Challenges of Evacuation and Financing of Protection: East SOS at the Forum “Where Protection Begins and Ends”
On November 25, Oksana Kuiantseva, Board Member and PR and Communications Coordinator at East SOS, and Yaroslav Taranets, Advocate at East SOS, took part in panel discussions at the forum “Where Protection Begins and Ends”. The event was organized by the Right to Protection Charity Foundation with the support of the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.
Yaroslav Taranets joined the discussion on the challenges faced by frontline and host communities during the evacuation and accommodation of people affected by armed aggression. He emphasized that support systems must be holistic and continuous, addressing people’s needs at every stage of internal displacement. This is particularly critical for people with limited mobility, who often cannot evacuate independently and require long-term, consistent assistance.
Among the key policy decisions aimed at improving the situation, Yaroslav Taranets highlighted Resolution No. 888 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, adopted on August 6, 2024. The resolution introduces a new approach to financing social services based on the principle “money follows the person”. Under this model, the state directly finances recipients of social services, enabling them to independently choose service providers – from inpatient care to supported living facilities.
Yaroslav Taranets emphasized that support for people with limited mobility is one of the core priorities of East SOS. The team works daily to ensure that everyone forced to leave their home has access to safe living conditions and real opportunities to build a dignified life in a new community.
Oksana Kuiantseva spoke during the panel discussion “Financing Protection: Challenges and Priorities”. The experts examined how humanitarian and social protection activities are currently funded – including services aimed at safeguarding the rights of affected populations, such as case management, psychological, social, and legal assistance.
Particular attention was given to innovative funding models for Ukrainian local NGOs, including the establishment of consortia and the piloting of direct funding mechanisms. Notably, East SOS is already implementing programs with direct support from the German Federal Foreign Office and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Oksana emphasized that Ukrainian organizations require systematic institutional support to effectively attract such funding and assume a leadership role in identifying needs and responding to them. This approach ensures the sustainability of administrative and field teams, as well as long-term support programs, not only the implementation of individual project activities. According to the speaker, national Ukrainian organizations already possess the necessary capacity, as they regularly undergo financial audits and operate in a transparent and accountable manner.
The event brought together key actors within the protection system – government institutions, donors, international organizations, civil society, and the research community – to rethink where protection begins and ends, and how to make the response system sustainable, coordinated, and humane.
We are grateful to the Right to Protection Charity Foundation for organizing the forum and creating a space for sharing experiences and developing a shared vision for the future of protection in Ukraine, grounded in dignity, sustainability, and cross-sectoral cooperation.
The advocacy activities are carried out as part of the project “Support for War-Affected Vulnerable Populations and Residents of Remote Areas of Ukraine”, implemented by East SOS with the financial support of the European Union.
Recently, East SOS joined the international conference “Education without Limits: Digital Solutions for Long-Term Change and Sustainability”.
