Solutions from Ukraine: Kharkiv volunteers create nationwide system for settling evacuees

In February, volunteers from Kharkiv plan to implement a nationwide resettlement system for individuals displaced from hazardous regions.

The head of the Coordination Humanitarian Center in the Kharkiv region, Yevhen Koliada, reported that, according to Suspilne.

What is the problem?

Approximately 1,660 people living in the Kupiansk region are still on the left side of the Oskil River, where fighting is still happening. The situation overall is still the same – it's tense, and there is no pause in the shelling.

According to Koliada, the primary rationale for not departing is that individuals believe they have nothing left and are uncertain about their living arrangements.

"First, they leave everything behind and, in their opinion, remain homeless and have no chance for the future. This is far from the case. They receive dire assistance at the transit point, but this is only the first assistance stage. After that, they are settled in temporary residences, where they continue to be systematically assisted – not just with food and hygiene products but also with providing jobs, career guidance, and socialization of children.

The second reason is the lack of information: where they will live, what they will do, and so on," Koliada explained.

In general, people often postpone evacuation, he added, until it is practically impossible.

"It's really unfortunate because there's just a crazy campaign going on, crazy efforts by everyone to explain to people that their safety is first and foremost, and we're informing people in advance. We predicted the events two months in advance when the Kupiansk story began [the intensification of hostilities in this area – ed.].

But still, some people wait until the last minute, and then, when Russian troops are already standing on the neighboring street, they start calling and begging to be evacuated. The military carries out these tasks because we can't get there, and risking their own lives, they take these people out," Koliada emphasized.

What is the solution?

So, the Kharkiv volunteers are planning to launch a nationwide resettlement program in February for individuals being evacuated from hazardous areas.

"Starting in February, we will start rolling out a comprehensive system in Ukraine for housing and information for the general population. We currently have representatives in 15 regions of Ukraine with the main goal of gathering information on temporary living arrangements, volunteer housing options, and any other projects that can assist people in finding housing.

We collect information and take photos and videos. Volunteers will have access to this program both at transit points and in front-line territories. They can inform people about where exactly they can get to and what awaits them," Koliada said.

In this way, they want to encourage residents of front-line territories to evacuate.

How does it work?

According to him, psychologists have begun to be involved in information work with the population – primarily, they work with families with children.

"According to our analytics, the number of applications from the Dvorichanska community of the Kupiansk district has increased. In the Borivska community of the Iziumsky district, 23 children remain (in the settlements of Pisky-Radkivski and Pidlyman) who are subject to forced evacuation.

Psychologists are working with parents, persuading them," Koliada said.

Almost 300 people have registered at the evacuation transit point over the past two weeks; 30 of them are children.

Since the Defense Forces' counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, more than 55,700 people have been evacuated from the Kharkiv region.

For reference:

It should be noted that the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Procedure for Compensation of Expenses for Temporary Accommodation of Internally Displaced Persons. The compensation will be 450 hryvnias per person per month.

It is worth adding that on June 25, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision to extend temporary protection until March 4, 2026, for more than 4 million Ukrainians who have found refuge in the EU from Russian aggression.

It was also stated that the government continued providing state aid to the most vulnerable groups of internally displaced persons. Accordingly, the government updated the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on March 20, 2022, No. 332, "Regarding the payment of housing assistance to IDPs."