WHO supports an inclusive response to refugees with disabilities in Georgia

WHO is working on a project to improve access to services for refugees with disabilities in Georgia by supporting service providers in the country. The ongoing war in Ukraine has disproportionately affected people with disabilities and the new joint program aims to address the challenges and needs of Ukrainian refugees with disabilities in Georgia. The project is implemented with the European Disability Forum, 4 United Nations organizations, Georgian organizations of people with disabilities and key government ministries.

According to calculations by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 197,000 Ukrainians have entered Georgia since the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Georgia serves as both a transit and a destination, mainly due to its simplified entry and migration policies and lower cost of living compared to most European Union (EU) countries. The project “Mainstreaming a Disabled Humanitarian Response to the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis” aims to review systems of coordination between central and regional institutions, UN agencies and other humanitarian actors and to collect reliable data on Ukrainians living with disabilities in the country.

“Maybe some people need wheelchairs, maybe someone has a deaf family member who needs a hearing aid, but we don’t know about them and they don’t know that help is available,” said Giorgi Dzneladze, chairman of the Coalition for Independent Living in Georgia. “I hope this project can fill that gap and connect people to the help they need.”

Bridging the gap between people and services

UNHCR estimates that there are around 25,000 Ukrainian refugees in Georgia as of January 2023, 62% of whom are women. Male refugees make up 38%, and this number is significant given that under current Ukrainian martial law, only older men, men with disabilities and men who have a disabled relative can leave Ukraine. People over 60 and minors account for 8% and 26%, respectively. Many of these arrivals are expected to stay until at least June, the end of the school year in Georgia, but it is likely they will stay beyond that. Many families who fled many parts of Ukraine, especially the eastern areas, have no homes to return to.

The challenges of fleeing to a foreign country can be overwhelming for anyone, especially for people with disabilities. Additionally, people with complex healthcare needs must navigate unfamiliar healthcare systems to access essential services and support products while dealing with language barriers, financial difficulties, and psychological trauma, among others.

The Georgian government has ensured that Ukrainians fleeing the war have access to medical care. To help refugee children relieve stress and trauma, psychosocial centers in Batumi are working at full capacity. However, it has been reported that some basic services, such as primary health care, are often inaccessible. Bureaucratic processes and a lack of information on how to access services have meant that many refugees do not receive the help they need.

Partners gather in Tbilisi to launch the program

The kick-off workshop took place from February 2nd to 3rd in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. It brought together project partners from WHO Regional Office for Europe, WHO Country Office in Georgia, UNHCR, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Organization for Human Rights Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment together (UN Women) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Members of organizations of people with disabilities, such as the European Disability Forum and the Coalition for Independent Living, also attended, sharing their experiences and raising questions and concerns related to the problems of refugees with disabilities in Georgia, such as: B. the lack of interpreters in shelters or the lack of specialized schools. Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and local municipalities, in turn, reported on new government decrees and initiatives aimed at helping this population group, such as the disability assessment procedure.

“I believe that projects like this can really help people with disabilities, including refugees from Ukraine. I am happy to use my personal and professional experience to make this kind of difference,” said Mariya Yasenovska, who fled Kharkiv after war broke out and is now supporting the European Disability Forum as human rights officer.

background

The program is funded by the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) and takes place in Georgia and Moldova. Other goals are to improve services in dealing with sexual and gender-based violence for refugee women and girls; strengthening the legal framework; promoting access to employment, education and social protection for people with disabilities; and eliminating stigma and discrimination. The program ends on October 31, 2023.