Southern Ukrainian Forum for Internally Displaced Persons in Odesa
On October 22, 2025, a forum dedicated to the issues of displaced persons from southern Ukraine took place in Odesa, uniting individuals from Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions.
The primary goal of the event was to discuss the challenges faced by internally displaced persons and to facilitate effective communication between local authorities, state structures, and the IDPs themselves.
Participants included the acting deputy mayor of Odesa, Serhiy Kotsyuba, and the director of the Department of Labor and Social Policy, Olena Kytainska.
Welcoming speeches were delivered by representatives from the Office of the President of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada, including Iryna Vereshchuk and Pavlo Frolov.
During the discussion panel, representatives of IDP councils shared their experiences and successful cases in the area of social and legal protection, emphasizing the importance of involving IDPs in decision-making processes that affect their lives in new communities.
An online platform called “IDP Council Portal” was also introduced https://radyvpo.org.ua/, featuring an interactive map, current news, analytical materials, and practical tools for effective council operations.
Note
Currently, more than 220,000 internally displaced persons are registered in the Odesa region, with 134.5 thousand accounted for in the district social protection departments.
