'People are losing their homes every day': Homelessness in Ukraine hits new high as war drags on

The war between Russia and Ukraine will enter its third year in some time and like in any other conflict-like situation, it is the common man that is bearing the brunt. Apart from killing people and destroying key infrastructure, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has rendered many homeless.

According to a report by Depaul, more than 3.5 million Ukrainians are internally displaced while 6.2 million Ukrainian refugees across are at risk of homelessness as the conflict drags on.

Amid this, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy has urged Western allies to allow the use of Western weapons in Russia to avert the effects of war on Ukrainians as he says “thousands of lives will be lost” if their request is denied.

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The report says that almost a quarter of people in the war-struck country sleeping rough or housed in emergency shelters are displaced.

“Every day more people lose their homes because of occupation, shelling or because they’re close to the frontline. We cannot help everyone alone," the interim chief executive of Depaul Ukraine told The Guardian.

Causes of homelessness 

According to interviews conducted by Depaul, 69 per cent of the homeless individuals were men, and nearly half were between the ages of 18 and 45. Additionally, former prisoners were notably at risk, comprising 31 per cent of those interviewed.

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Many interviewees reported becoming homeless almost instantly due to the full-scale invasion. They shared stories of their homes being destroyed by shelling or the need to escape from frontline and occupied regions.

While women and children are more likely to receive housing assistance, men between the ages of 18 and 60 have a hard time finding shelter due to Ukraine’s conscription laws.

Many people are unable to return home from occupied and frontline regions owing to insecurities.

Strict regulations may result in single men or individuals struggling with addiction being refused entry, and some shelters have been destroyed during the conflict. While there is temporary accommodation for those displaced by the war, finding permanent housing remains a considerable challenge.

Homelessness among refugees

While people in Ukraine face homelessness, Ukrainian refugees who fled the war to find rehabilitation in Europe are reportedly sleeping on the streets too.

In the UK, over 9,000 Ukrainian refugee households are at risk of homelessness due to a decline in available hosts and insufficient support from local authorities. Similar reports from across Europe highlight that refugees encounter bureaucratic obstacles that hinder their access to protections and assistance mandated by EU laws.