With multipurpose cash assistance IOM seeks to increase the ability of people to meet their immediate, basic needs in a way that is most suited to their preferences.  

From late February to mid-April 2022, IOM provided support for over 15,000 individuals affected by conflict and displacement to meet their immediate basic needs through multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA). IOM is now setting up the mechanism across five regions and will target 500,000 individuals within the next six months, with capacity to rapidly scale-up.  

IOM will distribute cash to enable flexibility for beneficiaries to access goods and services and target persons with identified vulnerabilities. IOM has a long-standing MoU with MoSP that is currently being updated to include referrals and the support to the newly displaced households.  

In each country the transfer values will continue to be determined based on needs, minimum expenditure baskets, and market assessments, in coordination with partners and the Cash Working Groups, and will align with social protection systems in the countries wherever possible.  

IOM works to support and enhance the local capacities of Ukraine and neighbouring countries to host IDPs, refugees, and TCNs residing in collective informal shelters, reception and transit sites, and accommodation centres in a safe and dignified manner. IOM is providing support to national and local governments, as well as local NGOs and civil society organization (CSO) partners working to coordinate and manage transit, reception, and collective centres.  

In Ukraine, IOM is working alongside local authorities and civil society to support site management, including through basic care and maintenance of site infrastructure, distributing items and developing capacity of local partners. Since February, IOM has conducted multi-sectoral assessments in 30 collective centers in Uzhhorod, and 240 collective centers in the Zakarpattya region.  

IOM will focus on capacity development and partnerships to support local actors to improve site management, ensure complaint and feedback mechanisms are in place, and provide goods and resources to improve the living conditions of the displaced, including through community-level cash pilot programs.  

In neighbouring countries, IOM supports service delivery monitoring and access to information, services, and protection to refugees and TCNs, as well as the maintenance and improvement of infrastructure. In border areas, where transit and reception facilities have been established, IOM continues to focus both on the upgrade of these sites, to improve infrastructure needs, as well as on the coordination of local partners and actors to ensure basic needs, information and referrals are provided.  

IOM recognizes the need to establish adequate response mechanisms and strengthen an integrated approach to border management to ultimately facilitate, assist and protect conflict-affected populations crossing borders and to ensure that safe pathways are guaranteed by rights-based policies and procedures.  

Humanitarian border management activities also include assisting individuals through information campaigns on the EU Temporary Protection Directive and distributing leaflets with basic information on temporary protection at border crossing points, train stations, IDP shelters and information centres.  

Since 24 February, IOM has supported national authorities in neighbouring countries with rapid humanitarian border assessments in order to identify immediate needs for the reception of new arrivals, including translation equipment, infrastructure, and registration materials, among others. In several countries, IOM is already supporting local and national governments by providing cultural mediators that offer translation, legal support, and referral services, when needed.  

With the overall objective of providing safe, dignified and sustainable living conditions and shelter solutions in conflict- affected areas, IOM continues to provide temporary shelter assistance to affected populations, where shelter conditions are inadequate in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.  

n Ukraine, IOM is a member of the Strategic Advisory Group for the Shelter Cluster, and operations are in line with cluster priorities. From 24 February through mid-April 2022, IOM leveraged and enhanced its logistics pipeline to provide urgently needed NFI and shelter items for IDPs residing in collective centres and those that stay with host families or in private residences.  

IOM, in coordination with the Shelter Cluster, will provide NFIs and emergency shelter kits in Eastern Ukraine to homeowners whose homes are partially destroyed and where minor repairs are needed. Thus far, IOM has supported the Government of Ukraine by deploying five repair mobile units across western Ukraine, with plans to expand to other regions.  

At points of entry, IOM is also providing affected populations and institutions with NFI support to meet basic needs including winterization assistance. IOM is further supporting short, medium and long-term accommodation and housing solutions for refugees based on need which includes short-term accommodation, including through private sector partnerships. 

Lack of access to health care, insecurity and low income affect vulnerable persons disproportionally, with huge consequences for the health of people with disabilities and olderelderly persons. In neighbouring countries, the health needs of the displaced populations will likely stress local health systems.  

IOM will deploy mobile medical teams providing curative, preventive, and promotive services, including trauma care and psychological counselling, to improve access to primary health care, including support for non-communicable diseases, and to reduce the burden on the health system in areas of high concentration of displaced populations.  

IOM will support outbreak preparedness and response, including for COVID-19, through strengthening infection prevention and control, disease surveillance among displaced populations, and vaccinations.  

The mental health and psychosocial support hotline will continue providing counselling and emotional. In all countries this will include the deployment of trained psychosocial mobile teams linguistically and culturally capable of serving vulnerable refugee and TCN populations. . IOM will also procure required medicine and provide medical equipment in coordination with the respective Ministries of Health and enable mobile delivery to accommodation sites, provide referrals for specialized cases, cover exceptional expenses for continuity of care and treatment, and provide medical transportation to services not available within the country where needed.  

IOM priorities include protection assessments, monitoring and systems strengthening, and capacity development throughout the response. This includes the provision of direct service delivery, assistance and referrals for access to healthcare and psychosocial support; legal assistance and documentation; provision of information on services, rights, family tracing and reunification, legal requirements, protection risk reduction; tailored in-kind support, specialized accommodation assistance and livelihoods assistance, access to education and recreation activities for children, and cash support for specific needs identified through protection monitoring processes.  

