Annual report

102
Annual Report 
2022

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medical supply shortages particularly concern-
ing people with non-communicable diseases; 
health facility damage and destruction; inter-
rupted access to essential health services; low 
vaccination uptake; unsafe and/or unsanitary 
living conditions; and depleted health systems 
and resources. After two years of responding to 
the COVID-19 pandemic, national health systems 
are also struggling to meet increasing demands. 
As a result, the 
Health and Care Operational 
Strategy
 focuses on addressing the needs 
identified above by both delivering and ensuring 
access to direct health services and products; 
strengthening the responding National Societies’ 
capacities in health and care and advancing their 
auxiliary role in their countries; as well as coordi-
nating with internal and external partners.
In the summer of 2022, with the support of the 
IFRC and the Austrian Red Cross, the Ukrainian 
Red Cross Society launched three Emergency 
Response Unit Health Service Centres (clinics) 
in Zakarpattia region to provide healthcare and 
mental health and psychosocial support services 
to the affected people. By the end of February 
2023, Internally Displaced People and local 
residents were assisted with more than 8,000 
visits. The Ukrainian Red Cross Society, with 
the support of network partners, had launched 
93 mobile health units in 21 regions of Ukraine, 
having provided around 225,000 consultations. 
The IFRC also supported the Ukrainian National 
Society with the provision of diesel generators 
for its clinics, branches and state health facilities 
to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity.
The Ukrainian Red Cross was also supported 
in covering the salaries of trainers of first aid 
training. During the year of response, more than 
94,000 people were trained in first aid skills.
Shelter, housing and settlements
At the beginning of the response, National 
Societies focused on the provision of in-kind 
assistance, such as clothes, blankets, mattresses, 
bed linen, etc., to cover basic needs related to 
shelter and to improve the living conditions in 
the transit/reception centres where people are 
staying for a limited period before continuing 
their journey. 
Planning for medium- and long-term shelter 
interventions then began to support the inte-
gration of displaced people who decide to stay 
in a specific area. 
To guide the IFRC shelter response throughout 
the duration of Ukraine and impacted countries’ 
operations, an IFRC regional shelter strategy 
was finalised in December 2022, to address 
the needs of the refugees and host families. 
Registration, enrolments, and payment mech-
anisms for rental and hosting family assistance 
which was operational in Slovakia have been 
replicated in Poland, for example.