On February 23, 2021, the equipment was handed over to the Kramatorsk and Luhansk border guard detachments. And in a few days the border guards in Mariupol will receive the equipment.

Five entry-exit checkpoints on the demarcation line will receive medical equipment from the International Organization of Migration, the United Nations Migration Agency, with funding from the Government of Japan. Representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will provide the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine with 5 defibrillators, 25 resuscitation kits, 25 non-contact thermometers and 5 digital tonometers for a total cost of 51,000 US dollars.

On February 23, 2021, the equipment was handed over to the Kramatorsk and Luhansk border guard detachments. And in a few days the border guards in Mariupol will receive the equipment.

The project will also provide modern equipment, according to the identified needs, to medical institutions in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, providing primary health care to the population affected by the conflict and persons crossing the line.

The assistance provided in cooperation with the State Border Guard Service and regional administrations is part of the IOM Ukraine Response Program to COVID-19. “Both before and during the pandemic, IOM's efforts are aimed at ensuring the humane and organized movement of people across the line of demarcation and meeting the urgent needs of the conflict-affected population,” said An Nguien, IOM Representative in Ukraine.

The Ambassador of Japan in Ukraine Takashi Kurai noted that Japan attaches great importance to assistance to the people of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and since 2014 has been actively involved in projects implemented by IOM and other UN agencies. “Among the projects supported by Japan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are transferring medical equipment to local hospitals and entry-exit checkpoints along the demarcation line. We have chosen such important and necessary equipment that will play a crucial role in ensuring the health of the population in the regions”, said Ambassador Takashi Kurai. “Japan is firmly committed to supporting Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and will certainly pursue this course and cooperate with Ukraine,” he added.

The head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Serhii Deineko noted that border guards provide daily passage of citizens across the line of demarcation providing them with the necessary assistance. “In 2020, the SBGS servicemen registered almost 3 million people at entry and exit border crossing points. And we are grateful to our international partners for the constant tangible support of Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens, especially those who have to cross the line of demarcation with ORDLO. The received medical equipment will improve the conditions at entry and exit border crossing points for providing assistance to people who need it,” said the Chairman of the SBGS. He added that earlier, as part of a project to prevent the spread of COVID-19, border guards also received much-needed personal protective equipment and disinfectants.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, medical needs are among the top three reasons people cross the line.

Additional Information:

The project of the Humanitarian and Socio-Economic Support to IDPs and conflict victims along the frontier line in Eastern Ukraine, implemented by IOM with funding from the Government of Japan, began in March 2020 and will run until March 2021. The project supports the efforts of the Government of Ukraine to provide socio-economic support to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the conflict-affected population near the demarcation line. In addition, the project aims to raise awareness among relevant populations about the risks of people trafficking and exploitation, as well as to improve the medical infrastructure of health facilities near the demarcation line and at entry-exit checkpoints.