War damage to 2m homes has led to significant rise in rough sleepers and millions of refugees at growing risk in Europe
From: The Guardian by Liz Cookman
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered a significant rise in homelessness, according to a new report, with almost a quarter of those sleeping rough or in emergency shelters people who have had to flee from their homes.
The exact number of homeless people in Ukraine is not known, but the charity Depaul International surveyed more than 200 people living on the street or in emergency shelters.
The findings highlight the war’s profound toll on Ukraine’s civilians, with more than 3.5 million people internally displaced since the conflict started. Many of the 6.2 million Ukrainian refugees across Europe are also at risk of homelessness.
Anna Skoryk, the interim chief executive of Depaul Ukraine, told the Guardian: “Every day more people lose their homes because of occupation, shelling or because they’re close to the frontline. We cannot help everyone alone.”
The UN reported in February that 2m homes had been destroyed or damaged. Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine, prompting the evacuation from Pokrovsk of about 20,000 people in the past month.
The British foreign secretary, David Lammy, warned at the Labour party conference in Liverpool on Sunday that the challenges posed by the war could deepen significantly over the next two years.
Voice of Ukraine 