IOM Vision
IOM will support the dignity, safety and protection of people affected by the war in Ukraine, through a comprehensive response. Targeting internally displaced persons, refugees, returnees, host and affected communities, IOM will support the provision of and access to quality services, leveraging programming across the humanitarian, development and peace nexus. In close coordination with national and regional stakeholders, IOM is engaged in a principled and timely multi-sector response, supporting government partners, local authorities and actors to respond to the crisis, including through recovery and resilience-building initiatives that enable households to find pathways towards durable solutions in Ukraine and refugee-hosting countries.
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Objective
Saving lives and protecting people on the move
In Ukraine, IOM will provide critically needed assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and other affected populations. IOM will especially focus on vulnerable groups such as single parents, persons with disabilities, children, including unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), older persons, survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and human trafficking, victims of other human rights violations, and those that have been disproportionately affected by lack of services and loss of livelihoods with special mention of veterans and their families. Planning figures are estimates based on currently available data and may vary as the situation evolves. In neighbouring countries, assistance will target refugees from Ukraine, particularly looking at newly arrived people, with a focus on pregnant women, single female households, children, older people, persons with disabilities or chronic medical conditions, GBV survivors, victims of trafficking (VoTs) and other forms of violence, exploitation and abuse, and people with diverse SOGIESC. IOM will also focus on people that have been residing in collective accommodation centres for a protracted period of time and on people from marginalized groups.
IOM will also support governments, partners and relevant stakeholders in Ukraine and neighbouring countries by maintaining capacities to collect humanitarian and recovery data, track mobility and displaced people’s movements and needs, measuring barriers to inclusion and the degree to which refugees are integrating in their host communities, and producing timely and high-quality actionable analysis. Products will be shared, and information or capacity-building sessions will be held to support stakeholders to receive and utilize targeted, evidence-based responses to crises and recovery.
The entities targeted under this objective include 500 collective centres accommodating IDPs, communities, central, regional and local government authorities, vodakanals (municipal water management authorities), and international and local NGOs.
In Ukraine, IOM will continue providing essential humanitarian assistance, such as non-food items (NFI), to those affected by the war in Ukraine. NFI assistance will be distributed in accordance with the Shelter/NFI Cluster geographical context classifications. Through various distribution modalities adaptable to the Ukraine context, IOM will provide essential household and individual basic NFI through direct distributions, implementing partners, coordinated interagency convoys, and the Common Pipeline programme supporting more than 40 Cluster partners. IOM will prioritize the most vulnerable affected population in its assistance, through referrals received from Shelter-NFI (S-NFI) and WASH Clusters, local authorities, and CCCM, Protection, MHPSS and Health sectors. Activities will include:
- Assessing and verifying needs.
- Procuring, prepositioning, and managing household and individual NFI as per S-NFI and WASH Cluster standards.
- Distributing NFI items for displaced, non-displaced and returnee families who have lost their belongings, including winterization NFIs and winter clothing from January to March 2024 and October to December 2024.
- Building capacities and competencies of national and sub-national partners on humanitarian principles, good distribution practices, reporting and assessment standards, and practices for beneficiary protection and dignity.
- Post-distribution monitoring and evaluations to generate overall understanding on gaps, strengths, and shortcomings in the activities, and incorporate changes and improvements for future quality programming.
IOM will continue assisting vulnerable people affected by the war to address the most pressing needs by:
- Providing multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to cover the basic needs and reduce the negative coping strategies of displaced and vulnerable households living close to the contact line.
- Protecting and sustaining the livelihoods of rural households by providing agricultural and sustenance grants (individual and community-based) to the most vulnerable households. These can be used to purchase agricultural inputs, including goods and services, along with the MPCA and complementary livelihoods assistance.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will continue responding to the most urgent humanitarian needs of vulnerable refugees from Ukraine, especially those who have recently arrived or are transiting. Activities will include:
- Procuring and distributing core relief items, especially winterization items including winter clothing, household items, and heating appliances during the cold season.
- Providing food assistance in the form of vouchers or in-kind in strategic locations including border crossing points.
- Promoting agency of people in need in responding to their needs, continuing to provide flexible means to cover immediate essential needs such as rent, utilities, food, medicine, and other necessities. This will take the form of MPCA, targeting the most vulnerable and in line with Cash Working Group guidelines and national social protection systems. In the Republic of Moldova particularly, IOM will contribute to efforts aimed at mitigating energy-related challenges faced by the local population during the cold season.
In Ukraine, IOM will sustain its interventions to enhance local capacities and support IDPs residing in collective centres, shelters, reception and transit sites in a safe and dignified manner, through:
- Improving access to humanitarian services and protection by coordinating and referring the needs of the most vulnerable to specific partners and upgrading the living conditions in collective shelters with the provision of essential items and equipment.
- Providing cash grants for common expenditure to site managers to support care and maintenance and the running of the centres, including the cost of utilities such as electricity, water and gas as well as procurement of basic items such as water taps, bottles, papers, hygiene products etc.
- Providing targeted capacity-building programming for national and local authorities, NGOs, volunteers and other CCCM-related actors to strengthen their capacity to manage displacement and support durable solutions for affected populations, along with ensuring complaint and feedback mechanisms are in place.
- Ensuring free access to information for displaced populations and empowering them to participate in decision-making processes related to their displacement, their integration into host community and return, including linking IDPs to administrative and social protection services.
- Promoting social cohesion, integration and IDP inclusion through community led activities.
