impartiality. According to the report, the hostilities have severely impacted the rights of people and groups in situations of vulnerability, including persons with disabilities and older persons, the majority of whom are women. HRMMU documented that in areas affected by hostilities, these groups lacked access to healthcare, adequate housing, heating, water and electricity. During the reporting period, 17 journalists and media workers, including bloggers, were killed. Ten of them were killed amidst active hostilities, while others were found dead in areas previously or currently controlled by Russian armed forces or affiliated armed groups. The report emphasizes that freedom of expression, including access to media, has been restricted in areas occupied by the Russian Federation or controlled by Russian armed forces or affiliated armed groups. “We are concerned that the shrinking civic space and highly restrictive environment in areas occupied by the Russian Federation deter people from reporting the human rights violations they have experienced or witnessed,” Ms Bogner said. The report notes a deterioration of freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (“Crimea”), occupied by the Russian Federation since 2014. The Russian Federation continues to clamp down on freedom of expression by applying restrictive, vague and ill-defined legislation, penalizing a wide spectrum of real or perceived criticism of the Russian Federation or its armed forces. HRMMU has documented the prosecution of 89 individuals in Crimea for “public actions directed at discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation” since the legislation was introduced in March 2022. The report provides specific recommendations to the governments of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, as well as to the international community, and calls for their swift implementation to improve the human rights situation in the country, better protect civilians and strengthen accountability. “We will continue to document and report the facts on the ground and give a voice to victims. We consider this to be an essential part of seeking to prevent further violations and hold those responsible accountable for the violations already committed,” Ms Bogner concluded. HRMMU continues to seek first-hand information concerning international humanitarian law and human rights violations, and encourages victims and witnesses to contact: E-mail: ohchr-HRMMUinfo@un.org HRMMU on Facebook: write to us on Facebook messenger Моніторингова місія ООН з прав людини / UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission HRMMU on Telegram: ohchr_hrmmu (only messages, calls disabled) HRMMU on Viber: +380503746708 (only messages, calls disabled)   ENDS The full text of the 34rd periodic report on the human rights situation in Ukraine (which covers the period from 1 February 2022 to 31 July 2022) is available in English, Ukrainian and Russian. For more information or media enquiries, please contact Tanya Korol at +380503868069 or e-mail tetiana.korol@un.org  

The humanitarian community has, over the last 10 days, dispatched the first part of a series of convoys with urgent relief supplies to areas of Kharkivska oblast that only recently became accessible to aid organizations.

“I visited some of these areas last week, including Balakliia, and I saw for myself the destruction and trauma caused by the war. In some areas, we have seen houses, health centres and schools damaged or destroyed. Authorities are working to repair the damages to the gas and energy systems, but thousands are still without supply. Making sure people are supported and have a warm and safe place to stay now that the cold season is upon us is a matter of life or death for thousands,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown. 

More than 73,000 people – nearly half of the population living in these areas – have already received food, and 12,000 hygiene kits have been distributed along with household items, including kitchen sets, solar lamps, and blankets to 15,000 people. Medicines, surgical and emergency health kits, enough to treat 10,000 people over the coming weeks, have been distributed to health centres across the areas. Deliveries of essential items will continue. 

The humanitarian community is working closely with national and local authorities, as well as volunteer groups, to deliver aid and help people who have endured the horrors of seven months of war. “The humanitarian deliveries are essential for immediate needs; treating the trauma and the fear will be much harder and take longer,” noted Denise Brown.