Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Morshyn has turned from a nationally known resort into a real hub for IDPs. According to the local authorities, only 15-20% of the town’s resort facilities are currently used, as all other resources are focused on working with IDPs. 

In general, the Morshyn community has received about 4,500 people fleeing dangerous regions. The buildings of local health resorts were transformed into CAFs (compact accommodation facilities for IDPs). Mothballed and closed-down facilities were the first to be converted. Clearly, living conditions in such buildings were either very poor or absent. There used to be a children’s summer camp in the Zirnytsia communal enterprise, and at the end of February, families arriving from the east began to be settled there. At that time, the houses lacked even basic household items.

The team of the United Voices in Action program decided to help this accommodation facility by providing everything that residents need to live a comfortable life there: folding beds and bedding sets, household appliances, including a boiler, a refrigerator, a microwave, a multicooker, and an oven. The United Voices in Action program, implemented by IREX in Ukraine together with the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services”, provides comprehensive assistance to IDPs, communities, and local authorities.

According to the community leadership, 30% of IDPs will stay in the CAF for a long time. Others hope to return to their homes. 

Ruslan Ilnytskyi, head of the Morshyn community, described the difficult experiences of local residents: when newcomers heard the sounds of air raid alerts, they immediately fell to the ground… 

Maryana Kurylo works at the Zirnytsia communal enterprise, which has become a compact accommodation facility for IDPs. She expressed confidence that nothing is impossible for her and her team and offered her gratitude for the help they received within the framework of the United Voices in Action program.

“Here, in Morshyn, we no longer consider anything difficult or challenging. We are absolutely prepared and adapted, we work cohesively and confidently,” says Ms. Maryana. “We started to receive internally displaced persons on February 26, when they arrived from Kyiv. Now we host 146 people, all of them residents of the Donetska Oblast. These people have lost their homes, jobs, and their lifestyles. Currently, they are provided with everything they need, but at the beginning, of course, it was difficult.

One of the most painful moments was the tragedy we experienced together. A family from Popasna came to us. They lost everything: property, work, housing. They were looking for a place to stay, maybe to buy some inexpensive housing. The daughter started working in our catering unit. Her mother was a cancer patient and passed away. She was buried here, in Morshyn. We sought the help of psychologists, they worked with the family and helped the daughter overcome her emotional difficulties. Eventually, she regained her composure. 

Our residents are grateful for the assistance provided, for household appliances, bedding, and folding beds. Now they receive hot meals, medical care, and emergency assistance for children. Equally important is the assistance of lawyers, and information support, which is also provided by the team of the United Voices in Action program. In other words, a person will be able to find everything he needs here if they so desire.

Our IDPs are definitely not in isolation. Morshyn is a resort, so they walk a lot and communicate. They meet people from their cities and villages, as well as pay visits to the locals. It is crucial that individuals feel part of their new environment, so they can become a part of its community. This helps to ensure that they are not isolated and can continue to lead a fulfilling life.”