Representatives of the Ombudsman checked the living conditions of internally displaced persons in the Chernihiv region

Monitoring visit to places of compact accommodation of internally displaced persons from Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Chernihiv region.

On November 13, 2014, the regional coordinator for public relations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Commissioner for Human Rights in Chernihiv region Alla Lepekha, together with the head of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights Viktor Tarasov and Yulia Vaulina – a representative of the Resource Center established by the Ombudsman’s Office with the support of the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine, carried out a monitoring visit to places of compact accommodation of internally displaced persons from Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Chernihiv region, namely in the sanatoriums “Ostrech” and “Desna”.

The sanatorium is located in a forest near the city of Mena. At the time of the monitoring visit of “Ostrech”, 50 displaced persons were staying in the sanatorium, more than half of whom were school and preschool children. The distance from the sanatorium to the city is six kilometers. Among the main problems is transportation. Often you have to get to the sanatorium on foot. And winter is not far away. There is already a need for warm clothes for children.

The sanatorium “Desna” is located in an equally picturesque place – not far from the Desna River and the village of Ladynka, Chernihiv district, which currently houses 122 displaced persons from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including 82 children.

The sanatorium buildings where internally displaced persons live are in satisfactory condition, prepared for the winter – there is heating, cold and hot water. The displaced persons live in them for free. In the rooms where adults are, cleaning is done by them themselves, and in the rooms where children live – by cleaning women. There are no complaints about food.

Although the displaced persons are placed in different sanatoriums, their problems are almost the same. The main one is the impossibility of finding a job. It is very difficult to find a job in Chernihiv region. In addition, there are social problems, in particular the payment of pensions and material assistance.

On October 1, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted two important resolutions: No. 509 “On registration of persons moving from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and areas of the anti-terrorist operation” and No. 505 “On providing monthly targeted assistance to persons moving from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and areas of the anti-terrorist operation to cover living expenses, including payment for housing and communal services.”

Most of the people staying in the sanatoriums “Ostrech” and “Desna” are registered with the district departments of social protection of the population. But none of them have received monthly targeted assistance yet. There are problems with reissuing documents to receive such assistance.

Currently, there is a pressing need to develop and amend regulatory legal acts to simplify the procedure for reissuing documents and receiving social benefits for internally displaced persons.