The current armed conflict within Ukraine offers both international actors and the government of Ukraine a bleak opportunity to brace protection and support of IDPs and, ideally, strengthen efforts to advance durable solutions to the multifaceted challenges of internal displacement. Between February and April 2022, those internally displaced in Ukraine swelled from approximately 854,000 to an estimated 7.7 million. Nonetheless, the eyes of the world have thus far been focused on the five and a half million Ukrainians who have fled abroad, while very limited attention has been provided to those who have fled their homes but remain within the invaded state. This paper calls on the international community as well as Ukrainian actors to advance their emergency and long-term support of those internally displaced by the ongoing conflict. To contextualize the current situation, an overview of the 2014 conflict is provided, followed by a survey of its humanitarian impacts. This is followed by analysis of the Ukrainian government’s policy initiatives between 2014 and 2021 regarding the resultant internal displacement. A brief background on the ongoing heightened conflict is preceded by an examination of the current humanitarian crisis and the considerable displacement situation within Ukraine. Finally, a series of recommendations for relevant actors on how best to meet the immediate needs of IDPs while facilitating durable solutions to the internal displacement situation are presented.
Catherine Rabus recently graduated from the Master of Arts in German and European Studies program at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service where she received graduate certificates in Refugees and Humanitarian Crises as well as Gender, Peace and Security. In 2020, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University in Political Science with minors in Peace and Justice Studies and German.
