On April 3, a meeting was held to discuss the protection of the rights and freedoms of internally displaced persons, chaired by Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Participants discussed key challenges and areas for improving state policy on support for internally displaced persons.
The event was attended by Oleksandr Shevchenko, Deputy Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration; the Chair of the Council on Internally Displaced Persons under the Donetsk Regional State Administration; and heads of structural units of the regional state administration.
Meeting participants reviewed current issues regarding the protection of IDPs’ housing, social, and medical rights. They specifically addressed the risks of changes to housing programs and emphasized that the state must maintain their accessibility and effectiveness for IDPs.
They also discussed the possibility of allocating state funds to create additional temporary housing for IDPs through the renovation and conversion of existing facilities.
During the meeting, they analyzed the implementation of the “e-Recovery” program, particularly regarding funding and the issuance of housing certificates. Participants also identified steps that will help expand opportunities to provide housing for IDPs.
A separate segment of the discussion was devoted to the need to review the list of facilities participating in the nursing care program, taking into account their geographical location, particularly those near transit centers for internally displaced persons. They also discussed changes that would ensure equal access for relocated medical facilities to state programs, particularly in the areas of outpatient care, rehabilitation, and palliative care.
In addition, participants considered improvements to preferential mortgage lending mechanisms, including the introduction of risk insurance tools for home purchases.
Following the meeting, participants identified specific steps to strengthen state support for displaced persons, improve the effectiveness of housing programs, and ensure equal access to social and medical services.
The Donetsk Regional State Administration will continue to work with central government authorities to expand opportunities for providing housing and creating appropriate conditions for the integration of displaced persons into host communities.