30 July 2019

The employment situation of IDPs tends to improve, according to the results of the survey, presented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Mission in Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs and the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine. The latest round of IOM’s survey has been conducted in January–March 2019 with funding from the United States Department of State for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).

As of March 2019, the share of employed IDPs was 48 per cent, 5 per cent higher compared to September 2018. Most of the employed IDPs had stable job: over two thirds of them (71%) have been employed at their current workplace for over 12 months. The same share of employed IDPs indicated that their current employment corresponded to their qualifications.

While the level of unemployment decreases, the survey reveals that the majority (79%) of unemployed among IDPs are women who reported facing more difficulties during job search compared to men.

IDPs’ well-being varies depending on many factors including settlement type. The lowest level of average monthly income per person in IDPs’ household has been found in rural areas (UAH 1,710), while it was higher in cities (UAH 3,090). The IDPs living in cities and towns self-assessed their financial situation as ‘enough funds for food, necessary clothing, footwear, basic needs’ two times more often than those living in rural areas (51% and 23% respectively).

“While IOM continues regularly updating and analyzing disaggregated data gathered within complex survey under the National Monitoring System, we provide direct assistance to the most vulnerable of them. Since 2014, IOM assisted over 422,000 displaced and conflict-affected people in Ukraine,” said Hazim Torlic, IOM Ukraine Officer in Charge. “The understanding of the displacement in its variety of dimensions, especially in its gender and urban-rural aspects, helps the government and humanitarian actors navigate the complex dynamics of displacement,” he added.

“The level of integration of IDPs into host territorial communities is growing aсcording to different markers. This positive fact, to a certain extent, shows the consolidation of efforts of the government and civil society on the way to achieving this goal. At the same time, one of the most significant obstacles is the lack of housing for most internally displaced persons. Solving this problem requires a multi-stakeholder partnership with the steps to be made by the IDPs, the government and the communities. To address the issue, the Government has introduced a mechanism for the distribution and provision of accommodation for the temporary residence of the IDPs, based on the vulnerability criteria. This will allow to apply the equal approach for all regions of Ukraine to effectively use the funds of the State Budget for the purchase of temporary housing for IDPs,” stressed Victoria Voronina, Deputy Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs of Ukraine.

IOM has been conducting surveys on the situation of IDPs in Ukraine on a regular basis since March 2016. In the latest, 13^th round, a total of 2,402 respondents were interviewed face-to-face, and 4,028 by telephone.