Improving support for internally displaced people with disabilities when fleeing war: Lessons from Ukraine

Abstract

Internally displaced people (IDPs) are among the most socially marginalised groups and often face additional barriers accessing safety, protection, and assistance services when fleeing war. Lower levels of social connectivity means they are often more dependent upon families and other caregivers for accessing support necessary to maintain wellbeing, overcome trauma and avoid becoming more isolated during displacement and resettlement processes. They also face a heightened risk of discrimination by authorities. Concerns have been raised regarding the well-being and human rights of IDPs with disabilities in Ukraine and their abilities to obtain protection, essential services, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance. However, less is known about the particular barriers and challenges that IDPs with disabilities face in accessing services and how challenges may be differentiated according to age, gender, specific nature of disability (acquired, life-long or war-related), community of origin and receiving community, as well as how their needs and challenges evolve over the course of the conflict. Drawing upon an analysis of secondary qualitative and quantitative survey data, this study examines the experiences of Ukrainian IDPs with disabilities in accessing essential support. Drawing on relational and intersectional theories, we argue that their enhanced vulnerability does not result from the presence of disability alone, and instead represents a conditional consequence of societal perceptions, priorities, decisions, and practices’ that place IDPs with disabilities at particular disadvantage. We show how this reveals that greater consideration needs to be made to improving support provision for people living with disabilities and trauma in situations of conflict-induced displacement.