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Kharkiv, 22 August 2023 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Kharkiv Regional State Administration today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to solidify and further strengthen their well-established cooperation to support people from Kharkiv region and their communities, which have been severely impacted by the war. During the signing ceremony, both parties agreed to continue cooperation to address urgent humanitarian needs of war-affected people, including people living in frontline areas or registered as internally displaced within the oblast, and expand joint efforts to support displaced people’s ability to return and recover and rebuild their homes and lives in Kharkivska oblast.
According to UNHCR’s latest intention survey “Lives on hold: Intentions and Perspectives of Refugees and IDPs from Ukraine”, Kharkivska oblast remains among the top five areas of intended return. Having a safe home to return to is raised as one of the main enablers of return in the survey. UNHCR is therefore prioritizing repairs of damaged houses and apartments in Kharkiv city and in Kharkivska oblast, within the framework of its cooperation with the authorities. Jointly with its NGO partners, UNHCR will continue housing repairs, including replacement of windows and provision of construction materials to people in the most war-shattered areas, such as Saltivka district in the city of Kharkiv, and Balakliia and Kupiansk hromadas.
In addition, UNHCR will continue providing protection and cash assistance, and support the refurbishment of a number of collective centres that host some of the most vulnerable displaced people. Kharkivska oblast hosts the largest number of internally displaced people in Ukraine, with 513,000 IDPs registered.
The need to prepare for the coming winter season and expand programs and assistance that help war-affected people, including those displaced, stay safe and warm was also discussed as a top priority.
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“I am grateful to the Kharkiv Regional State Administration for the ongoing strong cooperation in the midst of the war, and assure that UNHCR will do everything we can to support as many war-affected people as possible in Kharkivska oblast with protection services, humanitarian assistance and house and collective centre repairs, and continue advocating for sustained and increased support for the people of Ukraine,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.
“We have cooperated strongly with UNHCR for more than a year after the beginning of the full-scale invasion. And this cooperation is continuing as we have agreed on some plans to be completed to support IDPs, affected people and those in need who would like to return to their homes”, said Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, UNHCR and its NGO partners have reached over 365,000 people in Kharkivska oblast with protection services, cash assistance, non-food items, repairs, construction materials and support in the collective sites.
Across Ukraine, UNHCR and its NGO partners reached over 4.3 million people in 2022 and over 1.86 million people so far in 2023 with protection services including free legal aid and psychosocial support, emergency shelter materials and housing repairs, support for collective centres hosting displaced people, and cash and in-kind humanitarian assistance.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Victoria Andrievska
Associate Communication/PI Officer
Iryna Tymchyshyn
Assistant Communications Officer
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