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By:UNHCR staff in Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukraine |14 June 2017

Mykola Ivanovych, who worked as a bus driver for 54 years, must present himself at the state-run bank in Stanytsia Luhanska, which checks his identity to allow him to receive his monthly payment of USD$53.

Inside the bank, he waits patiently while his wife joins the queue to carry out the verification process.

Mykola Ivanovych, who is his 70s, suffered two strokes after his son was killed by an artillery shell in 2014 the first year of the Ukraine conflict, which has cost nearly 10,000 lives.

For hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled people in the conflict-torn Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the state pension is their only means of support. However, some 160,000 retired people lost this income after the government limited access to state pensions for residents of the area outside its control in December 2014.

Further restrictive measures introduced last year led to an additional 400,000 peoplelosing access to their pensions.

Currently, people livingin non-government controlled areas are required to register as internally displaced persons with the Ukrainian authorities in order to continue to access their rightful pension benefits.

Pensions are an acquired right of all citizens and should not be connected to their IDP registration.

Payment of pensions should be resumed to all retired people, regardless of their place of residence, whether they are registered as IDPs (internally displaced persons) or reside at their homes, said Pablo Mateu, UNHCR representative in Ukraine. Pensions are an acquired right of all citizens and should not be connected to their IDP registration and the fact of displacement.

Olena Grekova, head of the Severodonetsk-based office of Right to Protection, a UNHCR partner NGO that helps internally displaced persons in Ukraine, said many bedridden people had received no pension payments since the start of the conflict because they were unable to travel to government offices for identification.

People who live in the conflict-torn Donbas region of eastern Ukraine cross a damaged bridge into government-controlled territory so that they can receive their pension. OSCE SMM/Evgeniy Maloletka

Some have lost their payments because of mistakes. Tetiana Kovalenko, 83, had to leave the city of Donetsk after her house was bombed. Since 2015, she has lived in government-controlled Myrnograd and is registered as an internally displaced person..

Kovalenko, a former mine worker, stopped receiving her pension of USD$73 per month in April after the social security service decided that she lives in non-government-controlled territory.

This is my pension, which I earned. Why do I have to feel like a second-rate person?

Another woman, Olga Burkalo, 38, who has suffered from a severe form of diabetes since the age of 11, has up to 10 injections of insulin daily and needs her pension of USD$50 per month to pay for her treatment.

Tetiana Kovalenko, 83, fled Donetsk city after her house was bombed. Since 2015, she has lived in Myrnograd and is registered as an internally displaced person. In April, she stopped receiving her pension. UNHCR/David Gasparyan

Social security inspectors visited her in December and March to check if she lives at her address in government-controlled Selidove. In February, she underwent an identification process at a bank.

However, in April she stopped receiving her pension. She was mistakenly suspected of living in non-government controlled territory when, in fact, she had not been there for more than a year.

Burkalo, who trained as a biology teacher, is now too weak to work.

I used to work, I paid taxes, she said. This is my pension, which I earned. Why do I have to feel like a second-rate person?

* Surname withheld for protection reasons

More:
Thousands in eastern Ukraine lose access to pensions - UNHCR

( CNN ) It's one of the biggest countries in Europe, but even when it isn't hosting the annual song spectacle that is the Eurovision Song Contest, Ukraine struggles to attract visitors.

Recent political, territorial and economic difficulties have done little to burnish the image of a former Soviet nation struggling to find its identity between Russian and western European influences.

Nevertheless, Ukraine is home to a host of beautiful places with a great range of tourist activities. And while some regions are advised as off-limits due to separatist clashes, most of this vast country is open for business.

Vibrant cities, ancient castles, stunning countryside, diversity of landscapes and a welcoming attitude all help make it a special destination, regardless of its troubles.

The lack of mass tourism lends Ukraine a charm and authenticity often missing elsewhere.

Here are 11 places that will make you fall in love with this eastern European country.

The Black Stone House, built in 1588, is one of Lviv's most famous buildings.

Seen as Ukraine's cultural capital, Lviv has the most western architecture of all the country's cities.

