IDPs return to the occupation: the Servant of the People party acknowledges the complete failure of state support
24 October 2024 06:51
The head of the Servant of the People party, Olena Shulyak, admitted that the state policy to support IDPs “has actually completely failed”. According to her, without receiving assistance with housing, people “simply return to the occupation”. This is stated in her commentary on the statement of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets that the number of IDPs in Ukraine is decreasing, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The day before, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that the number of IDPs in Ukraine was decreasing, as they were returning to the temporarily occupied territory and frontline cities. Lubinets noted that people make this decision because of socio-economic difficulties in the new place.
“As of now, the situation is deteriorating – the number of IDPs is decreasing, because they are returning to the TOT of Ukraine and frontline cities due to socio-economic difficulties in the new place! This is a matter of serious concern. I raised this issue at the Government level. The state should directly state what kind of financial assistance a person can expect to receive so that they have confidence in their future,” Lubinets said.
He also stressed that there is a distance between IDPs and local residents.
Shulyak acknowledged that “in fact, the state policy on IDP support has completely failed and is being covered up with penny-pinching payments like a fig leaf”.
She noted that the main need of IDPs is their own housing. According to her, two state programmes – “eHouse” and “eRestoration” – which are even synchronised with each other, should help.
However, the first programme is almost inaccessible to IDPs due to the conditions, and the second programme has no state funding in 2025 – only “relatively small funds” from international donors, the MP explained.
In addition, Shulyak noted, residents of the occupied territory cannot receive payments under the eRestoration programme.
Meanwhile, Russia has launched a large-scale information campaign, offering 45,000 rubles in compensation per square metre of destroyed housing, the head of the Servant of the People party added.
“Meanwhile, we are holding endless forums and roundtables on the return of Ukrainians from abroad, calling for the creation of conditions for millions to return after the war…. If we do not change the approach to the IDP issue, we will get a part of society that will be filled with hatred for everyone, people who have become unnecessary in their own country. The consequences of such an attitude will be felt even through generations and will be inherited as an example of how the state can “take care” of its people,” Shulyak summed up.
According to the Ministry of Social Policy, as of 22 October, there were 4.6 million IDPs in Ukraine, 300,000 fewer than at the beginning of the year. Most IDPs are registered in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
Since the start of the full-scale war, the government has been supporting citizens who were forced to become IDPs by introducing a living allowance.
On 1 March, payments were extended, but not to everyone. First and foremost, it was extended to those people who are unable to work, care for children or seriously ill or disabled people, have no income or low income.
