OPERATIONAL UPDATE > Ukraine Operation / DECEMBER 2021 UNHCR’s NGO partner the Tenth of April (TTA), jointly with the National School of Judges of Ukraine, held an online training on 14 December for 22 judges from the courts of general jurisdiction on the importance of respecting the principle of non-refoulment when dealing with asylum cases. Community Engagement  The theatre play “I Want to Live” based on true refugee and IDP stories premiered at the Kyiv Theater in Lypky on 1 December. It calls for acceptance and tolerance towards refugees and forcibly displaced persons in Ukraine. The performance was supported by UNHCR and implemented by the NGO “Youth Integration Club” that unites young refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, Ukrainians, and second-generation immigrants in Ukraine. The Republic of Ireland, who is an important contributor to UNHCR, was also represented at the premiere by Amabassador Healy, who lent her words of support to refugee youth.  With the aim of promoting community empowerment, UNHCR’s NGO partner TTA organized an event management training for 17 asylum seekers and refugees in Odesa on 10 December. The participants gained new skills in events planning, volunteer engagement, teamwork, cooperation with local authorities, programming and time management, which will help them and their communities advocate for access to rights, services and durable solutions.  On 23 December, UNHCR’s NGO partner TTA hosted the annual Hugo de Groot award ceremony in Odesa which honored contributions to the protection of human rights in Ukraine. The ceremony was followed by panel discussions with community representatives who shared their best practices and examples of successful youth activities and campaigns.  On 25 December, UNHCR’s NGO partner TTA organized the final stage of the annual mini-football tournament ‘Respect 21’ among the forcibly displaced communities in Odesa with the aim of promoting peaceful coexistence.  A community of Afghan women in Kyiv together with Kyiv city libraries launched a UNHCR-supported project which will provide free Ukrainian, English, Persian, IT and drawing classes for Afghan women and children, thus equipping them with skills for integration into local society, accessing further education, and enhancing their future career prospects. Basic Needs and Self Reliance  To support refugees and asylum-seekers in the most vulnerable situations, UNHCR provided supplementary food assistance to 26 households and reimbursed the regular medical expenses of individuals in 32 households.  UNHCR provided 15 Livelihoods Support and Self Reliance Grants to refugees and asylum-seekers (12 business grants and 3 vocational training grants) to start their own business or attend vocational training to achieve greater self-reliance. Education  UNHCR provided cash for education to 188 refugee and asylum-seeker households. This allows them to purchase purchase laptops or alternative distance learning devices to enable their childrens’ access to online schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic.  UNHCR provided 19 vocational education students from refugee and asylum-seeker communities www.unhcr.org 3