Start Date: 01/04/2023
End Date: 31/03/2024
Partner: MdM-Japan
Donor: MoFa of Japan

 

The Russian Federation’s war on Ukraine has caused widespread death, destruction, displacement and human suffering, and left at least 17.6 million people in need of multisectoral humanitarian assistance in 2023. This includes 6.3 million internally displaced people, 4.4 million returnees and 6.9 million people who have remained at their homes throughout the war^[1].

Médecins Du Monde – Greece (MdM-Greece) initiated emergency health & protection operations at the border point of Siret in Romania, on 10 of March 2022 in support of the thousands of people feeling Ukraine to Romania then. During the same, initial phase, the organization also supported 7 hospitality centers for Ukrainian citizens set up in the vicinity of Siret. At the same time, the organization started assessing the ground conditions and needs inside Ukraine, in Chernivtsi Oblast. Following a participatory approach, direct meetings with local authorities, CBOs, CSOs and other humanitarian actors in the region, MdM-Greece started operations inside Ukraine as well, via the operation of a Medical Mobile Unit (MMU). In parallel, MdM-Greece in collaboration with local partners such as “HELP UKRAINE” arranged the transfer and distributions of necessary medical equipment, medicines and medical consumables to health facilities around Ukraine.  To date, more than 100 tons of humanitarian aid (including food items and NFIs) have been delivered to more than 20 health facilities and 5 local NGOs in 8 oblasts (Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Volyn, Odesa, Donetsk, Sumy, Chernihiv) across Ukraine.

MdM-Greece aims to improve access to comprehensive health, psychosocial support and protection services for affected populations living in rural areas and to strengthen the resilience of local communities, national infrastructure and municipal services through synergies with local partners, key populations, national and international institutions. To do so, it works on three (3) different layers of intervention; a) supporting people affected by the conflict and people in risk at the individual level b) strengthening community-based support networks through teamwork and c) enhancing community resilience through awareness, capacity building and technical support to the local health and welfare systems.

The organization has acquired its registration in the country while it has also become an official UN OCHA partner. At the same time, MdM-Greece in collaboration with World Bank rolls out a pilot project on MHPSS including health professionals’ and community members’ trainings in Sumy, Chernivtsi and Odesa Oblasts.

Last but not least, the organization partners with MdM-Japan (funded by Japan Platform) for the implementation of HIR project, an intervention that involves renovation work of 4 selected health facilities in Sumy and Chernivsti Oblasts.

H.I.R. Project aims to improve the health status of conflict-affected populations in 2 selected oblasts of Ukraine (namely Chernivtsi and Sumy) by increasing access to a comprehensive package of health services for all, leaving no one behind. This will be achieved through three main outcomes: restoration, operation, and empowerment. The project involves the restoration of critical health infrastructure, provision of critical medicines and equipment, and needs-tailored training and incentives to local health professionals.

Working with (and not for) the local people, involving them through participatory methods to the design and organization of learning and empowering activities that concern them is a major way to alleviate stress and increase self-confidence ahead of more difficult and complex tasks, as the ones undertaken in the framework of a crisis. The provision of incentives further supports local people’s engagement contributing to resilience building. MdM-Greece will also mainstream a peacebuilding approach, supporting different communities’ peaceful coexistence, an issue of importance in relation to the wide scale population movement taking place within the country.

 

 

[1] Ukraine Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023 (December 2022) [EN/UK] – Ukraine | ReliefWeb