MinRehion is working on the “Single Route for IDPs” concept, which aims to integrate evacuation, temporary accommodation, housing, employment, social and medical services into a single support system for internally displaced persons.

This information was reported by Vitalii Bezgin, Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

According to the Minister, problems are currently arising at every stage, from a lack of information for those who need to be evacuated to overcrowding in transit centres and a shortage of temporary accommodation. There is also a disconnect between housing provision and employment opportunities.

‘The top priority is to establish a single pathway from evacuation to resettlement, housing, and employment. At present, there are problems at every stage,’ he said.

He added that the system should not operate as a set of separate programmes, but rather as a coherent pathway in which those responsible and the procedures for data transfer and responding to problems are clearly defined at every stage.

‘Evacuation, housing, employment and social and medical services must function as a single pathway rather than as separate, disparate programmes,’ explained Vitalii Bezgin.

He added that implementing this concept would require regulatory changes, digital data exchange, clearly defined powers for communities, and funding for new functions.

The Minister also stated that the IDP database is to be transferred to MinRehion by the end of October. This will enable the information to be updated and profiles of people’s needs to be drawn up, as registration as an IDP alone does not indicate what specific support a person requires.

‘We have 4.6 million citizens with IDP status, but we do not have a profile of their needs. Until we do, we as a state will be unable to provide targeted assistance,’ said Vitalii Bezgin.

The Minister described the ultimate goal of the “Single Pathway for IDPs” as providing safe and affordable housing, access to work or necessary support, and integrating individuals into the community.

‘The state must look beyond a single evacuation, payment, or placement in temporary accommodation, and consider the entire journey of a specific individual instead.’

Source: interview with Vitalii Bezgin for Interfax-Ukraine.