Ombudsman Slams State Policy as a Barrier to Ukraine's Internally Displaced

Systemic Failures in Ukraine's Approach to Internally Displaced People

According to ХВИЛЯ: Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada's Commissioner for Human Rights, has accused state policy of failing internally displaced persons (IDPs). In a blog post for Ukrainska Pravda, he outlined what he described as structural flaws in the way the country handles IDPs. He stressed that the government has long known about these flaws, yet they remain unresolved. For those unfamiliar with the term, IDPs are people who have been forced from their homes by conflict or disaster but stay within their own country.

• Payments are cut off for families whose children study remotely;
• Financial aid ends once a person with IDP status turns 18;
• Confirming that a home was destroyed can take months;
• No compensation is provided for housing in temporarily occupied territories.

Lubinets said these obstacles are part of a broader pattern of neglect toward displaced citizens.

Everyday Hurdles Faced by Displaced People

According to Lubinets, families lose their monthly allowance if their children are enrolled in distance learning. In addition, assistance stops as soon as a person with IDP status comes of age. Proving that a dwelling has been destroyed involves a drawn-out bureaucratic procedure, and there is still no payout for apartments left in occupied areas. This year alone, the ombudsman's office has received 8,859 complaints from IDPs.

The blog also recounted the story of a resident of Kostiantynivka who lost his home to wartime destruction and cannot secure financial compensation for it.

"The war took my house, yet I can't get any money for it," he said.

Lubinets was direct:

"The state itself is creating obstacles for IDPs. This has to stop."

He called the situation "a comprehensive failure of social policy."

Lubinets' remarks highlight how urgently displaced people need effective protection and practical support. As the war continues, thousands of Ukrainians face these daily hardships, and their rights and living conditions depend on the government's willingness to move beyond declarations and deliver real solutions.