With a population of 25,000, the Pidhorodne territorial community in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast today houses more than 5,000 internally displaced people, the majority of whom are women, children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, a press release from ReliefWeb states.
Following the Russian invasion and full-scale conflict, more than 400,000 Ukrainians have sought refuge in the province as they have fled the carnage in the eastern and southern regions of their country. Within Ukraine, 6.2 million people are still externally displaced and living in remote areas.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Pidhorodne City Council and with financial assistance from the European Union, renovated Lyceum No. 3 to serve as a temporary shelter for those who had to flee the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Over 2,000 IDPs have stayed at the lyceum, which can house 400 people at once, since the start of the formal war.
The renovations included partial repairs to the food block space and the installation of kitchen equipment, repairs to bathrooms and the installation of sanitary appliances, repairs to shower rooms and the hot water supply, the installation of a boiler to heat water, the outfitting of a laundry room with a washer and dryer, and partial wiring replacement. Beds, desks, and tables were furnished by the municipal council.
Providing urgent aid to Ukraine in response to the Russian war is a top priority for the European Union, according to Frederik Coene, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
UNDP and the international community are working hard to make sure that everyone who needs a secure place to live may find one, according to UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Christophoros Politis.
The school will resume its former function once the displaced people can go back to their homes. The new facilities will help more than 700 pupils, 74 teachers, and administrators. Numerous students in Ukraine currently take classes online.
