Rebuilding a future: A displaced family finds stability in Mykolaiv
Rebuilding a future: A displaced family finds stability in Mykolaiv
When Artem and Sofiia fled home in eastern Ukraine in April 2022, they carried little more than documents and a few essential belongings. Artem, 29, a family doctor from Siversk in Donetsk region, and Sofiia, 24, a psychologist from Kramatorsk, arrived in Berezanka, Mykolaiv region with their young daughter Varvara, now five, after escaping intense shelling that left their hometown severely damaged.
“Leaving home was not only about getting to safety. It was about accepting that everything we had built would have to start again from zero,” says Artem.
Like many internally displaced families, their first months were marked by uncertainty. The family moved between temporary accommodations before settling in rented housing in Berezanka. For nearly four years, they lived in a small rented apartment, allocating most of their income to cover rent and utilities. While Artem managed to continue working, the instability of housing and the financial burden limited the family’s ability to plan for the future.
Despite these challenges, Artem quickly integrated into the local healthcare system and began working as a family doctor in the community. His presence became particularly valuable given the strain on rural medical services caused by displacement and ongoing security risks.
“Varvara would ask when we were going back home. At some point, we realized that we needed to create a new sense of home here, not just wait for the past to return,” Artem explains.
A turning point came when the family was selected for a housing support programme, implemented in Mykolaiv region by UNHCR and its NGO partner Caritas Ukraine in coordination with regional authorities.
This initiative aims at providing longer-term solutions for internally displaced people and enabling many of them to move out of collective sites or inadequate or unstable accommodation. Through this programme, UNHCR helps to transform communal facilities into dignified accommodation for displaced families, contributing to the government’s stock of temporary housing for people forced to flee.
In Berezanka, eight apartments have been fully rehabilitated, including the installation of engineering systems and basic furnishing, enabling displaced families to move in immediately and restore a sense of home and normalcy. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, UNHCR has so far helped create temporary housing across Ukraine for over 250 displaced families.
“For the first time in years, we feel that we can breathe. Instead of thinking of how to pay next month’s rent, we can think about Varvara’s school, about saving money, about building something again,” explains Sofiia.
With a secure home, Sofiia is now planning to resume her professional practice, potentially providing much-needed psychosocial support to other displaced families in the area. The family views their integration as both their personal recovery and as a contribution to the community hosting them.
Adequate, affordable and sustainable housing remains a key challenge for internally displaced people in Ukraine. With the support from donors like the European Union, UNHCR continues to work with national and local partners to ensure and expand housing solutions and strengthen access to essential services, ensuring that displaced families like Artem’s can rebuild their lives with dignity and contribute to their communities.