- Advocating for the needs and conditions of the most vulnerable by conducting periodical monitoring and multi-sectoral assessments in collective centres and displacement sites.
- Advocating for site infrastructures upgrade and highlighting lack of accessibility to the shelter team and local partners.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will continue working for improved living conditions, protection and safety at collective accommodation sites. Activities will include:
- Implementing small grant schemes for collective sites to conduct small repairs or procure equipment to enhance living conditions.
- Implementing capacity development initiatives to support municipalities and collective sites managers, aiming to improve communication with, protection and participation of collective sites' residents and communities. Including trainings and trainings of trainers (TOT) on-site management on safety and security, data management, protection mainstreaming and other topics pertaining to displacement management and support to government capacities in terms of preparedness.
- Supporting the operationalization of online tools, i.e. Zite Manager, to better inform the support to sites.
- Supporting people in their transition out of collective sites in line with national consolidation strategies, advocating for people's rights, IOM will provide livelihood assistance and sustain durable solutions, including legal assistance, housing and employment support, and community integration among others.
In Ukraine, IOM deploys mobile medical teams providing curative, preventive, and promotive services, including trauma care and psychological counselling, improving access to health care services, including support for non-communicable diseases, and to reducing the burden on the health system in remote and hard to reach areas with high concentration of displaced populations. Activities will include:
- Providing emergency medical supplies and equipment for targeted health facilities to grant the continuity of quality and dignified emergency and essentials health services.
- Directly providing health-care services (consultation, vaccination, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), noncommunicable (NCD) child and maternal care and referrals).
- Building capacity on management of outbreak response, strengthening infection prevention and control, disease surveillance among displaced populations, and vaccinations.
- Conducting risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), health promotion, and outreach.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will continue responding to urgent medical needs, by supporting refugees and TCNs in accessing primary and secondary health care either directly or through referrals, medications, and medical equipment to hospitals. Activities will include:
- Covering medical fees, procuring medicines and equipment, and providing pharmacy vouchers.
- Assisting those with chronic conditions not covered by insurance either directly or through existing systems, to help meet the increased needs.
- Collaborating with local NGOs to improve health care access through consultations, medicine provision, referrals, and informational services for vulnerable refugees from Ukraine. In some instances, IOM will use mobile teams to help reach out to the most marginalized.
- Extending financial support to the National Health Insurance Company and the Oncology Institute for refugee health care, regardless of legal status (Republic of Moldova).
- Bolstering vaccination through community outreach, leveraging IOM's mobile teams to organize social clubs and discussions addressing vaccine concerns (Republic of Moldova).
In Ukraine and neighbouring countries, IOM works with national authorities to help establish and strengthen an integrated approach to border management to facilitate, assist and protect affected people crossing borders, and ensure rights-based policies and procedures are in place to guarantee safe pathways. Activities will include:
- Conducting continuous humanitarian border management (HBM) capacity assessments in coordination with national authorities at the central level as well as at Border Crossing Points (BCPs).
- Supporting national authorities to strengthen their preparedness for high volume cross border movements and changing mobility dynamics, particularly through advising on simplified but effective procedures; further digitalization and automation of border and customs procedures; and provision of fixed/mobile registration equipment.
- Assisting national authorities to enhance their capacity to screen and refer vulnerable individuals with a focus on unaccompanied and separated children and potential victims of violence, exploitation or abuse.
- Helping to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ukrainian consular service so Ukrainian nationals abroad due to the war are better assisted.
- Providing critical equipment at the border such as diesel generators, contributing to uninterrupted border operations.
- Facilitating and coordinating multisectoral work at the borders implemented by IOM, including protection, WASH, health, shelter, and MHPSS, so the cross-border passage is safer.
In Ukraine, in line with the IOM Manual on Community-Based MHPSS in Emergencies and Displacement, activities will focus on:
- Enhancing community understanding of mental health challenges and existing services to reduce mental health stigma and barriers accessing services through public information and awareness campaigns to support populations, including IDPs, communities, veterans and their families, returnees, and more.
- Building capacity to improve the skills and knowledge of government, volunteer, professional groups and humanitarian providers. This includes training on psychological first aid (PFA), communication and other basic psychosocial support skills, stress management, self-care and burnout prevention to equip service providers to meet war-affected individuals’ psychosocial needs and provide effective services. IOM will strengthen capacities of local coordinators under the cabinet of ministers coordination centre and support government MHPSS initiatives for a cohesive response.
- Providing community-based MHPSS services through activities that strengthen family and community support networks, aiding in maintaining and promoting mental health and psychosocial wellbeing.
- Providing tailored individual and group counselling as well as referrals for specialized mental health care for war-affected individuals with MHPSS needs.
- Continuing to run the MHPSS emotional support hotline and offer psychological consultations to callers in Ukraine and host countries, including referrals to services to support those with severe mental health problems.
- Co-chairing the MHPSS Sub Working Group for East of Ukraine (Dnipro hub).
In neighbouring countries, the MHPSS programme, available both in-person and via hotline, offers professional support to migrants, addressing distress and promoting emotional well-being. MHPSS will be delivered to the beneficiaries on an individual and group basis, through counselling and other psychological interventions and referral to specialized mental health care for people who demonstrate serious levels of stress, behavioural and relational problems. The MHPSS activities will be delivered in close coordination with IOM Protection teams to ensure that the assistance is delivered in a holistic way. These will include:
- Providing direct MHPSS services at programme sites and through multidisciplinary psychosocial mobile teams (PMTs), but also through referrals, community centres staff support, and mentoring.
