As of November 2024, about 29,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine have returned to their previous place of residence, the Ministry of Social Policy reported at the request of Radio Liberty. Of these, one thousand people decided to return to the temporarily occupied territories, while others moved to conditionally safe areas or to areas of possible hostilities.
According to the agency, 18,900 people have returned to conditionally safe regions, such as Kyiv, Zhytomyr or Chernihiv. About 9,000 have returned to regions where there is still a risk of hostilities.
Read also: IDPs in Kyiv: challenges and solutions
Against this background, the total number of IDPs in Ukraine has decreased. As of December 2023, 4.9 million internally displaced persons were registered, which is 250,000 fewer than a year earlier.
Experts note that the return of citizens to the temporarily occupied territories and regions with a risk of hostilities indicates the complexity of the situation for IDPs. Despite the risks, people choose to return for various reasons, including a lack of opportunities for living in new places or a desire to be closer to home.
The Ministry of Social Policy continues to record data on population movements to provide support to those who need help with adaptation or return.
See also: International partners continue to provide temporary housing for IDPs in Ukraine
