There are still 71,300 people living in the territory of Donetsk Oblast controlled by Ukrainian authorities. During the first two weeks of October, 4,340 residents either left the region on their own or were evacuated.
The progress of the evacuation in Donetsk Oblast was discussed during a regular briefing at the regional state administration, attended by representatives of the Department of Civil Protection, Mobilization and Defense, the Children’s Services Agency, and the Department of Social Protection.
The most active evacuations since the beginning of the month have been from the Kramatorsk community, from which 2,100 residents left, and the Sloviansk community, from which 700 residents were evacuated. Residents of the Oleksandrivka and Novodonetsk communities, which are farther from the front line, have begun to leave in greater numbers.
In total, 3,069 children remain in the Donetsk region. There are 2,293 children living in the Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, and Sviatohirsk communities. In the areas where the mandatory evacuation of families with children has been ordered, there are 387 children in nine settlements across four communities. The vast majority of them—297 minors—live in the Kramatorsk community.
Since the beginning of October, 291 children have been evacuated from settlements where the forced evacuation of families with children is ongoing. From the Kramatorsk community—159 children; from the Sloviansk community—39; from the Novodonetsk community—19; and from the Svyatogorsk community—4 children.
The centralized, free resettlement of Donetsk residents to safer regions of Ukraine is ongoing. Since the beginning of October, 275 people have been resettled free of charge, including 107 residents with limited mobility and 36 children. During this period, Zhytomyr, Rivne, and Odesa regions accepted the largest number of Donetsk residents.
Of the 107 residents with limited mobility who were resettled, 75 were admitted to healthcare facilities for long-term nursing care.
Every day, up to 200 residents of Donetsk Oblast pass through the transit center in Kharkiv Oblast, and up to 30 residents of Donetsk Oblast who have decided to evacuate pass through the transit center in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Evacuation trains run daily from the Kharkiv region and every other day from the Dnipropetrovsk region; residents of Donetsk Oblast who have a place to go next can use these trains free of charge.
Families with children from Donetsk Oblast are being welcomed in Zakarpattia. With the help of donors, a dormitory has just been renovated here, where 42 people—including families with children—have been accommodated. If such families need assistance with evacuation, they should contact the military administration of their community. Free transportation to Transcarpathia by train will be organized, and from there, the families will be taken to the outskirts of Khust, where this dormitory is located.