In Lviv, United Voices in Action program held a regional forum “IDPs’ integration in Lvivska oblast: issues, solutions and the role of the IDP Council”. 

Representatives of the authorities, business, NGOs and internally displaced persons (IDPs) themselves discussed how to help them adapt and realize themselves, find a job and influence the life of the community to which they moved.

More than 257 thousand internally displaced persons are registered in Lvivska oblast. But the real number is about twice as high, because not all of them register this status. Since the first days of the Russian invasion, Lvivska oblast has become one of the centers for hosting IDPs and has sheltered the largest number of IDPs in Ukraine, said Ivan Sobko, deputy head of Lviv Regional Military Administration.

“All of us here, in Lvivska oblast – from the head of the oblast to the village headman – set ourselves two tasks. First, people who come to us should feel as safe as possible. And secondly, they should feel that they are at home. That is why we are doing our best to support the integration of these people into the life of the communities in which they find themselves,” said Mr Sobko.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, 242 enterprises have relocated to Lvivska oblast, creating 5,000 jobs in total. At the same time, not all displaced persons are active in job search. As of February 1, only 9,000 people had applied to employment centers. The reasons are different: some work remotely, others are dissatisfied with the level of salary. And some believe they will soon return home and do not want to be tied to a new place. 

Therefore, the forum participants emphasized that it is important to give IDPs an understanding of the prospects in the region and the opportunity to influence their own lives. One of the effective tools is IDP Councils, which have already successfully proved themselves in Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Chernivtsi, Uzhhorod and other Ukrainian cities and communities. Oksana Yakovets, coordinator of the United Voices in Action program in Lvivska oblast, is sure that this solution will be successful for Lvivska oblast as well.

“We focus on building a truly effective advisory body. It is important for us to unite people who want to live a full life and want their new place to take into account not only their needs, but also their suggestions and potential. It is clear that we will not be able to overcome all the challenges. But, in fact, such bodies show the authorities what is the top priority and what is urgent,” explained Ms Yakovets.

As a result, the forum participants adopted a resolution to establish an IDP Council in Lvivska oblast. The Initiative Group that will later form the Council already includes IDPs – the representatives of three relocated enterprises.

The United Voices in Action program in Lvivska oblast is implemented in two cities – Lviv and Chervonohrad, hosting the largest number of IDPs: 118 thousand in Lviv and over 18 thousand in Chervonohrad.

The event was held in the frames of the United Voices in Action program, implemented by the international non-profit organization IREX in Ukraine together with the Charitable Organization “Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services Foundation” with the support of the U.S. Department of State.