- Conducting awareness campaigns to promote mental health services and organize various MHPSS community-based activities.
- Organizing training courses on MHPSS and population mobility for psychosocial professionals, which will be conducted in Poland and Estonia in collaboration with universities, emphasizing the role of MHPSS in humanitarian efforts and to develop the capacities of local actors to take on the response.
- Conducting regional outreach through trained Ukrainian mediators to facilitate group and community-based activities with refugees.
- Supporting the provision of MHPSS for Ukrainian war veterans who are getting rehabilitation treatment as well as to their family members.
In Ukraine, IOM’s shelter interventions provide safe and dignified living conditions to people in need. Shelter assistance focuses on areas most affected by the war, and particularly vulnerable households, including through:
- Repairing individual houses damaged as a result of the war.
- Conducting light, medium and heavy repairs and maintenance to collective centres hosting IDPs.
- Providing rental assistance for transitional shelter solutions as an emergency response in case of shelling but also facilitating returns and durable solutions in areas of origin.
- Repairing social institutions (such as hospitals and schools) in collaboration with ministries such as the Ministry of Heath, Ministry of Education and Science, and Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as oblast, raion, hromadas and municipal authorities.
- Providing generators, construction materials, roofing, and electrical materials.
- Conducting winterization interventions at the individual and communal levels, including generators, solid fuel, and winter appliances, along with winterization-related repairs and upgrades.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will provide emergency and short-term shelter assistance to vulnerable refugees from Ukraine. Activities will include:
- Covering short-term stays at hostels and short-term rental assistance for newly arrived refugees or those wanting to continue their journey onward.
- Supporting with renovation of shelter facilities to improve living conditions and ensure thermal comfort.
- Supporting initiatives for refugees to be included in housing support systems through various means, in line with Refugee Accommodation Centre consolidation strategies. For this, IOM will use means such as increasing housing stocks to reduce the pressure on the housing sector through rental assistance, repairing private homes, support to municipalities to set up affordable housing programmes, including rehabilitation of housing building owned by the authorities, and winterization of private homes to hosting families.
In Ukraine, IOM activities aim to protect persons from threats to their life, dignity and well-being, while increasing self-reliance capacities to reduce the risk of harm, by addressing the needs and upholding the rights of the affected population. Priorities include direct service delivery and assistance by IOM and partners for persons with protection needs, prevention efforts through awareness-raising and community outreach, capacity development throughout the response, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and include:
- Providing comprehensive case management services to persons with protection needs or those at risk, including survivors of war-related violence, war-related human rights violations, human trafficking and GBV. Assistance includes information, counselling, psychosocial support, safe shelter, legal services, in-kind material support or cash for protection assistance to meet basic needs, vocational training and income-generating support, and referrals to other specialized services.
- Operating the Medical Rehabilitation Centre to provide comprehensive, safe and confidential medical care, psychological assistance, and psychosocial support for survivors of war-related violence, human trafficking and GBV.
- Identifying and mitigating the risk of various harms, including to human trafficking, SEA, and other forms of exploitation and abuse, through protection assessments, community consultation, engagement, outreach and awareness-raising activities, information campaigns and visibility of information on reporting of sexual misconduct of humanitarian workers and ways to access assistance.
- Operating the national toll-free ‘527’ counter-trafficking and migrant advice hotline.
- Building capacity of humanitarian and non-specialized service providers on core concepts of protection and safe referral pathways for persons with protection needs, as well as on PSEA, including incorporation of IASC principles into their organizational policies and strengthening of referral mechanisms.
- Conducting regular staff trainings and refreshers as well as key messaging on PSEA.
- Conducting nationwide counter-trafficking awareness-raising campaigns, as well as targeted prevention activities among youth and people most vulnerable to human trafficking, exploitation or abuse.
- Operating the Medical Rehabilitation Centre to provide comprehensive, safe and confidential medical care, psychological assistance, and psychosocial support for survivors of human trafficking, exploitation or GBV.
- Building capacity of educators, social services, law enforcement, labour inspectors, embassies, etc. on strengthening the national referral mechanism for trafficking survivors.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will address the protection needs of refugees from Ukraine. Activities will include:
- Providing assistance directly, including by deployment of mobile teams and utilizing the capacities of Migrant Resource Centres, or through implementing partners, applying a comprehensive case management approach. Specialized services will be provided based on needs and encompass legal assistance, shelter, health, education, livelihood support, specialized assistance to survivors of GBV, human trafficking and other forms of violence, exploitation and abuse, child protection (with a focus on UASCs), etc.
- Targeting frontline responders and systems through capacity development interventions including on risk mitigation, looking at safety audits, comprehensive survivor support and training of first-line responders.
- Providing tailored information on protection risks and mitigation measures, safe migration channels, and existing services and support systems. The information will be provided in all languages of the targeted population, utilizing appropriate channels ranging from individualized counselling through toll-free support hotlines and sensitization sessions in collective accommodation centres and transit points, to mass awareness-raising campaigns through mainstream and social media.
- Monitoring protection risks along with new mobility dynamics and raising the attention of stakeholders and duty bearers as specific risks and vulnerable categories of people are identified. In addition, IOM will continue to closely monitor the application of the TPD and similar national measures in refugee hosting countries, to assess access to rights and operationalization, and will offer its support to hosting states in devising future measures prolonging the rights offered by TPD.