It boasts a splendid UNESCO-protected Old Town renowned for beautiful narrow streets, magnificent churches, fascinating museums and charming atmosphere.

It's cozy and welcoming, offering a wide range of themed restaurants, cool bars and great nightlife.

No matter the season, it's popular with Ukrainians who come here for a weekend to feel the Old Town vibes.

Nicknamed Little Vienna for the rich Austro-Hungarian architectural heritage, Chernivtsi is one of the gems of western Ukraine.

Lovers of Art Nouveau architecture can explore the elegant frescoes and beautiful interiors of the Chernivtsi Museum of Art (Teatralna Square, 10, Chernivtsi; +380 3722 26071).

With a history of multiculturalism and constantly changing jurisdictions, the city is one of the most interesting destinations in the country.

It was founded by Polish noble Stanisaw Potocki as a birthday gift to his wife Sofia.

The extensive park is home to waterfalls, lakes, statues, fountains, antique grottoes and artificial ruins, and is a perfect place to enjoy a relaxing walk surrounded by natural beauty.

Ukraine extra: Another picturesque example of 18th-century landscape design is Olexandriya Park in Bila Tserkva, a small town near Kiev.

Kiev, Ukraine's capital, is a vibrant destination filled with golden-domed churches.

Golden domes of superb churches, a long and rich history, eclectic architecture and nonstop city life make Kiev a go-to spot for all travelers visiting Ukraine.

There's also the Andriyivskyy Descent -- a steep and historic street paved with cobblestones -- and the awe-inspiring and gargoyle-smothered Art Nouveau-style House with chimaeras.

Ukraine extra: A good authentic local street snack is perepichka -- a fried bun with sausage inside. It's served from the window on Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street, easily recognized by the long line (Kyivska Perepichka, Bohdana Khmelnytskoho St, 3, Kiev).

This charming little destination in the western Zakarpattia region has a compact old town full of Austro-Hungarian architecture overlooked by the impressive castle that stands on a nearby hill.

Once one of the most important fortresses in the kingdom of Hungary, Palanok Castle is now a highlight of Ukrainian tourism.

Mukacheve is also a great starting point for exploring the natural wonders of the Carpathian mountains, including Synevir Lake and picturesque Shypit waterfall.

Ukraine extra: Dessert with a coffee at Bondarenko Confectionery House will complete any Mukacheve experience. (Dostoyevskoho St, 11, Mukacheve)

Often referred to as the City of Museums, Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, about 50 miles southwest of Kiev, is home to no fewer than 24 venues hosting a wide variety of artifacts.

Among them are the Museum of Bread, the Museum of Rushnyk (traditional Ukrainian ritual cloth), the Museum of Space and the Museum of Ukrainian National Dress.

But the most impressive of them all is a large open-air Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life exhibiting unique objects from ancient times until the beginning of the 20th century.

Ukraine extra: Across the mighty Dnieper River that divides east and west Ukraine sits the little city of Kaniv.

Here can be found the Shevchenko National Reserve, devoted to one of the greatest Ukrainian writers Taras Shevchenko. The hills of the reserve offer breathtaking views over the river.

The Mirror Stream is a UNESCO-protected site in Kharkiv surrounded by a picturesque park.

Once the capital of Ukraine and now its second city, Kharkiv is a city of students who drive the thriving restaurant and bar scene.

There are enough museums and culture to make Kharkiv an interesting eastern Ukrainian destination.

Freedom Square is one of the largest squares in Europe, while the Derzhprom building is one of the most famous examples of constructivist architecture.

Completed in 1928, it was the most spacious single structure in the world at the time.

Chernihiv is one of the oldest cities in Ukraine, and was once a prospering and important center of medieval Kievan Rus, the first East Slavic state.

There are unique examples of medieval Slavic ecclesiastical architecture, and one of the oldest churches in Ukraine -- the Transfiguration Cathedral, which was completed in the 11th century and features stunning frescoes and ancient interiors.

Chernihiv is home to a third of all the eastern European historic landmarks period before the Mongol invasion.

Ukraine extra: One of the best places to try varenyky (traditional Ukrainian filled dumplings) is the Varenychna restaurant.

