Using Cash for Shelter: Windows of Slovyansk
After pro-Russian separatists declared republics in Eastern Ukraine in April 2014, Slovyansk became a focal point of fighting between government forces and rebels until the Ukrainian military retook the city in early July. Slovyansk saw the heaviest fighting of any urban area and many city dwellers fled. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported 101,617 internally displaced people in Ukraine as of July 2014, with more than 86 percent from Eastern Ukraine. However, a large number of the resident population, estimated in the tens of thousands, remained in or around the city because they lacked the resources or ability to leave.
The government of Ukraine did not declare a state of emergency or make any request for external humanitarian assistance, which prevented the United Nations and other agencies from being directly or substantially involved. Local and regional government offices were responsible for assistance and the coordination of repairs and renovation activities, but their support was limited due to lack of budget allocation. Some humanitarian agencies experienced administrative and customs difficulties, resulting in delays or cancellations of assistance. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its partner Caritas Ukraine concluded that all assistance, including the procurement of necessary goods, had to be provided locally.
Based on identified needs and the local market context—as well as feasibility, protection and security, and beneficiary preferences—CRS chose a cash-based response.
This study forms part of a series of case studies undertaken by Catholic Relief Services. To download other studies in the series, please click below.
Flood Emergency Response in Serbia
Winter Resilience for IDPs in Eastern Ukraine
Rent Assistance for Syrian Refugees
Malawi Floods and Rains Recovery Program
