FORCED DISPLACEMENT FROM DONBASS: SCALE AND CHALLENGES FOR UKRAINE (Information from scientific report at a meeting of the Presidium of NAS of Ukraine October 8, 2014)
Due to the forced relocation from Donbass for the first time in its history Ukraine faced such a large-scale internal displacement of its population, which even in conditions of voluntariness and preparedness would still present serious challenges both on local labor markets and in the context of the availability of educational services, quality medical care, including provision of certain population categories with free medical drugs. If we consider that the displacement was forced and that it was timely prepared for by neither those who were forced to leave their homes, jobs and property, nor the inhabitants and authorities of the regions where the displaced persons arrive, then the difficulty, complexity and durability of these problems become clear.