The 18th-century Kachanivka Palace is a popular excursion from either Chernihiv or Kyiv. It's a beautiful neoclassical mansion surrounded by well-preserved English gardens with a lake and artificial antique ruins.

Varenychna, Myru Ave, 21, Chernihiv, Ukraine

Odessa celebrates the Humorina Carnival, or festival of humor, each year on April 1.

As one of Ukraine's largest seaports and trade hubs with a beautiful historic district, Odessa has plenty of treasures waiting to be discovered.

The central part of the city is packed with sights, while architecture lovers can admire the splendid palaces and unique blend of building styles.

For sea enthusiasts, Odessa offers kilometers of Black Sea beaches and lots of entertainment both during the day and night.

This little city right on the border with Slovakia has belonged to five different countries in the last 100 years.

Its historical affiliations can be seen throughout Uzhhorod's central district where you'll find Czech functionalist buildings standing next to classical Hungarian mansions, or Russian Orthodox, Catholic and Greek-Catholic churches in close proximity.

Uzhhorod is the vibrant hub of the Zakarpattia region and the gateway to the Carpathian mountains, easily reached from the major central European cities.

For spectacular views and cozy old-town vibes, Kamianets-Podilskyi is worth further exploration.

This little town in the western part of the country has one of the most breathtaking fortresses in eastern Europe. It stands majestically on an island surrounded by a canyon and encircled by the Smotrych River. Apart from the castle, Kamianets-Podilskyi is famous for the festival of hot-air balloons that is usually held in the late spring.

Original post:
Ukraine: 11 best places to visit - CNN

Overview

Despite daily hostilities along the contact line, over one million individual crossings through all five operational Exit/Entrance Checkpoints (EECPs) were recorded in May. This is the highest number recorded since late 2015, representing a 38 per cent increase comparing to the same period of 2016. The trend is largely characterized by continuation of the mandatory verification processes of IDPs and pensioners residing in non-Government controlled areas (NGCA) to claim their benefits in the Government-controlled areas (GCA). At the same time, seasonal holidays in the first half of the month have also contributed to such increase in crossings. At times, capacities of these checkpoints to facilitate the increased number of crossings were exhausted, which meant that people had to wait long hours, often in harsh conditions with limited access to basic service facilities. With rising summer temperatures, conditions of people waiting, especially the most vulnerable, including the elderly, start to aggravate, as long waiting hours impact their health. Challenges remain in upgrading the conditions of the EECPs to ensure safe and dignified environment despite continuous efforts by humanitarian partners. These multifaceted challenges also further exacerbate protection concerns. In addition, people waiting at all EECPs continue to expose themselves to fatal risks as a result of ongoing combat activities in and around the checkpoints. At least two cases of shelling were recorded in May alone near Hnutove and Marinka EECPs during the operational hours, resulting in a temporary suspension of operations. However, the introduction of extended (summer) operations of all EECPs by 1.5 hours is a welcome development. As of 1 June 2017, all EECPs will be open from 06:00 till 20:00 hrs.

Read the original post:
Ukraine: Checkpoints - Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 13 June 2017) - ReliefWeb

The European Union and Ukraine held their annual Human Rights Dialogue on 13 June 2017 in Kyiv, the third time since the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. In the Association Agreement, the European Union and Ukraine express their mutual commitment to common values, in particular full respect for democratic principles, rule of law, good governance, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The meeting was held in an open and constructive atmosphere, allowing a thorough exchange of views on the current human rights situation in Ukraine and on progress since the last dialogue, held in July 2016.

The EU and Ukraine expressed grave concern over the further deterioration of the human rights situation on the Crimean peninsula, including the situation of Crimean Tatars, following its illegal annexation by the Russian Federation. The EU and Ukraine condemned the human rights violations and abuses in the areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are not under the full effective control of the Government of Ukraine. They also called for the immediate release of illegally detained Ukrainian citizens in Russia and the Crimean peninsula.

The EU and Ukraine raised ways to mitigate the humanitarian impact on civilians of the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, and the conflict in the east of Ukraine. They also discussed the ways to protect the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The work of the Ministry for Temporary Occupied Territories and IDPs and the Action Plan for certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, adopted by the Government of Ukraine, were welcomed.

