Representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) positively evaluated the activities of regional branches of the Russian Red Cross (RRC) in supporting refugees and displaced persons from the territories of Donbass and Ukraine. Within the framework of its mandate and accompanied by the RRC staff, the UNHCR delegation realized monitoring visits to Temporary accommodation points (TAPs) in seven regions of Russia.
Since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, the UNHCR representatives have realized visits to the regions of Rostov, Vladimir, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Tula and the Republic of Tatarstan accompanied by members of the RCC.
“UNHCR is satisfied by joint visits with the RRC to the TAPs, the place where the Ukrainian refugees are being accommodated. These visits allow UNHCR to discuss directly with the refugees their current situation and plans for the future”, commented Karim Atassi, head of UNHCR’s office in Russia. “Apart from that, the visits also allow UNHCR and the RRC to review the implementation of UNHCR-funded programs, such as psychosocial support for refugees, as well as to assess future cooperation between the two agencies”.
During the visits to the TAPs, UNHCR routinely asks refugees and displaced persons about their place of origin, accommodation conditions and future plans. The TAPs are established on the basis of different institutions, namely children’s summer camps, hotels, campuses, geriatric centers, etc. There live people of various age groups, with and without special needs. In these TAPs people are able to exercise their right to freedom of movement, stated the UNHCR representatives. In the TAPs the refugees are provided with more than just shelter and food, they receive assistance with documents, cash payments and job offers.
“The UNHCR colleagues communicate on a regular basis with refugees and displaced persons from Ukraine and Donbass as part of their monitoring visits, as well as examine their living conditions. In particular, they inquire whether people are provided with legal and medical assistance, whether children attend educational institutions, whether they have the opportunity to go on holiday to summer camps, as well as whether there are psychologists in the Temporary accommodation points. The activities of all seven regional branches of the Russian Red Cross were greatly appreciated by the UNHCR colleagues. More monitoring visits are to come”, said Pavel Savchuk, the President of the Russian Red Cross.
A joint project of the Russian Red Cross and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in supporting refugees and displaced persons from the territories of Donbass and Ukraine has been implemented since March 2022. The partnership agreement with the RRC is a part of UNHCR’s efforts to respond to the current humanitarian crisis. The UNHCR in Russia has also mobilized partner NGOs to provide legal assistance, counseling and humanitarian assistance to the displaced persons.
