Poltava, 17 October 2023 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Poltava Regional State Administration today signed a Memorandum of Understanding that solidifies and further strengthens ongoing cooperation aimed at supporting war-affected and displaced people who have found safety in the region.
Areas of mutual engagement include provision of in-kind humanitarian and cash assistance, legal aid, repairs of homes, refurbishments of collective sites hosting displaced people, as well as activities that support displaced people’s social and economic inclusion.
As of October 2023, Poltavska oblast hosts over 186,000 internally displaced people. UNHCR has been contributing to the authorities’ efforts to receive people fleeing the hostilities by improving the living conditions in several collective sites, as well as promoting durable solutions for those who have been displaced. To create a platform for discussing best practices for facilitating inclusion, on 18-19 August, UNHCR supported a forum that brought to Poltava four IDP-led councils from Luhanska, Sumska, Kharkivska and Poltavska oblasts.
UNHCR will continue to support community mobilization by developing the capacity of IDP, women-led and war-affected communities. Other priorities include legal aid to help people apply for state compensation for their damaged properties, restore their identity certificates and overcome war-related trauma through psychosocial support.
Photo: UNHCR/Victoria Tiutiunnyk
“I am very grateful for the effective and efficient cooperation with the Poltava Regional State Administration, which enables UNHCR to support displaced people in need who live in the oblast. UNHCR shares the Administration’s vision of inclusion and of welcoming the IDPs as full-fledged members of the community. We will also focus more on assistance and services that support longer-term protection and durable solutions needs of internally displaced and other war-affected persons, to enable their physical and psychological recovery from this devastating war,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.
“We are grateful to UNHCR team in Ukraine for this significant support that people in Poltavska oblast receive. This cooperation is vital to us,” noted Filip Pronin, Head of the Poltava oblast state administration.
Since the start of the Russian invasion, UNHCR and its NGO partners reached 272,803 people in Poltavska oblast with protection services, cash assistance, essential relief 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 2.2 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. This is not least possible through the strong and continuous cooperation with regional authorities and the signed Memorandums of Understanding with 18 oblast state administrations in Ukraine.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Victoria Andrievska
Associate Communication/PI Officer
Iryna Tymchyshyn
Assistant Communications Officer
About UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, protects people forced to flee their homes because of war, conflict and persecution. We work in over 130 countries, protecting millions of people by responding with life-saving support, safeguarding fundamental human rights and helping them recover and build a better future.
For more information about UNHCR in Ukraine, visit https://www.unhcr.org/ua/en
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