The information campaigns and national hotlines, such as Ukraine’s ‘527’ hotline, which has continued operating uninterrupted and provides information on safe migration amongst other issues, as well as hotlines in Moldova, Belarus and Lithuania.  

Activities utilise NGO and regional/local authorities and partners across 18 regions in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries, with specific expertise within IOM on counter- trafficking, GBV, child protection (CP), and specialised mental health. In Ukraine, IOM also partners with the Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Kyiv to support trafficking survivors (integrated residential medical and psychosocial support) and GBV survivors.  

With the escalation of hostilities, WASH infrastructure is projected to become more severely impacted, resulting in a high number of people in need of life-saving drinking water, as well as other WASH services.  

In line with WASH Cluster priorities, IOM will manage a WASH NFI core pipeline linked to the logistics pipeline mechanism, and will continue to distribute items such as hygiene kits inclusive of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) items for women and girls.  

IOM will simultaneously support capacity development of local authorities, ensuring full ownership and management of the infrastructure which could include development of trainings, standard operating procedures and maintenance plans.  

With the escalation of hostilities, WASH infrastructure is projected to become more severely impacted, resulting in a high number of people in need of life-saving drinking water, as well as other WASH services.  

IOM will also support emergency water supply such as through water-trucking where necessary and possible. In close coordination with local authorities, IOM will support the rehabilitation, operation and maintenance (O&M) of WASH infrastructure including water and wastewater systems and sanitation infrastructure, and solid waste management.  

IOM will also provide technical assistance, support and equipment to upgrade collective shelters as needed. For example, in Poland, IOM will assist in the installation or extension of WASH facilities in reception centres, as well as training on repair and maintenance. 

The situation of stranded third country nationals (TCNs) within Ukraine and neighbouring countries remains of high concern, with IOM recording over 227,000 migrants affected by the escalation of violence in Ukraine having crossed border since 24 February.  

With IOM support, TCNs are able to travel in a safe and orderly manner to their home countries through the provision of tickets and transportation support, including upon departure, transit and at reception, as well as the necessary health pre-embarkation checks, referrals, required PCR tests, and COVID-19 and safety measures.  

The rapid global response to support affected populations in neighbouring countries include various regional and bi- lateral movement assistance mechanisms such as voluntary transfers through the EU Solidarity Platform, transits, resettlement and temporary visas programs.  

Additionally, vulnerable affected populations stranded abroad require movement assistance in order to access protection mechanisms closer to Ukraine or to reunite with family until such time they can safely return home.  

Considering the need for immediate, medium and longer- term support and stabilization, IOM will support food security, livelihoods and resilience across a range of initiatives. Immediate needs will take precedence, while a nexus approach will be applied in all countries given the dynamics of conflict, locations and needs.  

Given the conflict has also affected transport and economic ties within Ukraine, and limited or destroyed agricultural productivity, IOM will also provide sustenance grants to populations in need.  

Resilience and livelihoods are a direct result of access to rights, thus IOM offices are ensuring that hotlines and partner mechanisms provide accurate information, legal counselling and rights- awareness to Ukrainians along with TCNs and migrants, particularly on TPD in EU countries.  

As needed, IOM will provide counselling, case management, appropriate structured socio-relational, socio-cultural and educational activities, orientation sessions and referrals to psychosocial counselling, support in accessing the educational and healthcare system and in identifying job opportunities and accommodation with relevant stakeholders and municipal systems. Initiatives may also include support to municipal coordination systems, one-stop-shop models, and private sector partnerships to provide a pathway for employment to refugees, language skills training and access to education and other services.  

Includes funding which supports multi-sectoral interventions or cannot be attributed to a specific activity area.

The systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of baseline data on internal displacement and cross-border movements as well as data on the evolving needs of the population groups on the move.  

IOM reports will continue to provide geographic and demographic breakdowns, needs and intentions of displaced and non-displaced persons, and will specifically target information on vulnerabilities, including children, elderly persons, and people with disabilities, to enable all stakeholders to target their responses and improve planning. As access allows, and in addition to the general population surveys, IOM is expanding DTM assessments such as baseline flow monitoring and mobility tracking within Ukraine, to provide more detailed data, including returns tracking and thematic surveys for targeted sectors. IOM will continue to act as a key source of critical information for movement and displacement across Ukraine and the region. 

In neighbouring countries, IOM is rolling out DTM to ensure data and information management to support programme implementation and to contribute to joined-up analysis, in coordination with UNHCR and national authorities. 

IOM has developed mechanisms to provide services to the broader humanitarian community through a dedicated NFI pipeline (supporting goods delivered by partners), transportation, and warehousing for lifesaving cargo, through robust supply chain systems.  

IOM has a growing network of dedicated warehouses, with total 27,000m2 space in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, and Logistics Hubs in Turkey and Greece. As of April 2022, more than 25000 metric tons of humanitarian goods accounting for over 3,000,000 unique NFIs, shelter, and WASH items are currently in IOM’s pipeline. Due to the complex dynamics in Ukraine, IOM will continue to use multiple options for humanitarian supply routes – including via Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova - to ensure continued delivery and accessibility of these critical items.  

IOM has established a wide variety of partners and partnership types to support the delivery of goods to local and international NGOs throughout the region as well as through municipal and oblast entities, directly to collective centers in Ukraine.