The displacement of Ukrainians within the country and abroad should not be considered a permanent loss of human capital. This was stated by Caroline Lindholm-Billing, Representative of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Ukraine, during the forum “Human capital dimension at the URC 2025. Focusing on Return and Recovery” forum held in Kyiv.
According to her, 61% of Ukrainians who are currently outside the country intend to return home. At the same time, since the summer of 2022, 1.3 million people have already returned to Ukraine. Lindholm-Billing stressed that a total of 5.6 million Ukrainian refugees are currently registered abroad, and about 10 million people are in a state of temporary displacement.
Matthias Schmale, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, also spoke at the event. He drew attention to the fact that in Ukraine there is no separation between IDPs and locals in terms of access to basic services, such as education or medical care. At the same time, he noted that challenges remain in the areas of housing and employment for internally displaced persons.
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