Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) opened Ukraine’s first municipal facility to support internally displaced persons (IDPs), of whom nearly 440,000 reside in the capital, 260,000 of whom have been there since 2022.
"Together with UNHCR Representative in Ukraine Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth and Nataliia Gourjii, Chair of the Board of the Rokada Charitable Foundation, we opened Ukraine’s first municipal facility in the capital to provide support and assistance to internally displaced persons, refugees, and those seeking protection. At the Integration Hub, people can receive legal and psychological support, as well as counseling on employment, social services, and government assistance programs," Klitschko said on Telegram on Wednesday.
He explained that each visitor to the new center will be assigned a social worker who will assist them throughout the process of receiving services.
According to him, one of the most common concerns remains the loss of social ties and one’s familiar environment following a forced relocation; therefore, representatives from 18 relocated and frontline communities will be able to hold meetings, provide consultations, and maintain contact with residents of these communities at the hub.
"Kyiv is creating the conditions for comprehensive support for IDPs – from social services to material assistance. In just five months of this year, nearly UAH 150 million from the city budget were allocated for various types of material support for IDPs. The capital is doing everything possible to ensure that people who have been forced to move to Kyiv have access to services on an equal footing with Kyiv residents. It is also important to create an environment in which they do not lose touch with their communities, maintain social contacts, and receive the necessary support for adaptation," Klitschko said.
