OVERVIEW
Sustainable humanitarian access to the most aected and vulnerable of the ve million people in need in eastern Ukraine is the major challenge for humanitarian action.
Access challenges include security concerns, bureaucratic impediments, logistical and legal constraints. Two million people living in areas along the 'contact line' on both sides and another two million in NGCAs are the highest priority for humanitarian operation. They are the most aected and vulnerable, with basic social services, social welfare payments disrupted and lack of functioning banking systems, with many of them yet to be reached with aid.
The international humanitarian community has been repeatedly calling to all parties to the conict to guarantee and facilitate free and unimpeded access to all aected people reducing bureaucratic procedures to the minimum. The Government authorities have recently introduced a number of changes to facilitate access and delivery of aid to people in NGCAs. However, there is more to be done in terms opening additional humanitarian corridors and nalising overarching legal frameworks to regulate all humanitarian aspects in line with humanitarian principles. Meanwhile, the arrival of the rst aid convoy in NGCAs in late August after convoys were suspended on 21 July is the rst step in tackling the issue of 'registration' in NGCAs required by de facto authorities in NGCAs.