Ukraine launches new e-service for internally displaced persons

April 20, 2022

The service to register as IDP is now also available on the Diia application

 

Photo: UNDP Ukraine / Andriy Krepkikh

 

Kyiv, 20 April 2022 – The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine has presented a new public digital online service on the Diia mobile application – registration as an internally-displaced person (IDP). The Ministry of Digital Transformation developed the service in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Policy and with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and the Government of Sweden.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said thousands of Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes and move to other cities due to the war will now be able to register as IDPs easily and conveniently. “Even during the war, digitalization in Ukraine continues. We keep launching new services, which are necessary for both the military and civilians,” the Minister said. “Our next service is IDP registration. Now there is no need for Ukrainians to go to public institutions with documents to register. After all, it can all be done simply on a smartphone on the Diia application. Without unnecessary bureaucracy and papers. The service will be provided automatically, without human intervention. Therefore, applications will be processed very quickly.

The service was created following the innovative “mobile-first” development principle, meaning that the service was originally designed for smartphones to ensure ease of use.

Social Policy Minister Maryna Lazebna said the Government of Ukraine decided to provide internally displaced persons with a monthly allowance, which they will be able to apply for on the application, for oneself and children. “The monthly allowance is of UAH 2,000 per person, UAH 3,000 per child or person with disabilities and will be provided during martial law and one month after martical law is cancelled,” she added.

In late March, the Ministry of Social Policy expanded the list of institutions that can register IDPs and issue certificates. In addition to social protection bodies at the district level and in principle regional cities, authorized persons in territorial communities and administrative services centres are also able to provide these services. This became possible due to the updating the relevant software of the PC “Social Community,” which was also supported by UNDP and the Government of Sweden.

Tobias Thyberg, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Ukraine emphasized that Sweden will continue to support Ukraine through the acute humanitarian crisis caused by war. “Sweden is committed to supporting Ukraine and its citizens, especially the most vulnerable,” he said. “Digitalization of public services is meant to serve the people affected by the war, and creating a digital IDP registration service through DIA will enable them to get the help they need more quickly.”

Manal Fouani, UNDP Ukraine Resident Representative a.i. said the Government of Ukraine’s progress in digitalizing public services before the war had enabled them to rapidly respond to the crisis in a technically savvy and unprecedented manner. “The new e-service will help millions of displaced Ukrainians access emergency state support without concerns of travel and movement,” Fouani said. “UNDP, with the strategic support of the Government of Sweden, reiterates the importance of relying on development investments in the service of humanitarian assistance. The scale and intensity of this war requires joint efforts and a cohesive vision, so we can all better serve the most vulnerable populations and no one is left behind.”

This is already the fourth service for internally displaced persons developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine in partnership with UNDP and with the support of Sweden. In May 2021, they presented an electronic service for participation in the state programme of subsidised mortgage loans. Officially registered IDPs were able to apply for the programme through the Diia portal. And on 8 February, 2022, the Ministry of Digital Transformation presented two new services for IDPs, developed with the support of UNDP and Sweden, on the Diia portal – the prolongation or termination of monthly targeted assistance to cover living expenses, including housing and communal services. This year, for the first time, UNDP supported offline services for IDPs as part of the Diia Support Project, in particular in expanding the provision of IDP registration services in administrative services centres and territorial communities.

Background

The service of IDP registration and application for a monthly allowance in the Diia application was developed within the project “Digital, Inclusive, Accessible: Support to Digitalisation of Public Services in Ukraine Project” (DIA Support Project), which UNDP implements in Ukraine with the financial support of Sweden. The DIA Support Project was launched in 2021 and aims to bridge the digital divide between different generations and different social groups. Its main goal is to increase the accessibility of new digital solutions so that every man and woman in the country can use public electronic services and no one is left behind.

Media inquiries:

Yuliia Samus, Communications Team Leader, UNDP in Ukraine, Yuliia.Samus@undp.org