International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) established its operations in Ukraine in 1996. Across the country IOM provides a comprehensive response to the humanitarian needs of migrants, internally displaced persons, returnees and host communities through humanitarian direct assistance, development activities, and a variety of other efforts. In line with IOM’s global strategy, IOM Ukraine aims at advancing the understanding of the opportunities and challenges of migration in the Ukrainian context. Maximizing those opportunities and minimizing the challenges presented by migratory movements are the guiding principles of all activities and programmes the Mission is engaged in. The IOM Mission in Ukraine provides assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and war-affected people, fights trafficking in human beings, assists the Government in dealing with irregular migration, improving its migration management system, and creating migrant-inclusive health practices and policies. At the same time, IOM Ukraine engages in harnessing the development potential of migration, disseminating migration information, supporting integration of migrants, promoting the benefits of cultural diversity, and counteracting xenophobia and intolerance. Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, IOM has refocused its programmes and projects and from February 2022 to March 2023 has reached about three million people with humanitarian support that includes provision of non-food and hygiene items; water, sanitation and hygiene support; multipurpose cash; emergency health and mental health and psychosocial support; assistance to collective centres; protection and other types of support.
In the Skills Alliance for Ukraine, IOM Ukraine is represented with several projects:
• Livelihoods +: Economic Integration of Internally Displaced People and Persons affected by Conflict: The project supports businesses and clusters, and provides vocational training opportunities in order to create opportunities and facilitate access to the labour market for IDPs and other groups under-represented in the labour market, as well as work towards social cohesion and employment access in Ukraine’s Chernihiv, Kyiv and Sumy regions.
• Resilient and Inclusive Communities in Ukraine: The project focuses on the provision of critical services, creation of inclusive socioeconomic opportunities (through vocational training and business grants), and empowerment of local actors to drive recovery. This will be achieved through the following results: Outcome 1. Conflict-affected communities, including marginalized groups such as youth, persons with disabilities, and veterans, have improved access to tailored and quality services. Outcome 2. War-affected communities access socio-economic opportunities that help reduce their dependency on aid and increase resilience. Outcome 3. Local actors are empowered and lead in responding to war-affected community needs.
• Promoting Social Cohesion and Veteran Reintegration in Ukraine through Evidence-Based and Locally Owned Responses and Capacities: The project supports evidence-based and community-driven actions to ensure social cohesion and the socio-economic reintegration of veterans and their families.
• Path to Resilience Phase II: Promoting Sustainable and Inclusive Reintegration of Veterans and their Families in Ukraine: This project focuses on successful reintegration, by assisting former combatants with their transition to civilian life, and by supporting communities to recover, absorb, and accept returning former fighters and other conflict-affected populations. The project envisages six key outputs: Improved community-based response to veterans’ transition to civilian life; Improved availability and access to socio-economic reintegration support and services in target communities, including for vulnerable groups; Improved access to inclusive and integrated MHPSS services; Strengthen response systems to address the psychosocial needs of war-affected communities, including veterans, their families, families of the fallen and persons with disabilities; Evidence-based policy and processes on veteran reintegration are supported; Governmental services are available to support reintegration of veterans.
• Community Recovery: Ensuring Conducive Economic and Agriculture Environments in Sumska oblast: This project focuses on socio-economic rehabilitation of communities in the Sumy region through local market development and training. The project involves an integrated, area-based socio-economic recovery action focused on four pillars: Provision of localized livelihood assistance to rural households/farms in targeted hromadas of Sumska oblast to increase their resilience and engagement in local market systems; Rehabilitation of local marketplaces/rural infrastructure to strengthen value chains; Financial support for MSMEs and clusters (or other high-level institutions) to improve the business eco-system, enhance cooperation, integration and overall competitiveness; Vocational training and equipment for community (hromada) members, IDPs and other vulnerable groups to improve alignment to local labour market needs and strengthen employability.
As of May 2025, 391 beneficiaries had received training. This includes 321 women, 180 IDPs, 13 veterans, and 15 persons with disabilities.