- In Poland, placing a special emphasis on child protection, by building the capacities of local authorities, educators, and civil society, organizing after-school activities for children and continuing its national campaign of foster care. IOM will continue consolidating PSEA capacities through its dedicated regional network of focal points, developing and disseminating localized information and training materials, training staff and partners, and collaborating with law enforcement and border management agencies. Added to these efforts, an emphasis will be placed on the sustainability of this approach, ensuring that measures and strategies are long-lasting and continuously effective.
- Continuing efforts, providing technical support and guidance and facilitate the overall coordination of accountability to affected people (AAP) initiatives within the Ukraine regional response. This includes technical assistance in establishing and maintaining complaint and feedback mechanisms, as well as enhancing participation and transparency in the response and providing information to empower people.
In Ukraine, IOM supports national and local authorities to mitigate the impact of the war on the availability of life-saving water, sanitation, hygiene and heating services. Activities will include:
- Procuring, prepositioning and distributing WASH NFIs, including menstrual hygiene management items (MHM) for women and girls, specific items for other vulnerable groups (such as the elderly and people with special needs), and equipment (e.g. washing machines, dryers, water dispensers, and water boilers/heater) for centres and institutions hosting IDPs or vulnerable community members.
- Providing emergency supplies of drinking water, including through water trucking where necessary and possible.
- Conducting repairs and rehabilitations, including support with operation and maintenance (O&M) and procurement, delivery, and installation of key equipment and supply, including reagents and consumables for heavily damaged municipal water sanitation and heating systems to restore functionality and service continuity, as well as for decentralized water, sanitation, and heating systems and networks to support provision of services in rural, hard-to-reach and areas no longer occupied and for centres and institutions hosting IDPs or vulnerable community members.
- Providing technical assistance, support and equipment to improve WASH facilities in border crossing points (BCP).
In neighbouring countries, IOM will continue:
- Procuring and distributing WASH NFIs including hygiene kits encompassing MHM supplies or cash-based interventions such as hygiene vouchers.
- Facilitating access to sanitation facilities for transiting refugees.
- Restoring water access in Refugee Accommodation Centres (RACs), border crossing points, and host communities, ensuring safe supply for displaced people. This includes aiding health posts with water storage and pipeline extension/rehabilitation for community access (Republic of Moldova).
- Conducting light repairs to WASH facilities in schools, health posts, or RACs will be conducted to meet standards, along with the setup of handwashing stations and solid waste infrastructure to limit disease spread (Republic of Moldova).
In neighbouring countries, IOM will provide humanitarian movement assistance to newly arrived Ukrainian refugees and eligible TCNs to ensure that vulnerable individuals affected by the conflict, particularly those facing protection concerns, have access to safe and dignified transportation and are able to reach their final destinations. Movement assistance will include:
- Conducting pre-departure activities encompassing documentation assistance, vulnerability screening, medical screening, transit accommodation, and subsistence, as well as travel assistance, in majority by land and sometimes through air.
- In the event of an observed escalation in conflict dynamics, remaining on standby to provide TCNs who are fleeing the war in Ukraine with voluntary humanitarian return (VHR) assistance including pre-departure activities, which include provision of domestic transportation, accommodation, and urgent material needs; protection screening to identify vulnerabilities and needs; and medical screening to ensure individuals are fit for travel. Transit and post-arrival assistance will be provided to all individuals.
In Ukraine, IOM will support the government, response and recovery organizations, and war-affected communities and individuals to prepare, respond and recover from the impact of disasters, conflict and natural hazards. In the context of the ongoing conflict, activities will include:
- Distributing emergency shelter materials to households in affected areas to restore their homes.
- Prepositioning essential equipment such as NFIs, emergency shelter materials, and repair equipment at collective shelters at the community level and in public infrastructures through the Common Pipeline managed by IOM in consultation with the SNFI and WASH Clusters. The pipeline allows humanitarian actors to prepare and respond to protracted and emerging needs by allowing supplies to be accessed by local organizations and distributed onwards to people in need when crisis erupts.
- Supporting key government agencies in developing disaster preparedness plans, including prepositioning of contingency stocks and preparing evidence-based advocacy tools and messaging.
- Strengthening the capacity of displaced people to face new shocks and hazards, notably via improving access to timely and reliable information on how to prepare and developing emergency preparedness plans at community-level.
- Partnering with key local and national authorities, local communities, and NGOs, to jointly assess the needs to strengthen preparedness for new influx or outflux of people, particularly at BCPs, and to prepare for safe and dignified returns, in line with the IASC Durable Solutions Framework.
- Organizing capacity development sessions with authorities to develop or update plans to respond to displacement and prepare for returns once the situation is conducive.
- Capacitating key stakeholders on early warning systems and early/anticipatory responses.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will support government and local actors to increase their preparedness capacities. This will include:
- Carrying out contingency planning exercises with missions to respond to potential sudden large influxes of conflict-affected people and other types of migrants.
- Supporting efforts towards the Republic of Moldova’s integration into the EU Civil Protection mechanism and climate change adaptation.
- Supporting government plans for a new influx or outflux of people and prepare for safe and dignified returns once conditions are conducive for returns.
To support a more accountable and evidence-based response in Ukraine, IOM will continue to (i) produce operational data and analysis on population presence, mobility and needs, (ii) lead on data harmonization and coordination of data-driven programming within IOM and through humanitarian and recovery coordination structures, and (iii) support evidence-based decision-making at the local, regional, and national levels of governance in Ukraine, especially in terms of identification of priority needs for recovery. Activities will include:
- Conducting systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of data on internal displacement and returnee populations, and the evolving needs of the population.
