A space with "egregious problems": Ukraine's Ombudsman found shocking conditions for IDPs in Mykolaiv

The conditions for IDPs in no way resemble a safe haven, - stated Dmytro Lubinets, the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, following his visit to a temporary accommodation for internally displaced persons in Mykolaiv, as reported by UNN.

Details

The description of the temporary accommodation for IDPs in Mykolaiv shocked the staff of the Ombudsman's Office:

The conditions here in no way resemble a safe haven for those who have lost their homes due to the war.

Context

In the center of Mykolaiv, under the roof of the communal enterprise "BRYZ", there is a temporary accommodation for internally displaced persons, where over a hundred people live, including 54 children.  

Dmytro Lubinets, the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, visited the temporary accommodation for internally displaced persons in Mykolaiv and published a report based on the inspection results.

Here's what the inspection by the Ombudsman's Office encountered

The first violation began at the threshold. During the monitoring visit, representatives of the Ombudsman's Office were obstructed from accessing the facility, despite having official IDs and an official assignment. The deputy director of KP "BRYZ", who later arrived at the scene, could not provide any information about the operation of the temporary accommodation.

After speaking with the residents, the monitoring group learned about a number of egregious problems:

• no shelter is provided in the building, there are no evacuation signs, and no action plan in case of an air raid alarm;
• exposed electrical wiring in rooms and corridors — and this with such a large number of children in the temporary accommodation;
• fire safety violations — fire extinguishers are located in residents' private rooms, some of them without certification and labeling;
• lack of inclusivity — persons with disabilities cannot move around the premises;
• there are no curtains in the shared shower, which violates the right to privacy;
• lack of documentation — no lists of residents, regulations, contracts, or records of residence;
• lack of first aid kits — basic medical care is unavailable;
• cluttered passages between floors and locked doors of emergency fire exits.

All this contradicts the requirements of current legislation regulating the placement of internally displaced persons, Lubinets emphasized in his post.

People who were forced to leave their homes due to the war have the right to decent living conditions! Especially when there are so many children among them. The identified violations must be eliminated.

Addition 

Based on the results of the monitoring visit, acts of response were drawn up for the leadership of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Mykolaiv City Council, temporary accommodation, the Main Department of the State Consumer Service, and the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Mykolaiv Oblast.