Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reported that 176 IDPs in Poltava became hostages to the inaction of local authorities and have been living for years in kindergartens that do not meet elementary requirements for a dignified life.
"The kindergartens themselves are not even included in the List of Places of Temporary Residence and have not been brought into compliance with the requirements of government resolution No. 930. And all this has been going on not for a week or a month. People have been living like this since 2022 amidst mold, unsanitary conditions, and a lack of accessibility," he wrote on Telegram on Monday.
According to him, the local authorities are not solving the problem, but simply moving people from one unsuitable facility to another.
Therefore, under his instruction, proceedings have been opened. "I will demand not formal brush-offs, but the elimination of every identified violation. A principled assessment will be given to the actions and inaction of the responsible officials," the ombudsman writes.
However, Lubinets believes it would be a mistake to think that the problem is limited to Poltava.
"If one appeal is enough to detect three such facilities at once, how many more similar places exist across Ukraine? How many IDPs have been living in unsuitable premises for years? How many officials know about this and do nothing for years?" he emphasized.
Against this background, the ombudsman expresses his personal position: "The government must conduct a comprehensive check of all IDP accommodation facilities in Ukraine. Every facility where people live must comply with the requirements established by the state."
