In the past year alone, more than 250,000 residents have left the Donetsk region, a hotbed of Russian attacks in southeastern Ukraine near their shared border.
Evacuations are also underway in the neighboring towns of Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCRsupports both the evacuees and those who remain behind.
Federico Sersale, head of the UNHCR office in Dnipro, said UN News that the majority of people who wish to stay are elderly or disabled.
Some people do not want to leave their homes, fearing they will never return. Others are simply unable to evacuate on their own and need help.
A difficult decision
Those who remain in frontline areas live in difficult and extremely stressful conditions, facing constant attacks and disruption to basic services.
Their movements are also limited by the security situation. Yet despite these difficult circumstances, convincing them to leave is no easy task.
“I think the most important thing is that it’s their decision to leave or stay. What we try to do, as much as possible, is give them the information they need to make an informed decision,” Mr Sersale said.
Helping evacuees and frontline communities
In the meantime, UNHCR and its NGO partners are providing much-needed assistance.
“When we have access to these communities, we provide different types of services and assistance – from basic necessities like blankets to shelter materials and repair items in case their homes are hit by airstrikes, but also psychosocial support and legal aid. »
The most vulnerable evacuees pass through transit sites – government-run facilities, where they stay briefly, receive basic services and leave.
Federico Sersale, head of the UNHCR office in Dnipro.
“Forty-six percent of the people who passed through the transit sites are either elderly people or people with reduced mobility. This is something new,” according to Mr. Sersale.
“We help set up these sites, provide basic equipment like beds, blankets, washing machines, everything needed to run them. We also provide services, including psychosocial and legal help, as well as financial assistance, that enable people to cover their most urgent needs. This varies depending on the gaps.”
Frontline resistance fighters
Svitlana, an elderly woman from a frontline community in Zaporozhye[DD1] region, crossed by one of these sites south of the city of Dnipro.
Although encouraged to leave early, she and her husband refused. They lived in very harsh conditions, without electricity and with drones constantly flying over their house.
Svitlana, an evacuee from Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.
When the front line started moving in Zaporizhzhia and the situation got worse a few weeks ago, she finally decided it was time to leave.
Svitlana spent a few days at the transit center, receiving cash and other assistance, then was transferred to “An Ocean of Kindness” in the city of Dnipro, a UNHCR-supported facility that provides temporary accommodation for internally displaced persons (IDPs) like Svitlana, who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility.
“That’s where I met her,” Mr. Sersale said. “It’s a temporary solution. She’s waiting to find longer-term accommodation.”
“When I met her, she had incredible energy. Despite everything she had been through, her eyes were still full of hope and energy.”
Long-term solutions and resilience
One of the biggest challenges for vulnerable displaced people like Svitlana is finding long-term solutions, including housing and more comprehensive support.
“That could mean assisted living. It could mean receiving home care, living in a house, but also receiving certain services,” Mr. Sersale said.
“Housing for internally displaced people is one of the key gaps. We are actively working in this area alongside our emergency response efforts.”
As Svitlana explores options for a more permanent arrangement, UNHCR continues to provide support to her and other displaced people.
“I think his story is a perfect example of what life is like on the front lines. You have to make a difficult decision whether to leave or not, and then find the resilience to start again.”
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
