Sociologists to note the worsening of relations between IDPs and local residents

10:18 / 07 Mar. 2017 / 311

The deterioration of relations between the local population and IDPs left the ATO zone is recorded in almost all regions of Ukraine. Such results of the study were presented by the manager of the program “Adviser on IDPs of the Ministry of Social Policy” Valeriya Vershinina.

According to her, during the study, the participants of the program interviewed more than 117 regional experts, leaders of public organizations, and analyzed a number of media on the relationship of the local population to IDPs. According to monitoring results, as of the end of 2016, the most acute conflicts were observed in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kyev regions.

At the same time, the main reasons for the aggravation of the current situation is a decrease in the standard of living of the population, as well as competition between IDPs and the local population for resources, housing, jobs, benefits, medicines, etc.

According to Vershinina, the IDPs often received refusals in renting housing, hiring and servicing in state institutions. In addition, in some regions of Ukraine there was a prejudiced attitude towards single mothers who have moved from the ATO area. As the expert said, there was an opinion that if a woman had come with a child and without a husband, then the husband probably was fighting against Ukraine.

Anastasia Bondarenko, expert of the department for strategy and advocacy of the program “Advisor on IDP issues of the Ministry of Social Policy”, the aggravation of conflicts between local communities and IDPs made also information policy declared from some officials.

– The relations between host community and IDPs were affected by media coverage that made negative image of IDPs. However, most of the IDPs were hardworking people with an active social position that could benefit their country if they had the opportunity to realize themselves, – Bondarenko stressed.

Galina Kornienko, coordinator of the strategy and advocacy department of the program “Advisor on issues of IDPs in the Ministry of Social Policy”, said that if within one or two years the ATS did not finish and the standard of living of the population did not improve, the social tension between the IDPs and the host would increase.

The number of registered IDPs decreased by another 3,3 thousand people.

Source: www.unian.net

Photo: www.nv.ua

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