During the month, Ukrposhta has paid out more than 40 thousand transfers in cash for more than UAH 200 million through its offices since the beginning of the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency's cash assistance program for displaced persons. This is 85% of payments from these organizations.

The transfer of funds took place through an urgent postal transfer, as this service allows you to receive money in 15 minutes after sending. Recipients of transfers can receive funds in any automated branch of Ukrposhta without reference to the place of residence. In case of receipt of the transfer, the recipient receives an SMS message with information about the sent transfer. To receive the funds, the recipient just needs to contact the automated branch of the Ukrposhta, provide information about the transfer and present an identity document.

"Due to the fact that Ukrposhta can provide urgent postal transfers, we can quickly provide people with cash. And due to the fact that Ukrposhta now has the largest network of operating offices and despite the war continues to automate, customers can receive money in both rural and urban offices. According to our statistics, almost half of the clients received the funds on the day of their receipt, which once again proves the need to quickly organize the process of issuing financial assistance, and we manage to do it despite the difficult conditions of martial law," commented Oleg Klyapko, Director of Ukrposhta Financial Business Department.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in cooperation with Ukrposhta launched this program in late March. In the first phase, it is planned to reach 360,000 displaced people across Ukraine, providing UAH 2,220 per person per month for three months. Families will be able to receive the cash by urgent postal transfers through Ukrposhta branches or by targeted delivery.

The cash assistance programme is intended for internally displaced persons who do not plan to leave the territory of Ukraine and aims to support people who have been forced to flee due to Russian aggression to meet their basic needs, including rent, food and hygiene items. This cash assistance is part of the support provided by UNHCR and partners.

Currently, according to a report by the International Organization for Migration, one in six Ukrainians is internally displaced, and the ongoing fighting is forcing more and more people to flee their homes.

The enrolment in the cash assistance program at the data collection points first started in Lviv region, now the documents are accepted in Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Dnipropetrovska, Ternopil, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and Poltava regions.

More detailed information on the geographical coverage of the program is available on the UNHCR website.

As part of the inter-agency response, UNHCR is working in close cooperation with local authorities and humanitarian partners to provide information and advice on protection, deliver humanitarian assistance, increase reception and shelter capacity and deliver relief materials to people whose homes have been damaged.

The project is implemented through UNHCR partners in Ukraine: CF "Right to Protection", NGOs CrimeaSOS, NEEKA, Nehemiya.

For more information please call: 0800307711 or write to [email protected]