Internally displaced persons in Ukraine are increasingly forced to return to dangerous frontline areas due to the financial inability to live in the rear regions, according to a report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for the period from June 1 to November 30, 2025.
The document notes that during this period, more than 130,000 people left the frontline areas in search of safety. However, after the evacuation, a significant part of the displaced faced serious economic difficulties. According to the UN, living in safer regions of Ukraine turned out to be significantly more expensive, primarily due to the high cost of renting housing, which the incomes of most internally displaced persons do not allow to cover.
The report highlights that the current system of resettlement for displaced persons does not offer long-term solutions. Temporary support mechanisms are unable to provide stable living conditions, and access to long-term housing remains limited. It also highlights that not all transit centers were accessible to people in need of immediate shelter.
A separate problem is the acute shortage of affordable housing suitable for long-term residence. The situation is particularly difficult for the elderly and people with disabilities. Non-governmental organizations involved in the evacuation and resettlement of displaced people report a chronic lack of funding and difficulties in finding suitable housing for these categories of the population.
As a result, as noted in the UN report, some internally displaced persons are considering returning or have already returned to dangerous frontline areas due to the lack of livelihoods in the rear. This is happening despite ongoing hostilities and threats to their lives, which indicates the depth of the socio-economic crisis that Ukrainian displaced persons are facing.