The EU and Ukraine discussed the prevention of ill-treatment and torture and thecontribution that the ongoing reforms in the area of law enforcement continue to have in strengthening human rights in Ukraine. The EU also called for further progress to be made in the investigations into the crimes committed during the EuroMaidan protests, and the violent events in Odesa on 2 May 2014, emphasising the need to address the shortcomings identified by the International Advisory Panel of the Council of Europe and to bring to justice those responsible.

The EU highlighted the importance of harmonising electoral legislation and the appointment of members of the Central Election Commission whose mandate has expired.

Both sides highlighted the importance of free and independent media and discussed ways to advance the safety of journalists and media outlets, including the steps taken to address publication of journalists' private data on Ukrainian websites. The decision to block a number of Russia-based online services was also addressed.

Also on the agenda of the Dialogue was non-discrimination policy, including the rights of LGBTI persons and those belonging to ethnic, linguistic, religious and national minorities, and the rights of the child. Gender equality and women's rights, especially domestic violence, were raised and the EU encouraged Ukraine to ratify the Istanbul Convention.

The EU and Ukraine cooperate well in international fora in the field of human rights. The European Union recalled that Ukraine has committed to the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The EU delegation was led by Mr Dirk Schuebel, Head of Division for bilateral relations with the Eastern Partnership countries in the European External Action Service. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Mr Sergui Petukhov, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine. In line with usual practice, the EU held consultations with representatives of Ukrainian civil society and international organisations prior to the dialogue. In March 2017, human rights organisations from Ukraine and the EU held a civil society seminar on human rights. The recommendations of that seminar were also discussed in the dialogue.

The dialogue was planned to coincide with the Justice, Freedom and Security subcommittee to be held on 14 June.

The next Human Rights Dialogue meeting between Ukraine and the EU is scheduled to take place in the summer of 2018.

See the article here:
EU-Ukraine Human Rights Dialogue - ReliefWeb

Swift County, a small rural enclave about two and a half hours west of the Twin Cities, voted for President Obama twice, in 2008 and 2012. But in 2016, President Trump attracted 60 percent of the countys vote. And he just missed becoming the first Republican president to win Minnesotas electoral votes since Richard Nixon in 1972.

The shifting political terrain in Swift County offers a window into the nations broader political tectonics, shifts that have shaken up Washington on an increasingly frequent basis, shifts that gave us President Obama and President Trump.

In Swift County, hope dimmed when the Prairie Correctional Facility closed in 2010. More than 350 people lost their jobs, in a county of about 9,700. The unemployment rate jumped more than 2 percentage points virtually overnight, to almost 10 percent. But the community believed that an economic recovery would lift them once again.

A number of people, quite a significant number of former employees out there, were holding on as long as they could before they eventually moved away, hoping that facility would open, said Gary Hendrickx, a Swift County commissioner.

But Mark Dayton, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, threatened to veto legislation to reopen the prison. And the Obama administration said the federal government would cut back its use of private prisons. People left Swift County, the poverty rate grew and farmers felt the pinch when corn, wheat and soybean prices cratered along with the global commodity market.

At the same time, Hennepin County, the states largest and home to Minneapolis, is booming. The Twin Cities are attracting a new generation of migrants, both from places like Swift County and from overseas. Hennepin County has 2,000 more manufacturing jobs than it did five years ago. In that time, the annual median income has increased some $4,500.

Where Swift County shifted toward Trump, Hennepin turned a deeper shade of blue. Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHow the Obama phenomenon and Trump earthquake happened Gingrich: Sessions 'didn't back down' during Senate testimony Gillespie edges out Trump-aligned candidate in Virginia gov primary MORE took more votes, and a higher percentage of the vote, than Obama did in 2012. Trump scored 50,000 fewer votes there than Mitt Romney did four years ago.

The election that sent Trump to the White House is replete with juxtaposing examples like those of Swift and Hennepin counties. Those glimpses of a changing America are evidence of a series of countervailing demographic, political and economic forces that have long exerted themselves on the nation and now define the quadrennial struggle between two sides of the political aisle that are deeply polarized along race, class, economic and educational lines.

