Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Khmelnytska Oblast has sheltered about 150,000 IDPs. The Oblast is actively engaged in retraining internally displaced persons (IDPs) to enable them to find employment. It also has an online platform for international assistance.
What problems do IDPs face in Khmelnytska Oblast, and how can they be effectively supported? Serhiy Yatskovskyi, the regional coordinator of the United Voices in Action program in Khmelnytska Oblast, implemented by IREX together with the Charity Foundation Stabilization Support Services and supported by the U.S. Department of State, spoke about the region’s unique experience in supporting IDPs.
Where do IDPs live? Do they have enough housing?
– We have a big problem with housing. Khmelnytskyi does not have any collective centers (CCs) in municipal institutions. The IDPs are accommodated in churches and premises owned by charitable foundations or individuals.
When the elderly began to be evacuated from Zaporizka and Khersonska oblasts, the Khmelnytska Oblast Military Administration converted the premises of a children’s sanatorium into a geriatric nursing home in the Smotrytska territorial community. About 100 people were settled there. But before that, the community made repairs to an abandoned sanatorium that had been sitting empty for three years. There was a lack of household appliances, and old stoves needed to be replaced. One gas stove was purchased by the village council, and two more were donated to the geriatric nursing home unit by us as part of the United Voices in Action program. We also bought electric kettles for the IDPs’ kitchens.
Do all IDPs have access to humanitarian aid?
– There is not enough clothing, especially for children. In Khmelnytskyi, there are three humanitarian hubs that have already provided clothing to many IDPs. But our territorial community consists of 22 settlements. People who live in remote villages rarely travel to the oblast center. They are the ones who need humanitarian aid the most.
There was also a problem with information. People did not know where to get help. That’s why we started publishing data on humanitarian hubs on the Khmelnytskyi City Council website. One of the IDPs, who works in IT, offered to create a free website for IDPs, which would collect contacts of all humanitarian hubs in Khmelnytska Oblast. When the website is ready, we will post a link on the pages of all local authorities.
Do international charitable organizations help internally displaced persons?
– Khmelnytska Oblast is the first region in Ukraine to launch an online platform for international assistance. It features all donor organizations and entities that provide assistance to IDPs in the region. The website has a map of needs for IDPs, which they fill out. Any charitable organization can see what a particular community needs. Thanks to open information, the interest of benefactors is growing, and they are more active in their support.
What is the situation with employment?
Are there places for IDPs to be employed? – There are enough jobs in the oblast, but we cannot provide IDPs with their specialized vacancies. Sometimes they have professions that are not in demand in our region. Therefore, retraining is necessary. In Khmelnytska Oblast, the Oblast Council has created the first educational hub in Ukraine where internally displaced persons can get a new profession.
How to make life comfortable for IDPs in Khmelnytska Oblast? What programs and projects should be implemented?
– We understand that some people will stay here for a long time, and many will stay forever. We need to develop long-term programs for IDPs in various areas: from housing to business support. It is also necessary to introduce utility benefits for IDPs.
The United Voices in Action program initiates the creation of IDP Councils in different regions. What can such Councils accomplish?
– We have already launched IDP Councils in Kamianets-Podilskyi and Khmelnytskyi. As an advisory body, they will identify the problems of IDPs, systematize and solve them. This can include finding housing, educating children, etc. The IDP Council is a platform for communication between the authorities, representatives of charitable foundations, NGOs and IDPs themselves.
We must clearly understand the needs and problems people have. This can be discussed at the meetings of the Councils. It is the lack of communication that leads to flaws in the provision of humanitarian aid. For example, some IDPs needed diapers and were given household cleaning products because no one knew about the needs of these particular IDPs. They took the cleaning products and sold them at the market to buy diapers.
We need a comprehensive analysis of the needs of IDPs, it must be systematic and effective. This is precisely the task for the IDP Councils that we plan to establish in Khmelnytska Oblast as part of the United Voices in Action program. We hope that we will succeed.
You can get free legal assistance and find helpful information for IDPs on the website of the United Voices in Action program.
*United Voices in Action is a two-year program that aims to bring together IDPs, host community members, government officials, and media representatives to resolve conflicts at the local level, integrate IDPs, and create an inclusive, democratic, and cohesive society.
This article was made possible as part of the United Voices in Action program implemented by IREX together with the Charity Foundation Stabilization Support Services and supported by the U.S. Department of State.
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