Our unwavering commitment to the project “Supporting the Capacity of the Social Protection System to Register Internally Displaced Persons” persists. This year, our efforts have spanned across all regions of the country, in close collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency in Ukraine. Through our partnership, we aim to empower local communities by enhancing the quality and accessibility of social services offered to Internally Displaced Persons.
Since the beginning of 2023, we have successfully organized 63 coordination meetings across 17 oblasts of Ukraine, namely the Cherkaska, Kharkivska, Lvivska, Chernihivska, Vinnytska, Khmelnytska, Volynska, Dnipropetrovska, Kirovohradska, Kyivska, Poltavsk, Donetska, Zakarpatska, Rivnenska, Zaporizka, Ivano-Frankivska, and Zhytomyrska oblasts. At these events, the participants engaged in thought-provoking discussions concerning critical issues affecting social protection institutions. These issues include but are not limited to the following:
- Excessive workload,
- Shortage of technical and human resources,
- Heightened social tension arising from the large influx of IDPs,
- Insufficient knowledge of social legislation,
- The security situation in the regions.
To provide a specific example, the Social Protection Department of the Rozhniv Village Council encountered significant challenges in verifying electronic keys. Additionally, the social protection institution located in the occupied Kindrashivska community suffered substantial damages, including the looting of valuable equipment. Furthermore, mine clearance efforts are still underway in a significant portion of the community, which further complicates transportation logistics.
Svitlana Demianchuk, our Regional Coordinator in the Ivano-Frankivska Oblast, shared her insights, stating: “Through coordination meetings, we have the chance to connect with community representatives, identify their needs and opportunities, and better understand their perspectives. We recently filed requests to meet with 58 communities, and after careful evaluation, we selected six to participate in the initiative – the Department of Social Services of Nadvirna, Kalush, Tlumach, Horodenka, Rozhniv village, and the Ivano-Frankivska Oblast State Administration. These groups have demonstrated their willingness to create IDP councils, possess a deep understanding of the challenges facing their respective communities, and are eager to enhance social service providers’ skills. For instance, the community of Rozhniv village council, located in the Kosiv Raion, has a small population of only 247 IDPs. Despite this, they remain committed to going above and beyond to support their community, creating an initiative group, and identifying ways to address the challenges they face.”
Based on the outcomes of the coordination meetings held in each oblast, we will identify the communities most in need of support from social protection institutions. These institutions will receive computer equipment, necessary supplies, and support in updating social passports to ensure that their workplaces are adequately equipped. Additionally, we will conduct activities in these communities to bolster their organizational capacity and provide educational resources on working with IDPs and other categories of people affected by the hostilities.
We will continue our efforts to rebuild the country by enhancing the social protection system across local communities in all regions of Ukraine. These activities have only been made possible through the generous support of the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.