Only 7% of citizens considering leaving Ukraine for winter - IOM

A reletavely small part of Ukrainians are planning to change their place of residence for the winter period despite the energy crisis caused by Russia, so international organizations should help those who stay.

This is said in a recent report released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Ukrinorm reports.

“Nearly 18 million people – 40 per cent of Ukraine’s population – need urgent humanitarian aid. We must support them during winter, particularly those with no access to shelter or heat. IOM urges stakeholders to scale up their efforts as the needs keep growing with each passing day,” said IOM Chief of Mission in Ukraine, Anh Nguyen.

According to the IOM report, temperatures in Ukraine slide down to minus 10 degrees Celsius, “and despite attacks on power supply and heating systems, data collected by the IOM shows that only 7 per cent of respondents nationwide are actively considering leaving their location.”

Even in the event of prolonged cuts to all key utilities without a timeline for repair, two out of three say that they would not leave their homes.

At the same time, according to the IOM, private resources for survival are becoming scarce, as 43% of all households in Ukraine have exhausted their savings. To reduce costs, 63% of respondents have reported that they are rationing their use of gas, electricity, and solid fuel.

IOM has already donated 18 generators to the municipality of Kharkiv. It is noted that one of the generators is used to provide heating for 28 multistorey residential buildings, a school, a kindergarten, and a clinic. IOM has provided another four generators to the war-affected city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine. In Sumy, another region heavily affected by shelling, the Organization has delivered thousands of mattresses, blankets, and bed sets, as well as solar lamps and jerry cans to 150 government-established heating points.

“Ukrainian Railways Ukrzaliznytsia has received 22,500 thermal blankets with IOM’s support, which will be used at heating points at nearly a hundred railway stations across Ukraine. Another 20,000 thermal blankets will be provided to the Ukrainian Railways at the beginning of next year,” the IOM said.

According to the IOM, similar assistance will be delivered to other regions in Ukraine, while another 1,200 generators are set to arrive in the coming weeks.

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