- Disseminating disaggregated information and thematic analytical reports across humanitarian and recovery response modalities, to inform programme targeting, strategy development and advocacy.
- Conducting ad hoc Rapid Needs Assessments and Emergency Tracking in relation to triggers such as sudden displacement movements, access to previously inaccessible areas or disasters.
- Expanding the coverage of Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) to generate granular and timely data on displacement and mobility tracking, and provide more disaggregated population and needs data, including monitoring return and displacement dynamics in heavily conflict affected areas.
- Conducting specific assessments on measuring progress towards durable solutions, and thematic assessments focused on recovery needs, resilience, and access to services at the individual or settlement level.
- Conducting market assessments of prices, access to and demand for solid fuel to support winter preparedness and prepositioning, and their potential impact on displacement and mobility intentions.
- Promoting high-quality data use, coordination and dissemination of information by co-chairing the Assessment and Analytics Working Group and its sub-national sub-groups, chairing the Data for Solutions and Recovery working group, convening additional multi-stakeholder fora and engaging with relevant bodies in the GoU (e.g., the State Statistical Service).
- Providing targeted capacity development and assistance to stakeholders within the GoU in the sphere of statistics, information management, and analysis, as requested.
- Delivering technical assistance and expertise by the government and civil society actors and supporting efforts to implement data collection and analysis aligning to global standards and effective use of already available data for evidence-based response and policymaking.
- Supporting government actors and other stakeholders on migration data on building systems, strengthening analytical function, and assisting information flow in the context of the decentralization as well as digitalization reforms.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will sustain data collection efforts to understand mobility patterns, vulnerabilities, needs, and intentions of displaced people, crucial for defining refugee needs and targeting effective assistance.
- In the Baltic States, closely monitoring complex mobility patterns, especially on refugees and TCNs crossing to and transiting through the territory of the Russian Federation to reach regions of origin not controlled by the Government of Ukraine. Data and analysis will be made publicly available, for the use of government, UN agencies, and civil society.
- Measuring barriers to inclusion and the degree to which refugees are integrating into their host communities. Monitoring intentions is also an important aspect of this activity, to inform programming and coordinate with initiatives within Ukraine. IOM will use this information for policy guidance and recommendations, looking at longer-term refugee integration, and informing potential national mechanisms beyond TPD.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will strengthen its support services for response actors in the form of :
- Supporting partner organizations, particularly NGOs and CSOs, with safety and security trainings (SSAFE and IFAK), and others as needed.
- Strengthening Regional Office coordination, monitoring and thematic guidance.
- Maintaining and expanding mechanisms to provide goods and services to the broader humanitarian community, including through the dedicated NFI Common Pipeline programme. This system enables smaller and sub-national organizations to utilize IOM’s global logistics and supply chain footprint to obtain supplies, namely NFI, Shelter and WASH goods, for onward distribution to people in need.
![A refugee reaching the border crossing with Romania. © IOM Romania 2023](/https/crisisresponse.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1481/files/styles/appeal_header_image_style/public/appeal/photos/IOM%20Romania%20Border%20Photo%202022Anna.jpg?h=fe653386&itok=5PfrcY_2)
Objective
Driving solutions to displacement
IOM will work together with affected people, communities, civil society, diaspora and the Government of Ukraine to address the longer-term impacts of the war through tailored investments in transition and recovery programming. The focus will be on vulnerable groups such as single parents, persons with disabilities, children, including UASC, older persons, survivors of GBV and human trafficking, and victims of other human rights violations, and those that have been disproportionately affected by a lack of services and loss of livelihoods, with special mention of veterans and their families. Returnees and those in areas no longer occupied will receive tailored support, emphasizing resilience, recovery and progress towards durable solutions. In neighbouring countries, assistance will target refugees from Ukraine, particularly newly arrived people, and those from marginalized groups, with a focus on pregnant women, single parents, children, older people, persons with disabilities or chronic medical conditions, GBV survivors, victims of trafficking (VoTs) and other forms of violence, exploitation and abuse, and people with diverse SOGIESC.
IOM will continue working with communities and local authorities in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova on preparedness and disaster risk reduction, including at the national and local levels, communities and civil society to strengthen capacities to respond to new shocks, due to conflict, natural hazards, disease outbreaks, destroyed infrastructure, and/or environmental deterioration that will have long-lasting consequences and could lead to further displacement or conflict.
The entities targeted under this objective include collective centres accommodating IDPs, communities, business hubs, central, regional and local government authorities, vodakanals (municipal water management authorities), municipal health departments, and international and local NGOs.
In Ukraine, IOM’s community stabilization and recovery programming addresses drivers of instability at the community level, supporting longer-term recovery and preventing further forced displacement. Evidence-based and community driven response includes the restoration of basic rights, helping people access public services and promoting inclusivity of public services, promoting non-violent resolution of tensions and conflicts, creating conditions to address grievances and tensions collectively, and facilitating safe and durable (re)integration through:
- Enhancing systematic evidence generation on localized tensions and conflict dynamics through hotspot mapping and regular data collection.
- Implementing quick-impact projects designed to rapidly improve living conditions and foster early recovery (such as debris removal and rehabilitation/reconstruction of community infrastructure).
- Fostering social cohesion through development of recovery plans and community engagement initiatives, including with marginalized or at-risk groups, and ensuring their inclusion at all stages of the programme cycle, including by establishing community initiative groups (CIGs).
