OVERVIEW
Restrictions to the freedom of movement and access to markets and basic services for people living in non-government controlled areas (NGCAs) continue to be a major concern.
Civilians queue for long hours and even at night, in difficult conditions with limited or no access to sanitary facilities and health care. In May, some 725,000 people crossed the ‘contact line’ through the five operational checkpoints, or 8 per cent more than in April. Daily traffic amounted to 30,000 civilians and 5,000 cars, well beyond their designed capacity. The checkpoint in Novotroitske fully resumed operations on 20 May and the pedestrian checkpoint on Stanytsia Luhanska opened again on 30 April after three weeks of closure each. Several thousand people from NGCA cross illegally through the Russian Federation using the border crossing point in Milove (up to 3,500/day in April, compared to a capacity of 500/day). People travel between NGCA and government-controlled areas (GCA) in order to visit relatives, access markets, health care and receive social payments and pensions.
Restrictions on access continues to affect the delivery of humanitarian aid. Two humanitarian actors are officially authorized to operate in NGCA. UN agencies’ ‘registration’ in Luhansk expired on 23 April. The UN resumed operations in Luhansk NGCA in late October 2015, but were forced to suspend activities or operate unofficially since April 2016. UN agencies have repeatedly submitted additional documentation, as requested by de-facto authorities, in both Luhansk and Donetsk NGCAs, but they are still awaiting a decision. Partners continue to deliver through various modalities, including cooperation with local organizations. Meanwhile, and following sustained advocacy, the first humanitarian consignment via railroad reached Donetsk on 25 May.
The suspension of social payments by the Government to an estimated 600,000 IDPs since February continues to affect many civilians. People experience extreme difficulties in renewing their IDP certificates and getting their payments reinstated. Local Departments of Social Protection are not prepared to attend thousands of people, mostly elderly, in timely fashion. IDPs have to queue for hours to do the necessary paperwork.