On 30-31 March, under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator’s office and in partnership with the UN Country Team, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized a “Data for Solutions in Ukraine” symposium.

Creating a common understanding and aligning the data efforts of the UN agencies and national and international actors with data and analytical needs of the Government is essential for paving the way for durable solutions, such as local integration or return. Research by IOM highlights that 58 per cent of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have been displaced for six months or longer, and 56 per cent have completely exhausted their savings. In the context of high cost of staying in displacement and pressing vulnerabilities, only 14 per cent of IDPs nationwide currently plan integrate in their locations, while the majority hope to return to their places of origin, when feasible.

“The wartime pressures have thoroughly tested the pre-existing internal displacement data systems,” said IOM’s Regional Director for South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Manfred Profazi, opening the symposium. “Differences in the data approaches by humanitarian and recovery actors and the Government of Ukraine are to be comprehensively discussed.”

According to the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine, Oksana Zholnovych, the challenges brought by the war put many things upside down: “Internal and external displacement entails enormous complex changes at the individual and societal levels. Accordingly, social policies need to be adjusted to meet the actual needs of people, and data on real needs and clear stats will be key to reformatting the system.”

"After the full-scale invasion, many people faced difficult life circumstances. Many had to look for shelter in safer regions. Support from the state and international organizations is very important for them,” said Oleksii Borodai, Deputy Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, Commissioner for IDPs. “Verified data will help in the development of clear operational response plans, both for integration of displaced people in their new communities and for their safe and sustainable returns."

“The numbers tell us people’s stories, drive our response and allow us to determine a qualitative change in people’s lives,” summarized Denise Brown, UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine. “Data will help us in getting people back home”.

The symposium served as a platform for discussion on how to harmonize IDP statistics and analysis for use as a baseline for interventions that aim to achieve durable solutions for IDPs in their communities. It further contributed to building a collective understanding of the priorities, interests and needs of the Government of Ukraine, the types of data needed to support durable solutions programming in the context of internal displacement in Ukraine and in adherence with global strategic discussions.

Check the symposium report.