15 organizations of the program provide legal and humanitarian support to Ukrainians in different regions of Ukraine

Publication date: March 24, 2022

Written by: Halyna Kolesnyk, the Communications Manager of the Legal Development Network

As part of the #StandWithUkraine program, 15 organizations advise Ukrainians on legal and humanitarian issues in various regions of Ukraine, help establish communication with local authorities and migrants, identify community needs and coordinate the provision of humanitarian aid.

Humanitarian support

These days the head of the Cherkasy Human Rights Center Taras Shcherbatiuk visited five communities of Cherkasy region to learn about their needs and problems:

«We have seen that humanitarian aid and support for IDPs is well established in the communities. They are registered and provided on request. In addition, residents even collect products for other oblasts – Kharkiv and Kyiv. It was agreed that the Cherkasy Human Rights Center would provide legal and advisory support.

However, we are concerned about the humanitarian provision of small settlements, which obviously do not reach. We plan to cooperate with social centers to provide assistance directly to those in need upon verified requests. We have already agreed to cooperate with several charitable foundations, in particular, the “SpivDia” initiative»

The Public Legal Aid Service, part of whose team is located in western Ukraine and part in Luhansk Oblast, is accompanying the evacuation of the population – moving from dangerous parts of the country to arriving in safe areas and, in particular, settlements. The organization also helps to orientate in security issues.

«We advise on the list of bomb shelters and keep you informed about current security issues. For example, when part of Rubizhne was under Russian control, we actively warned the population not to cross the line in the city, as it is dangerous (40% of the city at that time was controlled by the Russian army and 60% – Ukrainian)», – Oleksii Kormiletskyi, coordinator of the LDN #StandWithUkraine program in Luhansk region.

There are many IDPs in the boarding school and in the school of arts and crafts in Vyzhnytsia, Chernivtsi region. The Chernivtsi CSO the Committee of Voters of Ukraine undertook to coordinate the provision of products for them. The Ukrainian People’s House in Chernivtsi is helping to gather what is needed.

Residents of Bila Tserkva, Kyiv oblast, who have transport, are ready to join the transportation of humanitarian goods. 

«We coordinate their cooperation with the city council and volunteers» – Olga Nastina, coordinator of the LDN #StandWithUkraine program in Kyiv oblast, the head of CSO “Legal Unity”.

In Sumy oblast, the Northern Human Rights Group, in cooperation with other organizations, coordinates the provision of targeted assistance, food kits and medicines to residents of Sumy and the rest oblast.

The partner organization Ukrainian Educational Platform has joined the #StandWithUkraine humanitarian support program. It helps to centrally provide humanitarian aid and logistics.

Legal support

The significant need for urgent legal support has led to a reformatting of legal aid. So the online chat of the Legal Development Network, through which anyone can get legal advice from the union’s lawyers, now works seven days a week from 10:00 to 16:00.

Cherkasy Human Rights Center and Podillia Legal League have opened telephone hotlines. These and other data can be found on the map. 

Organizations located temporarily occupied in communities or which are blocked by Russian troops also continue continue to provide consultations.

For example, in Skadovsk, Kherson oblast, residents are asking for clarification: how to get a pension through Ukrposhta, how to pay for utilities, whether they have the right to dismiss if evacuated to another country, and whether medical services are provided in cities under temporary occupation.

Chernihiv residents are asking about going abroad and the rights of internally displaced persons.

The most common inquiries made to lawyers in different regions of Ukraine are:

1. rules for going abroad;
2. how to recover lost documents;
3. labor rights in martial law: whether it is legal to dismiss, transfer part-time workers, including those who have gone abroad;
4. credit vacations, business lending terms and how to continue working in another community;
5. where it is better to evacuate; 
6. support for socially vulnerable groups: benefits, pensions, utility bills, etc.

In total, more than 1,500 people have applied for legal assistance in February-March (as of March 24).

We are grateful to International Renaissance Foundation, Charles Stuart Mott Foundation, DLA Piper Foundation and Legal Empowerment Fund (program Fund for Global Human Rights) for supporting this activity. We are convinced that by working together we will be able to strengthen each other and help as many people as possible who need it.

Glory to Ukraine! Slava Ukraini!

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