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The First Space for Adaptation in the City Will Provide One-Stop Shop Assistance to IDPs and the War-Affected Population in Kharkiv

May 7, 2024

IDP and the war-affected population

In the new adaptation space in the city, Svii, internally displaced persons and the war-affected population can receive a range of services from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Right to Protection's partner organisation and local authorities. The services will help people to meet their basic needs and feel like they belong in Kharkiv.

7 May, Kharkiv — A new space for adaptation in the city was opened in Kharkiv today, where internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the war-affected population can receive essential services and support on a one-stop-shop basis. The space was initiated by the Kharkiv City Council and implemented by R2P with the support of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to help the war-affected population receive essential services and assistance as Kharkiv is under daily shelling by the russian federation. The facility is on underground premises, making receiving services during the air raid safe.

In the Svii space, people can receive free legal aid and psychosocial support and register for cash assistance from UNHCR. UNHCR's partner, R2P, will also provide employment counselling. In addition, visitors will be able to access administrative, social, and legal services from local authorities. Training, group counselling, and workshops will be held in a dedicated room to support IDPs' engagement with their new hromada and help them build new connections.

With the support of UNHCR, R2P has renovated the space and equipped it with furniture and appliances. At the same time, local authorities will install a ramp to make the space accessible to people with disabilities.

Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine

It is a vital step that is taken today for people fleeing the war and suffering from the relentless attacks on Kharkiv. Now, they will have the needed services in one single space, where they can either get support with restoring their lost documents, receive psychosocial assistance to cope with stress and anxiety, speak to a social worker, or register for cash assistance. UNHCR is pleased that our cooperation with the Kharkiv City Council and partnership with Right to Protection have led to the creation of the first-of-its-kind space in Kharkiv.

Oleksandra Zhurko, Head of the Assistance to IDP and the War-Affected Population programme direction of R2P

We have created a space where people can get all the help they need during one visit. This is the first such hub in Ukraine. Currently, it offers about 30 different services. The Svii space is the result of the joint efforts of the city and international, national, and local organisations united by a single goal — to help those in need.

Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv

We regularly monitor the situation with internally displaced people. According to the official numbers, there are currently over 200,000 displaced in Kharkiv. Most of these families intend to stay here forever. Therefore, it is essential for us to create such a multiservice space where people can receive a range of social, administrative, and psychosocial services. It will help people, both adults and children, to adjust to the new living conditions. We will continue to enhance this initiative. For example, this year, a vocational programme for displaced people will be launched, enabling them to learn skills needed in Kharkiv.

Over two years after the beginning of the escalation of the war in Ukraine, Kharkivska oblast remains the main region of origin of IDPs and the second largest region in terms of the number of hosted IDPs displaced by the war. As the security situation near the frontline has deteriorated, many people have been forced to evacuate from frontline hromadas, including Kupianskyi raion, and seek refuge in Kharkiv.

Since the beginning of the russian full-scale invasion, UNHCR and its NGO partners have continuously supported people in Kharkivska oblast, reaching over 480,000 individuals with protection services, cash assistance, basic aid items, house repairs, construction materials, and support in the collective centres. Across Ukraine, over 4.3 million people received assistance from UNHCR in 2022 and more than 2.6 million in 2023.