Lubinets: Internal displacement could become a long-term social crisis
Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets warns that without a comprehensive policy, the 4.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) risk creating a long-term social crisis, highlighting bureaucratic barriers and inadequate housing.
Ukraine has officially registered 4.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), including 827,504 children, 232,493 people with disabilities, and 1,338,519 pensioners. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasizes that these figures indicate a systemic challenge requiring long-term solutions beyond humanitarian aid.
Housing remains a key issue. There are currently 1,117 temporary accommodation sites for IDPs, many in need of modernization and accessibility improvements. For example, residents of Chasiv Yar whose homes were destroyed by shelling applied for compensation in 2025, but processing was suspended due to the inability to physically inspect the objects in the combat zone. After a collective complaint to the Ombudsman's Office, a remote inspection was conducted, and the residents received housing certificates.
The most vulnerable groups are the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with children. Nearly one in three IDPs is of retirement age, requiring constant access to medical and social services. In 2025, the Ombudsman's Office conducted over 2,000 monitoring visits and issued nearly 7,000 recommendations to state and local authorities. In 2026, the office received 3,352 complaints from IDPs, the most common concerning living allowances, compensation for damaged property, and pension payments. As a result, 21,181 rights were restored.
Bureaucracy often hinders the exercise of rights. For instance, a large family displaced twice (in 2014 and 2022) traveled abroad for a funeral in 2024, leading to automatic suspension of payments. When they applied for reinstatement in 2026, they were denied due to a formal algorithm. After the Ombudsman's intervention, the family received 66,000 UAH for six months.
On June 11, 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Strategy for State Policy on Internal Displacement until 2030 and an operational plan for 2026-2028. However, Lubinets notes that previous strategy implementation was problematic, and the new strategy's success depends on actual execution. He also highlights inequality among IDPs based on displacement year: those displaced in 2014 are often excluded from support programs.
Lubinets warns that without a comprehensive policy addressing housing, social protection, and integration, internal displacement could become a long-term social crisis.
