Kyiv preparing to relocate 200,000 residents in case of prolonged blackouts

The authorities in Kyiv are getting temporary accommodation ready in case of prolonged winter blackouts. Over 200,000 Kyiv residents have been put on relocation lists, and 2,000 have consented to move temporarily.

Source: Suspilne

Details: More than 200,000 Kyiv residents who may find it difficult to remain at home without electricity and heating have been placed on temporary relocation lists. So far, 2,000 people have given consent to relocation.

They are primarily people with reduced mobility, people with disabilities, and families with children with disabilities.

The Kyiv City State Administration has stressed that relocation is voluntary. Residents must give consent to be moved if prolonged outages of heating and electricity would make it unsafe for them to stay in their homes or leave them unable to meet their basic needs independently.

Kyiv Deputy Mayor Maryna Khonda said the city changed its approach to working with such residents after last winter.

"The main task is to assign social workers to specific buildings so that if necessary they have people's contact details and can call them immediately, rather than relying on announcements during a crisis," she stressed.

The city is already identifying sites where people on the lists could stay temporarily in the event of prolonged outages. Possible options include boarding houses, sanatoriums, hospitals and hotels.

"One such centre has 60 beds ready at the moment. It has separate rooms for men and women, as well as rooms for families. Residents will be provided with bedlinen, personal hygiene products and three meals a day," Suspilne reported.

The city is also working separately to increase the number of places available for families with children.

The Kyiv City State Administration says Kyiv is home to more than 16,000 children with disabilities, over 160,000 adults with disabilities, and around 26,000 people who live alone. These groups may need extra help if prolonged power and heating outages make it unsafe for them to remain at home.

Specialised vehicles will be used to take people to their temporary accommodation. District branches of the Red Cross may also be involved if necessary.

However, the city has not yet published a final list of facilities capable of accommodating all the people on the lists, Suspilne noted.

Background: Ekonomichna Pravda previously learned that the authorities in Kyiv were compiling lists of residents with reduced mobility who may need to be moved to temporary accommodation in the event of prolonged heating outages caused by Russian attacks.

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