Attachments
Introduction
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24th 2022, Ukraine has been facing an unprecedented and multifaceted humanitarian crisis. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) there were over 3.4 million registered internally displaced people in Ukraine in February 20241 , with UNHCR reporting that the number of refugees fleeing Ukraine surpassed 6.4 million in March 20242, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimating that over 14.6 million people in Ukraine will require humanitarian assistance in 20243. Noting that the severe adverse effects of the invasion have been felt throughout the population, vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, are experiencing disproportionate adversities.
Although official data following Russia’s full-scale invasion is scarce, there were over 2.7 million persons with disabilities in Ukraine at the beginning of 20214. Acknowledging that numbers predating the invasion were likely to be underreported due to various obstacles including barriers to registration, lack of identity documents, and homelessness5, the current figure is estimated to be even higher as a result of the invasion, given the number of combatants and civilians who have suffered war-related injuries. Figures cite over 3 million persons with disabilities in Ukraine in September 20236, with estimates that the number of persons with disabilities had increased by approximately 27,000 in the year following the invasion7 , while others cite a 3.5-fold increase in the number of new disability registrations (from 13,000 new disability registrations before the war to 45,000 after) over the first 10 months of the war compared to 20218. According to the damage and needs assessment conducted by the World Bank Group9 for 2022-2023, 130,000 persons acquired disability status in Ukraine, and around 1.3 million internally displaced people reported having at least one household member with a disability.
Since 2009, Ukraine has been on a positive trajectory for the development of a comprehensive framework to safeguard the rights, freedoms, and livelihoods of persons with disabilities, becoming a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 200910