Attachments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Household demographic profiles
Households in the assessed Hromadas face significant demographic and economic vulnerabilities, with small household sizes, high dependency ratios, and limited employment opportunities placing severe strain on economically active members. In areas such as Selydove, Oskil, and Velykiburluk, unemployment is particularly high, exacerbating financial distress and reliance on social benefits or humanitarian aid.
Disability and chronic illness are widespread, with 35% of households reporting a member with a disability and up to 65% reporting at least one member with a chronic illness. Conflict-related injuries and limited access to healthcare in areas like Vysokopillia and Velyka Oleksandrivka further compound health vulnerabilities. Households with multiple risk factors—such as elderly dependents, disabilities, and chronic illness—face the greatest financial and social exclusion.
The prevalence of precarious employment in Muzykivka and Velyka Oleksandrivka, combined with the decline of stable industrial jobs in Novohrodivka and Hrodivka, underscores the urgent need for expanded livelihood support programs. Targeted employment initiatives, healthcare access improvements, and stronger social safety nets will be essential to reducing financial distress and preventing negative coping mechanisms in high-risk Hromadas such as Borova, Vyskopillia, and Muzykivka.
Household socioeconomic profiles
Households across the assessed Hromadas face severe economic instability, with high unemployment, reliance on pensions, and precarious income sources limiting financial resilience. Nearly half of all households have no working members, and in Muzykivka and Velyka Oleksandrivka, agricultural seasonality and informal work further restrict income stability. The influx of IDPs has intensified job competition, reducing access to stable employment opportunities.
Pensions are the primary income source for many households, particularly in Donetsk Oblast, Oskil, and Velykiburluk, where elderly populations and limited employment options drive f inancial dependency. Debt accumulation is widespread, with households in Velyka Oleksandrivka, Vyskopillia, and Muzykivka reporting the highest debt burdens, primarily to cover healthcare, food, heating, and shelter repairs.
Market access disparities further exacerbate economic challenges, particularly in Kharkiv and Mykolaiv Oblasts, where long travel distances and high transport costs limit access to affordable goods. Security concerns in Hrodivka, Novohrodivka, and Kurylivka further restrict economic participation, while limited access to functional banking services in multiple Hromadas complicates cash-based assistance programs and social benefit distributions.
To enhance household financial resilience, interventions should focus on expanding employment programs and livelihood support, particularly in IDP-hosting and high-unemployment areas, increasing cash assistance and targeted financial aid to reduce dependency on debt accumulation for basic needs, and improving market accessibility and financial infrastructure, ensuring functional banking services and cash transfer mechanisms in underserved Hromadas.