On Thursday, January 26, the United Voices in Action program conducted a regional forum “Life from scratch: how IDPs are supported in Zakarpatska oblast” in Uzhhorod. The participants of the discussion – the public, IDPs, and local authorities – focused on the main challenges of meeting the needs of internally displaced persons, their adaptation and socialization in new communities and new places of residence. In addition, the forum presented the activities of the IDP Coordination Council and presented a regional work plan to improve conditions for internally displaced persons in Zakarpatska oblast for 2023.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Zakarpatska oblast has hosted about 400,000 IDPs, with over 156,000 officially registered. During the opening of the “Life from Scratch” forum in Uzhhorod, Olha Ivanova, CF “Stabilization Support Services” Program Director and Dermot Hamilton, CF “Stabilization Support Services” Executive Director from the United Voices in Action program team, emphasized that Zakarpatska oblast is currently implementing the experience previously gained in the eastern regions of Ukraine.
“It is not an easy task to cope with the constant flow of people coming to you, to keep track of their needs and changes that take place. The format of activities that has proven successful during our work in Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Zaporizka and Luhanska oblasts is also suitable for Zakarpatska oblast. Both the authorities and IDPs are satisfied with this format of work,” said Dermot Hamilton, noting the work of the Internally Displaced Persons Coordination Council in Uzhhorod.
Alina Shimon, regional representative of the United Voices in Action program, noted that the program team is currently implementing a two-year project that promotes the integration of internally displaced persons in Ukraine and plans to strengthen its work: “Our current event proves that 2022 was not wasted, we are all being active and I think 2023 will be equally active for us. That is why we unite and act together,” said Alina Shimon.
In his speech, Petro Dobromilsky, Deputy Head of Zakarpatska Regional Military Administration, emphasized that Zakarpatska oblast will intensify its efforts to help IDPs in 2023. “We host those people whose whole life is in one suitcase. This situation has turned the vision of our region upside down, both for the people who arrived and for Zakarpatska oblast residents themselves. It showcased Zakarpatska oblast as a land that hosts people. Currently, we have 400 thousand IDPs and no one is left behind,” said Mr. Dobromilsky. He also added that the authorities plan to intensify work in smaller settlements and remote areas so that the IDPs who came there could receive the full range of services for IDPs at the proper level.
Mr. Dobromilsky also noted that Zakarpatska oblast has a list of 150 facilities to be renovated to accommodate IDPs. He clarified that currently, the facilities for accommodation of more than 6 thousand IDPs in the region are under repair, and for more than 2.9 thousand people such facilities are already in operation. Vulnerable categories of IDPs are prioritized for accommodation.
“There are 64 food warehouses in Zakarpatska oblast that receive food kits for IDPs. We need to scale up our activities in all districts, especially in remote ones, so that IDPs could receive the full range of services there as well. Currently, we want to distribute them evenly. We will develop a mechanism so that donors can direct the funds to the areas of greatest and most specific need,” added Mr. Dobromilsky.
According to him, Zakarpatska oblast has developed a response plan and an algorithm of actions when IDPs groups arrive in the region. “Currently, the mechanism is well established, we know what to do when people arrive by evacuation trains. We have agreed with the railroad for passengers to be informed of all the possibilities at specific stations along the train route, because at the beginning we faced a situation when everyone was going to Uzhhorod, and the city was overcrowded,” said Petro Dobromilskyi.
Vadym Borets, Deputy Mayor of Uzhhorod, pointed out that Uzhhorod is the first city in Ukraine to have an IDP Coordination Council established. “There are 27,000 officially registered IDPs in Uzhhorod, but about 40,000 live here. We are the first city to set up a special Coordination Council. In the near future, we are preparing two locations for 200 IDPs. We are talking about those people who are still living in kindergartens, PADIYUN Regional Palace of Children and Youth Arts and other institutions, for them to be relocated to normal conditions,” said Vadym Borets. He also noted that these new locations are expected to be operational as early as in two months.
Angela Babkina, regional coordinator of the United Voices in Action program, spoke about the work of the Internally Displaced Persons Coordination Council in Uzhhorod. According to her, the Сouncil is a good tool for effective interaction between the authorities and the community. “Our organization developed relevant mechanism back in 2019. The Coordination Council is an intermediary body that helps to realize the rights of IDPs for the authorities to see IDPs as a certain intellectual resource. This is a mechanism of social cohesion, which we have been talking about for a long time. There is a principle “nothing for us without us”. That is, the internally displaced persons are aware of the challenges they face like no one else and can represent their needs to the authorities and talk directly to the authorities and donor organizations,” said Angela Babkina.
The forum also touched upon the issue of business relocation from the regions where active hostilities are taking place to Zakarpatska oblast. According to Zakarpatska Regional Military Administration, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 360 companies have relocated to Zakarpatska oblast. Most of them are from the IT sector, followed by service enterprises.
According to Halyna Rusnak, head of the Economic Development Department of Zakarpatska Regional Military Administration, as of January 25, there are 369 relocated enterprises in the oblast. Of these, 332 are operating, 30 have already relocated but have not yet started operations, and seven are in the process of relocation.
“In general, most of the relocated companies are from the IT sector – they comprise more than 47 percent. 27.6% are from the service sector, 19% are from the manufacturing industry, slightly over 4% are from construction sector, while freight and agriculture enterprises comprise 0.5% each,” said Galyna Rusnak. She also drew attention to the following challenges that relocated businesses in Zakarpatska oblast currently face: energy supply, lack of qualified workers of the required professions, booking of employees and providing housing for those employed.
According to the Regional Employment Center, since February 24, 2022, 1.1 thousand IDPs have been employed in Zakarpatska oblast, and some have been able to start their own businesses. Yuriy Fushchych, director of Zakarpatskyi Regional Employment Center, said that 1,119 internally displaced persons were employed through the Employment Center, and 66 IDPs were retrained. “Most of them are sewing and construction workers. In addition, employers received UAH 6.5 thousand per month for 904 employed internally displaced persons. Six IDPs received UAH 250 thousand loans each and started their own businesses,” said Yuriy Fushchych.
A separate block of the forum’s discussions was devoted to the needs of IDP children. Tetyana Machabeli, representative of Uzhhorod-based Nehemiah NGO, spoke about the adaptation of IDP children and the challenges faced by both their parents and the children themselves. According to her, based on official data, there are currently about 50 thousand displaced children in Zakarpatska oblast, with 12 institutional establishments, 8 family-type orphanages, 14 foster families and 60 guardians with children having been evacuated to the oblast. She drew special attention to the pertinent issue of IDPs living in kindergartens in Zakarpatska oblast, which affects the quality of life of both children and IDPs.
Andriy Deliatynchuk, head of Yasinianska territorial community, spoke about the experience of a mountainous community, which since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been able to provide shelter for about 12,000 IDPs who came to the Carpathians from regions where active hostilities are taking place. Currently, more than 2,300 IDPs remain in Yasinia and neighboring villages. According to Andriy Delyatynchuk, since the beginning of winter, another 150 IDPs from different oblasts where military operations are currently underway have arrived in Yasinia. They are called guests in the community.
According to the organizers of the forum, all participants will work out a joint resolution to strengthen cooperation in solving the problems faced by IDPs in Zakarpatska oblast.
We would like to remind you that the regional forum was held in the frames of the United Voices in Action program implemented by IREX in Ukraine together with the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” and with the support of the U.S. Department of State. The program is being implemented in 25 communities in fifteen oblasts of Ukraine.