Ukraine’s Ombudsman Pushes for Dedicated Housing Funds for IDPs, Citing Lack of a Victim Registry.

Call for Separate Funding to Address IDP Housing Needs

According to Novyny.live: During a press conference on July 1, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, urged the government to allocate a distinct budget line for resolving housing issues faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs). He also highlighted a critical gap: the absence of a systematic registry for individuals harmed by Russian aggression. This omission, he argued, undermines effective policymaking and support for those affected by the war.

Lubinets reported that the official number of IDPs in Ukraine stands at 4.6 million. However, he noted a troubling trend: 534,000 people have deregistered from the IDP database via the 'Diia' app. This development has raised serious questions about the state's approach to supporting displaced populations and the reliability of current data.

Criticism Over the Lack of a Victim Registry

Lubinets sharply criticized the absence of a clear legal definition in national law for those impacted by Russian aggression.

“We don’t even have a definition in our national legislation: who qualifies as a victim of Russian aggression,”

“We have no registry. We still don’t know how many Ukrainian citizens have suffered from Russian aggression.”

Lubinets’ remarks underscore the urgent need for robust support mechanisms for IDPs in Ukraine, especially amid the ongoing conflict. The failure to properly track victims poses a major obstacle to crafting effective policies and programs that could alleviate their hardships. How the government responds to these calls will significantly shape the lives of millions of Ukrainians uprooted by war.