Highlights:
A renewed ceasefire agreement signed on 1 September has led to a decrease in the number of civilian casualties during the month. The 2 deaths and 17 injured was the lowest total recorded by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the last four months.
On 26 September, due to unpaid debts, the water utility company Popasnanskyi Vodokanal was cut off. Water treatment plants stopped working, affecting the water supply to 1.2 million people, forcing many to use alternative, potentially unsafe, sources of water. The WASH Cluster called on all parties to work together to address the crisis as a matter of urgency, as well as to allow access to repairs and maintenance, to enable the water restoration.
UNICEF, in partnership with a local NGO, was able to deliver 20 tonnes of supplies on 15 September, for distribution to the most vulnerable children in Donetsk non-government controlled area (NGCA).
Over 13 million viewers have seen the UNICEF mine risk education (MRE) videos broadcast on five national TV channels since 10 July.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
On 1 September, a renewed ceasefire was signed between the parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, under the auspices of the Trilateral Contract Group. Since then, the number of civilian casualties decreased substantially during the month. Between 1-30 September, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 19 conflict-related civilian casualties: two killed and 17 injured, including two children.
On 26 September, Popasnyanskyi Vodokanal, the utility company which provides water to the majority of people in Luhansk oblast, was disconnected from the electricity supply, due to unpaid debts of around $4.5m. This resulted in operations ceasing at the company's water treatment plants, cutting or curtailing safe water to 1.2 million people, the majority of them located in non-government control areas (NGCA), of which 440,000 in urgent need of assistance. WASH cluster partners working in the non-government controlled area (NGCA) worked to find ways to supply trucked water, or to identify effective temporary water supply solutions for the 1.2m people affected. It was imperative to find a solution before winter, in order to avoid the freezing and breakage of water systems, leading to additional pressure and possible damage to the electricity infrastructure.