“The problems of displaced people are not decreasing,” – Volodymyr Vynogradov, lawyer of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights

In the city of Lebedyn, Sumy region, on the eve of the New Year holidays, a “Mobile Legal Clinic” was operating as part of the project “Socio-legal protection, livelihoods and emergency support for conflict-affected population groups in southeastern Ukraine”, aimed at protecting those citizens who left their homes in occupied and dangerous territories.

The meeting of the displaced with Volodymyr Vynogradov, the project executor in the Sumy region and a lawyer of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, took place at the invitation of the head of the NGO “Samaritans of Sumy Region” Vlad Lazarenko. A certain mode of cooperation has already been established with this organization, which takes care of the displaced, throughout this year, thanks to which it is possible to effectively carry out its tasks. Many citizens came to the meeting. It turned out that due to the distance from the regional center, they live in a certain vacuum, so they learn about projects useful for IDPs either through the Internet or during similar events. Many of them had many legal problems that needed to be resolved.

“The relevance of legal assistance for IDPs is due to the constantly changing legislation, new marks on the certificates of internally displaced persons, the peculiarities of crossing the border with the ATO zone, the issue of verification and physical identification – the number of applications is not decreasing, only the questions are becoming different,” notes Volodymyr Vynogradov, the project executor in Sumy region.

Those present were familiarized with the issues of social protection of IDPs and possible options for legal protection of violated rights. They learned about changes in the legislation that regulates the legal relations between IDPs and the state. Some participants of the meeting were interested in the possibility of collecting arrears of social payments, wages, receiving inheritance, processing benefits, and assigning subsidies. Agreements were reached on further meetings and e-mail correspondence with the project lawyer to discuss urgent issues.

The project “Socio-legal protection, livelihoods and emergency support for conflict-affected population groups in southeastern Ukraine” is implemented by the Danish Refugee Council in partnership with the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights with financial support from the Office of Emergency Assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (OFDA/USAID).

Contacts of the project reception offices in the regions:

Chernihiv region:

Address: 57 Goncha St., Chernihiv, 14000

Tel.: (0462) 612-532

E-mail: protection.ua@gmail.com

Sumy region:

Address: 2 Belinsky St., office 3, Sumy, 40000

Hotline numbers: 095-939-11-11, 050-690-16-92

E-mail: vladimirvinogradovsumy@gmail.com

Poltava region:

Address: Poltava, Matrosova St. 4, office 3; Maidan Nezalezhnosti St. 24, office 108

Hotline numbers: 050-274-52-83; 099-658-56-10

E-mail: nastyashlyakhtina@gmail.com

Ivano-Frankivsk region:

Address: Ivano-Frankivsk, Garkushi str. 2, 4th floor, office. 408

Hotline: 095-310-61-51

E-mail: o.fomichov.if@gmail.com

Zhytomyr region:

Address: Zhytomyr, Troyanivska st. 3

Hotline: 050-465-98-18

E-mail: sergiivengeruk@gmail.com