How to provide one million displaced persons with shelter, housing, and food in just a few days - Part 1

When a war escalates, hundreds of thousands of people can flee within days within the borders of their own country. How do you organize shelter, food, and support on such a scale and at such a pace without the system breaking down?

This training describes how the Ukrainian city of Lviv, near the border with Poland, prepared for and responded to the large-scale influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) following the escalation of the war on February 24, 2022. It follows the city's approach chronologically: from the preparatory measures in the months leading up to the escalation — a resolution on preparation for national resistance, coordination meetings, first aid training, and the establishment of a recruitment center for Territorial Defense, through coordination with community leaders, the establishment of an evacuation committee, and the identification of reception locations and available resources — to the setup of emergency coordination structures at the outbreak of the war: a central coordination center, collaboration with security and government agencies, a municipal helpline, and six district coordination centers.

You will learn how Lviv provided for basic needs and essential goods, how reception centers were organized through religious communities, modular settlements, and a mother and child center, and what role the train station played as the main evacuation hub. Finally, the long-term support for displaced persons is addressed, through advisory services, a center for orphans and children without parental care, and municipal support centers.

This case study offers concrete insights into crisis coordination at the urban level and is relevant for anyone involved in disaster response, social services, or municipal policy regarding large-scale displacement.