On one side are aging rural and exurban counties, struggling to rebound from the worst economic collapse in modern times. On the other are large metropolitan powerhouses, increasingly diverse drivers of the American economy.

One side hates trade but depends upon it for economic success. The other embraces cultural liberalism and reaps the economic rewards of an ever more globalized system. One feels left behind. The other feels hindered as it strives for the future.

At the center of the divide are two sets of divergent trends.

The first set contrasts the changing face of America, which is being hastened by the rising influence of the most diverse generation in American history, with a radical political shift among the nations still-dominant cohort of older whites, who now act as a more homogenous voting bloc than ever before.

The second set reflects the changing nature of how Americans live, work and build economic power. A generations-long trend toward wage stagnation, automation and globalization is in the final stages of exterminating the blue-collar manufacturing jobs that once sustained Americas middle class in the heartland. At the same time, the nations largest cities are booming, creating staggering amounts of wealth and opportunity for those able to participate.

Together, these two sets of trends tell the story of the last half-century, an era in which a gap in what experts call the lived reality of different classes of Americans has diverged more than at any time since the Civil War.

That gap, fostered simultaneously by global economic trends and self-interested politicians, has conspired to create the poisonous partisan climate in which we now live.

It also offers hints about the options from which Americans must now choose: whether we will pursue the difficult course of unity and common prosperity, or the easy path of blame, division and a growing chasm between those in a position to take advantage of the evolving economy and those destined to be left behind.

In the course of reporting this series, we interviewed more than three dozen experts, including top demographers and leading economic thinkers, political leaders and their strategists, labor leaders and business executives.

The story they told is remarkably consistent. It is the story of a nation in flux not just this year, or for the last decade, but for more than half a century.

There are questions that define the American experiment: Who is an American? What does it mean to be an American? What is necessary to succeed in America today? Will my children live a better life than I have had?

The answers to those questions, these experts almost unanimously agree, are being redefined, creating new winners and new losers, and in the process upsetting a delicate political balance that existed for two generations.

The resulting uncertainty, anxiety and opportunity has created a nation almost equally divided along partisan lines, in which the battle for control of the White House, the Congress and states across the country is up for grabs in virtually every election.

This series does not aim to determine why Trump won, or why Clinton lost. Any of a hundred factors could have swung an election that produced a president who won 306 electoral votes but lost the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes.

But it will seek to understand how we got to this point, in which the nation is so narrowly divided that every election becomes fraught with possibility, and peril.

The divergent trends, the shifting answers to questions fundamental to American identity and the evidence of what is at stake is demonstrated in towns like Appleton, Minn., and Sacramento, Calif.: One is dying. The latter is thriving.

The impacts of the past are obvious in Miami, where a new generation of political leaders is beginning to take office, and in Detroit, where unoccupied homes in what was once Americas manufacturing hub are being demolished.

And the potential for the future is evident in Las Vegas, where Ruben Kihuen, a formerly undocumented immigrant, now holds a seat in Congress, and in rural eastern Connecticut, where automation is eliminating some of the best-paying jobs around.

These are stories of a changing America, represented in a thousand other communities across the country, towns and counties and cities where sharply different economic opportunities are changing the way we live, work and vote.

A half-century of changing economic prospects has led to the rise of dual-income households, a dramatic delay in the time when average Americans start their families and an explosion of credit card and student debt.

In some cases, that has led to clearly different experiences along class lines, setting those facing an economic tailwind against those who struggle to succeed as their parents did.

In others, it has led to a remarkably similar experience along racial lines, albeit an experience that is interpreted entirely differently: The children of blue-collar white workers believe their offspring will have a less successful life than they did. The children of those who suffered terrible discrimination in the Jim Crow South see the election of the nations first African-American president, and their own improving economic fortunes, as evidence that their offspring will live a better life than their own.

This series, Changing America, will explore those stories.

Read the rest here:
How the Obama phenomenon and Trump earthquake happened - The Hill