Since it erupted in 2014, the conflict in Eastern Ukraine continues to divide the country. Over the last years, it has forced many people to move and live in other parts of the country. Urgent humanitarian needs resulting from the direct impact of live conflict activities still persist in the most heavily affected areas, including around the contact line. However, given the growing protracted nature of the situation, there is an increasing need to support more durable solutions for the large numbers of persons who remain displaced beyond the contact line as well as the many vulnerable populations living in collective centres.
Following a request received in May 2018, JIPS supported the Luhansk State Administration and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) for a profiling of IDP situations in urban areas in Luhansk Oblast, beyond 20 km from the contact line.
Earlier, in June 2016, JIPS had received a request for support from the shelter cluster in Ukraine and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to assess durable solutions in collective centres across the country.
Durable solutions profiling of the displacement situation in the Luhansk Oblast (2018 – 2020)
The State Administration in Luhansk and NRC have taken the initiative to lead a collaborative profiling exercise in Luhansk in order to inform a more coordinated and evidence-based local level planning and humanitarian response. The UN and NGO community in Luhansk have joined the effort.
A collaborative platform has been established at the Luhansk level and the objectives and the scope of the profiling were agreed upon jointly. Due to elections in the spring of 2019 the Oblast-level focal points changed, while the national-level framework on displacement came under review. Subsequently, the methodology, sampling approach, indicators and survey questionnaire were developed. Data collection was done at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020 and the analysis and reporting phase took place in the spring and summer 2020.
The profiling report “Profiling of IDP Situation in Luhansk Region, Ukraine: Data-Driven Approach to Durable Solutions (Dec 2020)” was launched in December 2020.
A scoping mission took place in November 2018 to set the ground for a profiling exercise. Based on various meetings with representatives from different departments of local authorities in Luhansk as well as the humanitarian and development community, the coordination platform was shaped up as well as the objectives and scope of the profiling defined. We also joined two OCHA-led workshops in Kramatorsk and Sievierodonetsk with central and local authorities on the topic of the local implementation of the IDP strategy.
After the elections in the spring of 2019, we went on two technical missions. During these we mapped out the information landscape and the analysis needs, specified the objectives as well as explored the sampling options. During the fall of 2019 the indicators and the household survey questionnaire were finalized with several rounds of input by the partners.
In December 2019 we went on a third technical mission to work together with the local data collection organisation on reviewing, back-translating, piloting, and finalising the questionnaire, as well as developing the final sampling design.
Data was collected in December 2019 and early 2020. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the need of profiling partners to focus on in-country response, our planned analysis mission was cancelled and the general analysis phase adapted to a remote setting. The launch of the profiling report took place on 8 December 2020 and included a presentation by JIPS on the set-up of the collaborative profiling platform and the methodology and tools used to support the data collection and analysis.
JIPS’ technical support was made possible through the generous contribution from our donors, especially the United States Government and the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG-ECHO).
The initial support request from the shelter cluster and UNHCR focused on the need to assess the situation of IDPs living in collective centres across the country to inform housing solutions for them. Although a small proportion of the IDP population from both the East and Crimea were residing in collective centres, this was deemed a priority due to their level of vulnerability.
Following discussions with the shelter cluster, however, the scope of the exercise was broadened to cover durable solutions more comprehensively, using IASC’s 2010 framework as basis for the analysis. We were asked to support both the technical aspects and the coordination and advocacy elements of the process.
We conducted a scoping mission to Ukraine in July 2016 with the overall objective of supporting the profiling partners in working collaboratively to establish their objectives, methodology, data collection methods and tools for the exercise.
We also supported them in conducting a desk review of existing data, and in setting up a working group to oversee the profiling exercise. We conducted several field visits to assess the data collection environment and identify risks and opportunities to inform operational planning, and we facilitated a joint workshop to agree on a coordination structure for the exercise. We also supported the profiling partners’ advocacy efforts to ensure buy-in into a timely and effective process.
By the end of the mission, a coordination structure for the profiling exercise had been proposed, and its objectives and timeline discussed and developed. A draft methodology, training strategy and tools were developed and well received by shelter cluster partners. Remote support continued as a follow up to the initial mission.
During the scoping mission, needs and opportunities for profiling exercises in urban centres across the country were also identified, given the significant information gaps on the displacement situation further away from the conflict in the East. These included a closer collaboration with government entities at national and municipal level as well as with development actors, including the World Bank and UNDP.
Recommendations for moving forward in this direction were laid out, but given the Ministry of Temporary Occupied Territories and IDPs had only recently been established and had limited resources, it was decided to revisit this plan at a later stage.
