Ukraine’s recovery risks leaving millions behind

After more than four years of full-scale war, over nine million people remain displaced in Ukraine and abroad, while many others have returned to communities where homes, services and livelihood opportunities remain under severe strain.  

Housing remains one of the biggest barriers to recovery. Internally displaced people (IDPs) and returnees face unaffordable rents, damaged housing stock, limited municipal housing options, difficult compensation procedures, leaving many families unable to secure safe and stable homes. A recent NRC study shows that almost half of the people who returned to eastern Ukraine are still unable to find a safe and stable home to live in.  

“Recovery must be about more than rebuilding infrastructure; it must be about helping people recover,” said Marit Glad, NRC Country Director in Ukraine. “When people have access to housing, services, and livelihoods, they are better able to support their families, participate in the life of their communities and contribute to Ukraine’s future.” 

The lack of housing affects every aspect of life, creating uncertainty and making it harder for people to find work or secure an income. Recovery cannot be measured only by rebuilt infrastructure. It must also be measured by whether people can access education, healthcare, livelihoods and the local services needed to rebuild stable lives. 

“The approval of Ukraine’s new IDP Strategy is an important step, but implementation will depend on whether local participation mechanisms are fully supported,” said Valeriia Vershynina, Executive Director of SSS. “IDP Councils can help ensure that recovery planning reflects the real needs of displaced people, returnees and host communities.”  

Local authorities and communities are on the front line of this response and are best placed to understand and address the needs of displaced people, people who have returned, and the local communities hosting them. Yet many municipalities remain overstretched, underfunded, and under-resourced as they respond to displacement while continuing to operate under wartime conditions. Similarly, the IDP Councils, the local advisory bodies that are critical to ensure inclusivity and accountability in recovery, lack the necessary support.   

“IDP Councils work every day at the intersection of urgent humanitarian needs, durable solutions and recovery,” said Oleksandra Basan, Head of the Pidhorodne IDP Council in the Dnipropetrovsk region. “To play this role effectively, they need systematic support, clear participation in recovery planning, and resources that allow them to turn community needs into practical solutions.”  

NRC and SSS call on governments, donors and recovery actors to ensure the Ukraine Recovery Conference becomes not only a platform for financial commitments, but a stepping stone toward human-centred recovery that strengthens local systems and enables displaced people to rebuild stable lives. 

Note to editors:  

• Photos are available to download for free use here.  

• The Ukraine Recovery Conference takes place in the city of Gdańsk in Poland on 25 and 26 June 2026 (URC 2026) 

• The briefing note “Rebuilding Together: Putting local governance, communities, and civil society at the centre of Ukraine’s recovery” is available here.  

• 2025 saw an increase in civilian casualties of 31 percent compared to 2024, reaching the highest point since 2022(OHCHR). 

• The total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine is estimated to be almost 588 billion US dollars over the next decade (World Bank) 

• There are 3.42 million internally displaced people (IDPs) and 4.2 million returnees in Ukraine as of May 2026 (IOM). 

• A recent NRC needs assessment found that among returnees in eastern Ukraine the main push factors for return were missing home and community (53 per cent), high housing and rent costs in displacement (48 per cent), difficulty finding work or earning money (45 per cent), and reduced, stopped, or unavailable humanitarian aid (18 per cent) (NRC). 

• A recent NRC needs assessment found that among returnees in eastern Ukraine, 77 per cent said being in one’s own home or apartment was the most widely recognised benefit of return, but only 57 per cent were living in a property they owned with the necessary ownership documents. Amongst other returnees, 36 per cent were hosted by family or friends, and 8 per cent were in rental accommodation based on informal or verbal agreements (NRC). 

• An IDP Council is a consultative and advisory body under local authorities that amplifies the voices of displaced persons within the community: it assesses their needs and advocates for decisions that address them. As of early 2025, more than 800 IDP Councils had been created covering two-thirds of all municipalities in Ukraine (SSS). 

• International aid accounted for about 27 per cent of Ukraine’s state budget in 2022 and 18 per cent from January to September 2023, while international funding reaching local budgets stayed at just 0.04 per cent in 2022 and 0.03 per cent in 2023 (Bankwatch). 

• A recent NRC needs assessment found that among returnees in eastern Ukraine 44 per cent had never participated in, and 27 per cent were unaware of, local meetings, public hearings, or online consultations on local recovery needs and reconstruction efforts (NRC). 

About NRC:  

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. We provide emergency assistance and protect people’s rights in the world’s most challenging crises. In 2024, our 15,000 aid workers assisted 9.1 million people in 40 countries. Together, we save lives and rebuild futures. 

About SSS:  

Charitable Foundation Stabilization Support Services (SSS) is a Ukrainian non-governmental organisation supporting people and communities affected by war and displacement. SSS provides humanitarian, legal and psychological support, helps restore social services and social protection systems, supports internally displaced people and collective centres, and strengthens the participation of displaced people in local decision-making, including through IDP Councils.  

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: 

• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329 

• SSS contact:  info@sss-ua.org, +380975196003