The first refugees or so-called internally displaced persons appeared in Ukraine a year ago after the annexation of the Crimea in March 2014. These were mainly Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. The next wave followed after the events in the east of the country, with separatists proclaiming the independence of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, threatening the pro-Ukrainian minded people. After the beginning of the anti-terrorist operation by the Ukrainian government, the military interactions started between the separatists, supported by weapons from Russia and the government’s troops.
As the battles grew fiercer, the situation of the local inhabitants grew worse. The shortage of food in the stores followed. Problems began with supply of gas, electricity and water. The transport infrastructure hardly functioned or was completely destroyed in some places. The industry, banks and businesses had to close down, as did schools, kindergartens, etc. The territories controlled by the separatists became criminalized with appearance of marauders and the other outlaws. Cases of illegal “confiscation” of the property became a widespread phenomenon.
In this situation, the local inhabitants had to migrate from those territories. Some of them went to Russia, as they had relatives there. The majority moved to the other regions of Ukraine, mainly the nearby regions of Kharkiv and Dnepropetrovsk, also to central and western Ukraine.
According to the official statistics, by April 6, there were 1.2 million internally displaced persons from both the Crimea and Donbas (southeast) regions. These are those officially registered at the new place of living. Over 300,000 of those have applied for the financial aid from the government. The Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine has already paid over 890 million UAH (around $35.5 million) for that purpose.
In all the other regions of Ukraine, both governmental social services and voluntary initiatives are now focused on the refugees, helping them with food, finding living accommodations and jobs.
However, in the present harsh economic situation in Ukraine — involved into a military conflict — this is very difficult.
“We are squeezing our economics for the security of our country,” says President Petro Poroshenko. Indeed, this year the government financing of the military security sector hit record numbers in all the years of Ukraine’s independence.
In the country, there are voluntary initiatives providing help specifically for the internal refugees and those who are still surviving in the war areas. The biggest aid center is perhaps the one in Kiev. It started a bit over six months ago. It’s where internal refugees, particularly mothers with children, can get food, clothes and household items sent from different parts of the world. This project has quickly become well known. The place is visited by around 100 persons every day. Some of the products are also transported to the eastern towns, controlled by the government’s troops. The project’s Facebook page is actively filled with requests for the most urgent needs of the refugees at the moment, which can sometimes be clothes and food; at other times, Pampers, prams or medical equipment. Many Ukrainians are actively involved, bringing clothes and the other things, or sending money. The president’s wife recently paid a visit to this center, bringing presents for the refugees’ children. So far, this is the only government support for this initiative. Its organizers say the most of their needs are covered by local businesses, people and humanitarian aid trucks from private persons, and by initiatives of the EU countries, particularly Denmark.
Valentina Kravets, a social worker of the NGO Spilnota NDKiev that, for a decade, provided food and basic hygiene items for the poor and the homeless in the streets of Kiev, says there are changes in the profile of people coming to their meals-on-wheels place near the Kiev main railway station. Recently, it was mostly middle-aged men and elderly women, and now there are younger people, and more of those are from the eastern parts of the country, regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
Of course, not every one of those internally displaced needs for government aid. There are those who manage on their own.
Marina, a mother of a teenage son, moved to the western Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi a few months ago from Antratzit, a town in Luhansk region, now under the terrorists’ control. Marina’s husband is “fighting at war” in the southeast. She was invited to come to Chernivtsi by her friends.
Marina is renting a one-room apartment in the suburb for 2,500 UAH ($100) per month. She makes soap and natural cosmetics at home, runs an Internet shop and sells her products at the fairs of handmade goods. It is just enough to cover her rent and food for the family.
The woman expects to come home to Luhansk one day, together with her husband. She doesn’t think it will happen soon though, as restoring and repairing her hometown after the war will take a lot of time.
Ludmila Aliyeva is the editor in chief of Gazeta Kyiv, a street paper in Ukraine.
Exclusively for Street Roots.