More than 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are registered in Kyivska Oblast. Many of them find it difficult to adapt to life in a new region. For such families, the support of the government and public organizations plays a critical role.
Oleksandr Yavtushenko, the regional coordinator of the United Voices in Action program in Kyiv and Kyivska Oblast, implemented by IREX together with the Charity Foundation Stabilization Support Services and supported by the U.S. Department of State, spoke about the difficulties of IDPs and the ways to support them.
Which problems do IDPs face in Kyivska Oblast?
– Most often, it is about household arrangements. Internally displaced persons living in collective centers (CCs) often do not have enough furniture and necessary household appliances. For example, IDPs from the Zoryany camp in the village of Karapysh were short on beds. As part of the United Voices in Action project, we handed over 15 beds and installed water heaters and refrigerators. Currently, there are many requests for humanitarian aid. People need warm clothes, food, and power banks.
What other support do IDPs need besides material support?
– Often, people simply do not know where to look for help, be it material or consultations. That is why we have developed a special manual where we explain how to obtain the necessary certificates, apply for payments, and interpret the law. The manuals were distributed through the social security departments in Kyiv and Kyivska Oblast, and information stands were placed in the three modular towns. The program website contains other useful information for IDPs.
Your program oversees the creation of IDP Councils. What are these Councils, and does Kyiv need one?
– The IDP Council is an advisory, representative, and mediating body comprised of IDPs, civil society organizations, and government representatives. The Councils identify the systemic problems faced by IDPs and help to overcome them.
Kyiv needs an IDP Council. We planned to set it up back in 2021, but it was not implemented. So, for now, we decided to focus on individual districts of the city. The first one was created in the Obolonskyi district of Kyiv. One of the main goals is to prove to local authorities that the IDP Council is an effective mechanism. This will then encourage the creation of similar Councils in other parts of the city.
What does the IDP Council of the Obolonskyi district do exactly?
– It has three main tasks: to identify the problems of IDPs, to systematize, and to initiate solutions to these problems. For example, there was a case when people stopped receiving payments due to a failure of an electronic system. We notified the Obolonskyi district authorities, they contacted the system developers, and the problem was quickly resolved.
The IDP Council also coordinates the activities of civil society organizations and charitable foundations in the Obolonskyi district to ensure that people receive humanitarian aid in a consistent manner. It’s the same with information support. For example, if lawyers provide consultations in one modular town, they have to visit another one the next time. Because almost all IDPs need legal assistance.
Our lawyers advise internally displaced persons on issues related to adjusting to a new life after moving from an occupied territory or a combat zone. They explain how to apply for IDP status, social benefits, and compensation for destroyed or damaged housing, as well as how to recover lost documents.
What are you planning to do next?
– Now, we can support IDPs not only in Kyiv but also in Obukhiv and Bila Tserkva. We want to create two new IDP Councils there, and we are already setting up initiative groups. Perhaps we will be able to establish several more Councils in other districts of Kyiv.
We are raising awareness of this issue among the public to strengthen our position. For example, we held a major regional forum in Kyiv called “Integration of IDPs in Kyivska Oblast: Problems, Solutions and the Role of the IDP Council.” For the first time in Kyivska Oblast, we managed to bring together representatives of local authorities, businesses, charities, NGOs, and IDPs themselves. Together with them, we discussed support for internally displaced persons, protecting their rights, and helping them improve their lives in their new community.
You can get free legal assistance and find useful information for IDPs at the website of the United Voices in Action program.
*Єднання заради дії — це дворічна програма, яка має на меті об’єднання ВПО, членів приймаючих громад, представників органів державної влади та представників ЗМІ, щоб вирішувати конфлікти на місцевому рівні, інтегрувати ВПО, створювати інклюзивне, демократичне та згуртоване суспільство.
*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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