Kyiv, 20 September 2022 – A new website for Ukrainians affected by the war provides information on the legal rules for crossing the border, the procedure for obtaining the status of an internally displaced person (IDP), opportunities for receiving humanitarian aid and psychological support during wartime, advice on finding educational opportunities and work, and much more.  The information is useful for refugees, the internally displaced and citizens in their home oblasts.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and the European Union supported the launch of the new website which was created in a way to meet the needs of people with disabilities and the elderly to the fullest extent possible.

Frederik Coene, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, said especially in wartime, it is of utmost importance to harness the power of digitalization to meet the needs of vulnerable populations as much as possible. “With the onset of a full-scale invasion, people with disabilities and the elderly found themselves in a state of terrible uncertainty,” he said. “I expect this web platform, which we supported together with UNDP, will become a strong support for them in these difficult times and will help renew faith in a better future.”

Manal Fouani, interim UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine, said that enhancing the inclusion element is pivotal for every recovery plan. “This war is leading to massive and indiscriminate destruction and increased vulnerabilities across Ukraine,” Fouani said. “We at UNDP believe that it’s time to develop an inclusive recovery and reconstruction plan for Ukraine and act on it immediately, as many civilians require specialized services to overcome the consequences of the war.”

“The website, which was launched with the support of our partners at the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, will certainly be a reliable guide and source of critical information for everyone – especially for those with disabilities, and for the elderly.”

Victoria Nazarenko, General Secretary of the NGO “National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine” is grateful for the work of UNDP and the EU for creating a web platform that fully complies with the principles of information accessibility.  “The lack of information in an accessible format, the inability of independently joining the evacuation routes, underequipped air raid shelters and shelters for temporary living – all these factors only worsened uncertainties among the elderly and people with disabilities,” she said. “This website them and their relatives to get the necessary information on time and in full, preventing additional problems and stress in these difficult times for all of us.”

The website was developed by three organizations, in particular the NGO “National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine,” the NGO “Pro.UD | Universal design” and the NGO “Coalition for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities due to intellectual impairments.” The website was launched with the financial support of the European Union under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme.

Media enquiries: Yulia Samus, Head of Communications at UNDP Ukraine; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org