UNHCR's representative in Ukraine, Swedish Karolina Lindholm Billing, says that support may be necessary for vulnerable areas in Ukraine, as Russian invasion forces target infrastructure such as power plants, energy networks, and power supply. This affects the population at large, but internally displaced persons are extra vulnerable.
The reality is that the economic support to organizations like ours is far too low at this point in the (fiscal) year, says Lindholm Billing and adds that the operation is only economically covered to 47 percent.
Around 3.6 million internally displaced persons are estimated to be in Ukraine. Further refugees are expected to seek refuge in the western part of the country due to the Russian offensive in, among other places, Donetsk. Since August 1, nearly 99,000 people have fled from villages near the front, according to Lindholm Billing:
Expectations and requests from authorities for support from organizations like UNHCR have actually increased.
