Ukraine’s Humanitarian Crisis: Over 200,000 Residents in Dangerous Zones Await Evacuation and New Relocation Opportunities
Amid ongoing military conflict and severe humanitarian challenges across Ukraine, over 200,000 people in two key regions—Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk oblasts—remain in high-risk zones, urgently requiring evacuation.
The Ministry of Communities and Territorial Development reports that these regions have become major hubs for internally displaced persons, who need immediate assistance and safe relocation options.
Between June 1 and August 22 of this year, more than 64,000 individuals have been evacuated from these areas, but a significant number—around 173,000—still await rescue.
One of the main transit centers for evacuees is the city of Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk region.
Additional temporary shelters have been established in Lozova on Kharkiv region and Voloshky in Dnipropetrovsk.
Within days of operation, these points have already hosted over 220 people, most of whom quickly moved on to safer regions of Ukraine.
Minister Oleksii Kuleba emphasized that each region undergoing evacuation has a partner region ready to provide shelter and support—currently, Rivne, Kirovohrad, and Kyiv oblasts are accepting displaced persons, with Vinnytsia and Poltava preparing for future intake.
The work of transit points is being restructured to minimize residents’ time in temporary shelters, ensuring rapid movement to safer zones.
Evacuation trains with additional carriages continue to operate, transporting over 430 evacuees since August 15 to Kyiv, Lviv, and Rivne.
Plans to expand routes include potential trips from Pavlohrad and Dnipro to Poltava, Odesa, Cherkasy, and Kropyvnytskyi.
Experts note that despite over a decade of conflict, the Ukrainian state has yet to develop an effective evacuation system that encourages residents to leave perilous areas, leaving much of the logistics and support work to volunteers.
The transit hub in Pavlohrad is under significant strain, with queues and heavy loads creating additional difficulties.
Recently, Donetsk Oblast Head Vadym Filasikin reported that, due to escalation on the Pokrovsk direction, over 7,000 civilians were evacuated between August 18 and 23.
If you or your loved ones need evacuation assistance, round-the-clock help lines are available, offering support for general evacuation and special services for critically ill and disabled persons.