Vitalii Bezgin, Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, presented a draft amendment to Resolution No. 841 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The document is intended to improve the organisation of evacuations and support for people who are fleeing dangerous territories.

The Ministry for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons prepared the draft. It was presented during the Minister’s working visit to Kharkiv region, where he met with civil society and humanitarian organisations that are assisting with the evacuation, visited the transit centre in Kharkiv and a temporary accommodation facility for evacuees.

Over the years of full-scale war in the region, a support system has been established for people who are fleeing dangerous territories. Since the transit centre in Kharkiv was opened, it has assisted more than 109,000 people, another 63,000 have passed through the centre in Lozova. Among those evacuated are children, older people, and people with reduced mobility who require special assistance.

The draft amendment provides for the following

Before relocating, a person needs to know where they are going, where they will live, and what support they can expect. When selecting accommodation, the proposal is to take the family’s needs into account: health status, the presence of children, access to medical and social services, as well as employment opportunities.

The draft also proposes that accommodation for an individual or family be reserved in advance, and that the host organisation confirm its readiness to receive them. A lack of documents should not be an obstacle to receiving assistance.

The plans are to assess the needs of evacuees within the first 24 hours of their stay at the transit centre, so that people do not have to go through the same procedures repeatedly.

‘Evacuation will only be considered complete once a person has actually been accepted at their new location, rather than upon their departure from the transit centre. For someone forced to leave their own home, evacuation is always a difficult decision. The state’s task is to ensure that, after leaving, people are not left to face their problems alone,’ emphasised Vitalii Bezgin.

The Minister thanked civil society and charitable organisations, as well as international partners, for the evacuation flights, medical and psychological assistance, the provision of accommodation, and the support given to people. He paid special tribute to the team at the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, the community, and everyone who works in the region every day.