As of 1 January 2023, more than 6,300 internally displaced persons were officially registered in the Tairove municipality. This is almost 30% of the total population of the municipality. Locals have established an effective system of assistance to IDPs and set up a group for communication in the Viber messenger app.
“At the outset of the full-scale invasion, 100 to 150 people came to us a day. Employees of the Administrative Service Centre worked almost 24/7, taking documents home to enter data at night. The vast majority of IDPs stayed with their relatives. However, there were enough of those who needed housing, and we were seeking houses or rooms for them,” said Iryna Belous, Head of the Department of Economic Development, Investments and Municipal Property of the Tairove Village Council.
The municipality set up temporary accommodation centres for 300 people, and a large family from the Kherson oblast was provided with an apartment. However, there is not enough free housing for temporary or permanent stay of IDPs.
In addition to housing, internally displaced persons must be provided with appropriate social services. After all, people who came to the municipality were mostly children, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, those who survived violence and suffered injuries during the war. The number of children in the municipality increased by almost a third, so places in kindergartens and schools are needed. The demand for free medicines, social and medical services has increased.
“The existing infrastructure, including educational infrastructure, does not meet the needs of the population in terms of available preschool and school places, and needs development and improvement in line with martial law,” the municipal official said.
In order to bring work with IDPs to a qualitatively new level, the Tairove municipality took part in the IDP Integration Plan initiative from U-LEAD. With expert support, a comprehensive action plan was developed, which includes providing social support and creating conditions for the comfortable stay of IDPs.
“Together with experts, we took a more systematic approach to the work with IDPs. We were able to formulate an algorithm for our work, develop and adopt the 2023 Programme for the Support and Integration of Internally Displaced Persons in Connection with the Introduction of Martial Law, which facilitates solving the issue of financing measures aimed at the development of social amenities,” said Iryna Belous.
For the implementation of the Programme, more than UAH 2,000,000 will be allocated from the local budget and funds will be attracted from external sources to complete the construction of a kindergarten, build a school canteen with a bomb shelter and purchase medical modules for the placement of a mammography machine and an X-ray machine in order to expand the scope of medical services.
“Above all, people fleeing war need a sense of security, food, water and medicine. Next comes the issue of housing, receiving social and medical services and ensuring children’s education in school and kindergarten. And most importantly, what to do next? Local self-government bodies should understand the needs and intentions of internally displaced persons, assess their own resources for organising the stay of IDPs and promote their integration into the community. At the info sessions and consultations under the IDP Integration Plan, we looked for points of contact and possible options for solving the challenges faced by the municipality. Due attention to the needs of IDPs has already bore fruit. According to the results of the survey of IDPs, almost two-thirds intend to stay in the Tairove municipality permanently,” said Viktor Bondaruk, Regional Development Expert at U-LEAD.
We remind you that U-LEAD announces new recruitment for Steps for Specialists. Organising work with IDPs – 2023.