- Training, equipment and materials for local authorities and CSOs on data collection, analysis and use for the development of recovery plans and monitoring of outcomes.
- Restoring community-focused gender and disability-inclusive livelihoods and essential infrastructure, contributing to food security, social cohesion and economic recovery objectives.
- Leveraging the skills and resources of the Ukrainian diaspora to support the country’s economic recovery.
- Strengthening local governance and social accountability and increasing trust through capacity development activities and technical support.
In the Republic of Moldova, IOM plans to implement quick impact projects, including infrastructure projects to foster social cohesion among refugees and host community.
Durable Solutions
In Ukraine, in partnership with the GoU, IOM will contribute to addressing the main barriers to integration and safe and sustainable returns, supporting the restoration of conditions conducive to return, and assisting IDPs and returnees achieve durable solutions in war-affected communities and areas no longer occupied. Locally driven community-based approaches in partnership with local authorities include:
- Supporting with site consolidations at collective centres (through cash grants, items, community led- activities, capacity building for site management/officials, referrals, coordination).
- Conducting IDP profiling and multi-stakeholder consultations to implement community-led activities to enhance social cohesion between IDPs and host communities and provide links to referrals to housing programme.
- Measuring achievement towards durable solutions (including local integration), and assess recovery needs, resilience, and access to services at the individual or settlement levels.
- Advocating for legislative policies to create or protect long-term affordable housing opportunities.
- (Re)construction of housing units to provide IDPs, returnees and other affected populations with transitional housing solutions that promote durable solutions.
- Supporting the rehabilitation and renovation of infrastructure focusing on rural recovery and integration, as well as critical social services.
- Supporting social integration through community engagement, laying the foundations for deeper technical support, capacity development and empowerment of local authorities, local entities, community groups and affected people.
- Enhancing the capacities of local authorities and institutions to implement inclusive and participatory governance processes.
Livelihoods and economic recovery in Ukraine
IOM supports Ukraine’s economic recovery through interventions on a community and individual level and in particular through support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) run by people that have been displaced or otherwise affected by the war. Activities will include:
- Providing livelihood support, boosting entrepreneurship through grants to existing or relocated SMEs, incentivizing job creation, supporting re-skilling/upskilling, mentorships and job placements, and fostering diaspora participation in the country’s economic recovery.
- Rehabilitating stores, businesses, markets and related infrastructure to restore access to goods and services and enhance recovery as identified through participatory community engagement.
- Protecting and sustaining community-based livelihoods through the provision of sustenance grants and trainings. The grants can be used to purchase goods and services, while trainings aim to enhance livelihood outcomes.
- Supporting markets through evidence-based research on market linkages and value chains.
- Providing employment opportunities for youth by creating a platform to interact with the private sector.
Socioeconomic inclusion in neighbouring countries
In refugee hosting countries, IOM is committed to support people to become self-reliant and to access social services at the same level as host communities. The Organization will do so through the following interventions:
- Providing holistic inclusion support: IOM operates a network of 33 Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) across seven refugee hosting countries, embodying a holistic, integrated approach in offering comprehensive services to refugees from Ukraine. These centres function as one-stop-shop models, providing a range of services not only through a single physical location, but as part of a broader, multi-channel approach. This includes direct service provision through the centres, at a single location, support through mobile units, info lines, and online information portals, ensuring comprehensive reach and accessibility. To guarantee coherence, avoid duplication, and enhance sustainability, MRCs operate within a complementary ecosystem, acting as a pivotal link between local communities, authorities, civil society and refugees.
- Disseminating reliable information through national campaigns, hotlines, sensitization sessions for refugees and local communities, and interpretation services to assist refugees in navigating administrative processes and systems.
- Promoting skills development as a way to overcome inclusion barriers including language classes, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and various other training opportunities (online and offline), delivered through IOM staff or specialized partners, focusing on upskilling/re-skilling.
- Supporting skills recognition in host countries, particularly in strategic sectors.
- Supporting the creation of small businesses through grant schemes, cash for livelihoods, seed funding, and mentorship.
- Supporting refugees in accessing decent work that matches their qualifications in the local labour market. This includes career counselling, job search support, liaising with the private sector to promote retention of TP holders in different professional sectors, organization of job fairs, temporary subsidization schemes for refugee employment, legal assistance and counselling on labour law, contracts, working conditions, rights and entitlements, childcare support, support to the private sector and actors in charge of recruitment and labour inspection to uphold ethical recruitment practices.
- For the significant number of children among TP status holders, supporting education inclusion by providing essential services such as educational materials, integration grants for schools, capacity development for teachers, establishment of child-friendly spaces, subsidization of learning process assistants for refugee pupils not supported by state or municipal funding, and financial aid to students for schooling-related expenses not covered by other entities.
- Promoting social cohesion by organizing recreational activities such as joint summer camps for children, events fostering cross-cultural exchange, and establishing networks of regional community leaders to organize community-based events uniting refugees and host communities. Additionally, grants will be provided to support communities and community-led organizations in promoting social cohesion.
- Promoting socioeconomic inclusion of refugees at the systemic level, conducting capacity development and sensitization initiatives for service providers, stakeholders and entities mandated with refugee inclusion, social protection and others. IOM supports the digitalization of services and inclusion of refugees and migrants in these systems, developing user-friendly cultural awareness tools for service providers to gain a deeper understanding of and effectively engage with refugees from diverse cultural contexts, ensuring cultural sensitivity.
