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Report «CROSSING THE CONTACT LINE: October 2020 Snapshot»

18 листопада 2020

Right to Protection CF brings your attention to our report «CROSSING THE CONTACT LINE: October 2020 Snapshot», prepared on the basis of data collected during the monitoring of the situation at the demarcation line. More data on the following topic.

General trends and dynamics

• During the whole month, it was possible to cross the demarcation line only through two control checkpoints (hereinafter - CC). This led to a significant reduction in the number of crossings compared to the period before the introduction of quarantine restrictions. The number of crossings decreased by ≈77% in October compared to September, due to the closure of the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint: ≈20,000 and 86,000 crossings, respectively;
• From September 30 to October 4, the crossing was temporarily suspended at the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint in the Luhansk region due to large-scale forest fires. As a result of the fire at the CC on September 30 and October 1, the first aid post and the waiting areas at the checkpoint were partially damaged. All beneficiaries waiting to cross the demarcation line were evacuated in a timely manner;
• On October 13, the Special Forces Operation Command (further - SFO) announced that they would temporarily close the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint between October 16 and 31 due to the increasingly rapid spread of COVID-19 in the Luhansk region. Since the closure of the following checkpoint until the end of October, only about 200 people have received permission from the SFO to cross the demarcation line towards the government controlled territories of Ukraine (further - CTU);
• The day after the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint closed, people gathered to cross the demarcation line towards the uncontrolled territory of Ukraine (further - UCTU): in many cases, people claimed that they had not been informed about the closure of the checkpoint. Some people stayed overnight at the checkpoint, waiting to be able to cross the demarcation line towards the UCTU because they were not provided with housing. In addition, there were many elderly people over the age of 80;
• On October 28, the SFO Command announced that the closure of the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint would last until November 15;
• From October 5 to 15, 3,574 vulnerable elderly people received assistance in transportation to the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint from the NGO Proliska.

The document can be downloaded in:

English and Ukrainian.

The report contains information collected by the Right to Protection as part of a survey, conducted regularly since June 2017. CCs are located in Donetsk (Mayorske, Maryinka, Hnutove and Novotroitske) and Luhansk (Stanytsia Luhanska) regions. The survey is part of the monitoring of violations of the rights of the population affected by the conflict and is conducted within the project «Advocacy, Protection and Legal Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine» implemented by the Right to Protection CF with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The purpose of this survey is to find out the reasons, conditions and risks that accompany the crossing of the line of contact through the control checkpoints. The information gathered during the survey will help identify needs, gaps and trends, as well as provide an evidence base for advocacy activities.