47th session of the Human Rights Council
Item 3
Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
Intervention by Ukraine
(Geneva, June 25, 2021)
Madam President,
Ukraine thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report.
We support the SR’s vision that addressing the housing, land and property issues of IDPs requires a comprehensive and integrated approach, in particular, through the adoption of laws and policies aimed at ensuring legitimate land and housing rights prior and during displacement.
Since the beginning of Russia’s armed aggression against our country and the temporarily occupation of Crimea and Donbas since 2014, Ukraine has become the ninth largest country in the world in terms of the numbers of IDPS, which today amount to 1.5 million, or 3,5 per cent of Ukraine`s overall population. The number of registered IDPs from Crimea totals approximately 50 000 persons. Russia continues unlawful practices, including eviction, retrospective review of the allocation of housing in Crimea that leads to the demographic changes and increasing of a number of the IDPs.
Housing is one of the fundamental element for IDPs integration. With that in mind, the Government of Ukraine is implementing a number of housing programs to meet IDPs’ needs, in particular the one foreseeing provision of subventions to local authorities for the purchase of temporary housing for IDPs, as well as a state program of subsidized mortgage loans for IDPs. Besides, a procedure for obtaining monetary compensation for destroyed housing in the areas affected by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in parts of Donbas was developed.
Given the magnitude of the challenges faced by the IDPs in Ukraine, we encourage the Special Rapporteur to attach proper attention to these issues in her activities.
I thank you.