- Gathering evidence on the opportunities and challenges faced by refugees and host communities, analysing their social and economic inclusion and evolution of needs and barriers over time, as well as the impact on social cohesion. Findings will feed into advocacy work, and the design of programmes.
In Ukraine, using a durable solutions approach, IOM will support government-led efforts on recovery and strengthening health systems in affected areas through:
- Conducting multi-layered health assessments and research on community-based needs to better understand gaps and perceptions, designing adapted interventions using a community planning approach.
- Improving scope and quality of care through multi-sectoral rehabilitation support, digitalization, technical support, human resources mobilization and recovery of healthcare facilities, provision of essential medicines, equipment and supplies, and capacity development of health workers.
- Implementing health promotion interventions designed to improve social cohesion in areas affected by the war and areas of return. This may include community-based health projects focusing on health services and referral systems.
Further, in Ukraine, IOM will collaborate with the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and partners, focusing on:
- Enhancing the capacity of local health workers including through training on outbreak response, setting up rapid response teams, developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and reviewing guidelines.
- Providing risk communication material and strengthening engagement with community members on key public health events including for national and community level mitigation plans.
- Supporting surveillance to improve early detection and response to communicable diseases, including coordination efforts through the national Health Cluster, and support to partners on preparedness and response to the displaced population including returnees.
- Mainstreaming outbreak preparedness and response, through strengthening infection prevention and control, disease surveillance among displaced people, and the provision of routine vaccinations.
- Strengthening disease surveillance and treatments at the community and local health facility levels and supporting the implementation of events-based surveillance at the sub-national level, training, and the use of electronic reporting systems.
- Working with IOM DTM and the Health Cluster to analyze data on population movement and better understand the gaps and challenges on local access to health care services based on population flow.
In neighbouring countries, IOM will support health systems to meet the increased demand created by the inflow of TP beneficiaries. This will include:
- Procuring equipment for health facilities.
- Training health professionals, including support to Ukrainian health care professionals in aligning their qualifications to meet the national education requirements and qualify for independent practice through a comprehensive programme.
- Supporting health mediation efforts to ensure linkages with national health systems and uphold the right to health care.
As part of the IASC Durable Solutions Framework, IOM will address challenges related to housing, land and property (HLP) rights, claims, and restitution in Ukraine, including lost or destroyed official papers, occupied houses or other general need for legal assistance, which will remove barriers to return, improve access to public services and support conditions that enable durable solutions. Activities will include:
- Providing HLP assistance to beneficiaries alongside housing-related interventions, including representation and information counselling, adapted to the context and available administrative services.
- Supporting in recovering civil documentation and personal documents in unoccupied areas.
- Developing the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs), legal aid services, government partners, and similar institutions by providing policy guidance, expert advice, training and capacity development, supporting the coordination and clarification of instructions and claims pathways and technical assistance for HLP rights.
- Supporting the GoU in harmonizing and strengthening the process for a mass HLP claims commission.
In Ukraine, in line with the IOM Manual on Community-based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Displacement and Emergencies, IOM will provide MHPSS support at the individual, family and community levels, contributing to wider efforts to strengthen social connectedness in Ukraine. Activities will include:
- Providing comprehensive support to facilitate the integration of MHPSS in conflict transformation and mediation, including through research and training.
- Providing targeted MHPSS services designed to address the needs of veterans and their families, addressing the unique challenges associated with transitioning from military to civilian life and focusing on trauma, stress management, and reintegration.
- Supporting veterans re-entering the workforce with MHPSS assistance to promote overall wellbeing by addressing psychological needs.
- Delivering trainings on focused and specialized MHPSS service provision. This involves training and equipping service providers with specific skills and knowledge to effectively address the distinct needs of various affected groups, including veterans and their families.
- Providing community based MHPSS services for returnees in support of their reintegration and overall wellbeing.
- Assessing the feasibility of integrating MHPSS in government, IOM and partners’ programmes, ensuring access to MHPSS services is provided.
- Supporting integrated MHPSS-livelihoods approaches, addressing beneficiaries’ multi-dimensional needs.
- Facilitating positive interactions between IDPs and local communities through communal celebrations, livelihood initiatives and sociorelational activities, including art-based, sport and socio-cultural activities, to build trust, foster social cohesion and improve wellbeing within communities.
- Co-chairing the task team on MHPSS for Veterans and their families under the MHPSS Technical Working Group.
Also in Ukraine, IOM will work with key government partners to enhance the capacities of national and local actors in strengthening MHPSS. Activities will include:
- Providing training on MHPSS for frontline government personnel in critical sectors such as health, education and veterans affairs covering PFA, recognizing and managing stressors and burnout, and effective referral mechanisms. Staff will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and address mental health concerns in their respective areas of work.
- Conducting in-depth training-of-trainers sessions to augment existing national and local capacities. This includes promoting peer-to-peer service provision, where trained individuals can impart their knowledge and skills to colleagues, expanding the reach and effectiveness of MHPSS services.
- Providing comprehensive support and advisory services to government partners in implementing MHPSS policies and services, such as strategic planning, policy formulation, and service implementation strategies.
- Working with academia to establish executive education programmes, focused on disaster preparedness and incorporating MHPSS as a core component of overall crisis intervention strategies. A cadre of professionals well-versed in handling crises with a strong emphasis on mental health and psychosocial aspects will be created.
