Attachments
BACKGROUND
Since 24 February 2022, thousands of civilians in Ukraine have been living under constant risk of harm due to the international armed conflict. Although many people have managed to leave dangerous areas on their own, there are still people who have not left due to a combination of factors, including high risks en route, the destruction of bridges and roads, landmines, lack of means for safe exit and other issues. Some individuals have no safe place to go and do not have information about accommodation options for displaced people, or have concerns about the length of displacement they will experience as well as the quality of services and accommodation that will be provided at the reception site, others do not want to leave their homes or livestock, while others face challenges to travel due to personal impairments, family concerns. Some people choose to stay in their residences despite the dangers posed by the armed conflict. As humanitarians, it is crucial that we acknowledge and respect the diverse reasons why people may opt not to evacuate and leave their homes in the face of imminent danger, while providing them with support to evacuate when they take an informed decision to do so. Under international humanitarian law, States have the obligation to remove the civilian population from the vicinity of military objectives; States may not forcibly transfer a population, unless the security of the civilians involved or imperative military reasons so demand. 1 Since states have the exclusive authority to take decisions about issues of security and military necessity, as well as to enforce evacuation orders, it is appropriate that humanitarian actors play a role in facilitating only those humanitarian evacuations where civilians have given their informed consent to be evacuated, i.e., where the decision to be evacuated is voluntary.