Among the internally displaced, access to adequate housing is the second main barrier to sustainable and dignified return, after security and safety considerations.Other concerns cited are about access to and availability of basic services - including electricity, water and healthcare, work opportunities and adequate housing, all of which have been hugely impacted by the war. The main impediments preventing refugees from returning are safety and security concerns in their areas of origin.The vast majority of refugees and internally displaced Ukrainians – some 77 per cent and 79 per cent respectively – want to return home one day, however, only 12 per cent of both refugees and IDPs plan to do so in the next three months.Titled “Lives on Hold”, the latest reports - one focusing on refugees, and another on IDPs - provide insights into the experiences of displaced Ukrainians a year on, as well as their intentions and the factors influencing their choices.Īmong the key findings from the two reports are:

To understand the plight of the displaced and better channel assistance, UNHCR commissioned its third round of intention surveys*, interviewing thousands uprooted by the war. We must continue to respond to the needs of the displaced and ensure their safety until they can return home,” said Pascale Moreau, UNHCR’s Regional Director for Europe. With a third of Ukraine’s population forced to flee their homes, the situation remains unpredictable. “The human suffering and hardship that has been caused by the war is beyond comprehension. GENEVA – Twelve months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 13 million people remain uprooted from their homes, including nearly 8 million refugees across Europe and more than 5 million internally displaced people within Ukraine. Their prospects for return in the near future, however, are clouded by continued hostilities, insecurity and destruction in their home regions, according to two new reports released today by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

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