In neighbouring countries, activities will include:
- Supporting integrated MHPSS-livelihoods approaches, addressing beneficiaries’ multi-dimensional needs.
- Facilitating positive interactions between refugees and local communities through communal celebrations, livelihood initiatives and sociorelational activities, including art-based, sport and socio-cultural activities, to build trust, foster social cohesion and improve wellbeing within communities.
In Ukraine, IOM will contribute to the prevention, management and resolution of potential conflicts that may arise at the sub-national level as a driver of displacement and an obstacle to safe return and reintegration. Programming will focus on the individual, community and institutional levels to support positive peace, strengthen the security sector’s human rights-based approach, prevent and reduce community violence in at risk areas, and support the reintegration of veterans into civilian life. Activities will include:
- Conducting detailed and iterative analysis of conflict dynamics and human security.
- Implementing tailored initiatives for the social reintegration and reconciliation of people affected by the war, including veterans, while improving access to good governance, education, health, justice, security, and livelihood support.
- Strengthening the capacities of civil society, government authorities, youth and the media to prevent the incitement of individuals to localized violence and hate crimes, including disinformation, hate speech and reprisal violence.
- Establishing a small-grants mechanism to allow participants to implement activities focused on cohesion-building, violence mitigation, peaceful coexistence and inclusive communications.
- Facilitating community-based conflict management and social cohesion activities to address the main obstacles to the social and economic inclusion of fragile groups, including advancing the Ukrainian National Action Plan on “Women, Peace and Security”.
In Ukraine, IOM will engage closely with national and local authorities to rehabilitate water, sanitation, hygiene and heating services in line with the WASH Cluster priorities. Activities will include:
- Assessing damages and needs for the rehabilitation or reconstruction of infrastructure and services and developing plans to resume such services in key locations, focusing on heavily affected communities and communities hosting a large number of displaced people.
- Through an area-based approach, integrating WASH interventions with durable solutions plans to resume services in potential areas of return and for businesses, contributing to economic and social recovery.
- Implementing localized cash-based interventions for hygiene items, including MHM items, and equipment in areas no longer occupied, where markets are disrupted, as well as communities with displaced people.
- Supporting continuity of services such as municipal water, sanitation and heating systems through repair and rehabilitation work, support with operation and maintenance (O&M) and procurement, delivery and installation of key equipment and supply. This will focus on rural, hard-to-reach and areas no longer occupied.
- Providing technical assistance, support and equipment to improve water and sanitation facilities at BCPs, including but not limited to, water production and storage, repair and rehabilitation of water and wastewater networks, borehole drilling, and desludging.
- Ensuring continuation of district rehabilitation.
In Ukraine, IOM will also engage closely with the national and local authorities to preposition key needed WASH and heating equipment to increase capacities to prepare and respond to future shocks, including conflict- and natural hazards-induced displacements. Activities will include:
- Supporting the development of policies and legislative frameworks, conducting regular consultations to identify needs and designing plans with national and local authorities, and community members, for preparedness and response, including through data analysis, development of standard operating procedures and specialized training programmes.
- Supporting the development of climate-smart infrastructures and sustainable energy technologies, to assist the transition from coal to green energy solutions.
- Procuring and prepositioning hygiene items and repair and maintenance supplies for rapid response to support the continuous functionality of municipal and decentralized water, sanitation and heating services to ensure the provision of services in rural, hard-to-reach and areas no longer occupied.
In the Republic of Moldova, IOM is committed to enhancing water accessibility, promoting public health, and bolstering environmental sustainability, activities will include:
- Rehabilitating, restoring, or establishing water points and boreholes at border crossings and within host communities. This initiative ensures that both displaced people and local communities have sufficient and safe access to water.
- Supporting rehabilitated health posts in securing water access, either through the provision of water storage solutions or by extending or refurbishing existing water network pipelines. This intervention ensures water accessibility within health posts and the broader community.
- Supporting municipalities in advancing their waste management capacities. IOM aims to develop projects that facilitate waste segregation at the household level, promoting recycling and sustainable waste management practices. This comprehensive approach to WASH not only addresses immediate needs but also contributes to long-term environmental sustainability and public health improvements.
IOM will support the Government of Ukraine to develop a survivor-centred, comprehensive reparations framework, its operationalization, advocacy and outreach, which addresses crimes and human rights violations related to the conflict, including forced displacement, destruction of property, looting, murder, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), torture, enforced disappearances, and forced deportations of civilians. IOM will implement a comprehensive approach, including:
- Developing the capacities of local stakeholders to implement reparations mechanisms and legal frameworks set forth by the GoU, to receive and process claims efficiently and in line with international standards.
- Supporting the government with context-specific tools and expert advice to develop an inclusive, timely, and effective set of policies and legal frameworks, supporting the provision of reparations to people affected by the war and deriving administrative reparations policies.
- Supporting the GoU in their consultations and workshops with survivor’s associations, stakeholders, service providers, and the private sector, to come to a consensus on the content of a reparations framework.
- Informing the Ukrainian civil society, media, and relevant stakeholders on the principles and functions of reparations policies, promoting survivors’ rights, and highlighting the services available to them.
- Advocating for particularly vulnerable survivors of human rights violations (including CRSV survivors) to access opportunities to register safely and confidentially as beneficiaries and receive proportional forms of reparations.
- Empowering survivors and helping to reduce stigma through tailored advocacy efforts and consultations mainstreamed throughout all activities.
Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine
The map used here is for illustration purposes only. Names and boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.
Figures are as of 31 December 2023. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.