Results of the survey to determine the state of preparedness for the winter season of the elderly and people with disabilities

The winter season is fast approaching, and with the elderly and people with disabilities living under the harsh conditions of full-scale war for eight months now, their basic needs and human rights are at risk of neglect and violation.

The recent brutal attacks on critical infrastructure, namely power plants and substations in eight regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv1, demonstrate the worrying prediction that this winter will be a difficult one for the affected areas, and especially for the vulnerable people living there. With winter temperatures predicted to drop to -20 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country and stay there, millions of people living in unacceptable conditions or without adequate insulation or access to heating will be severely impacted.

In the absence of new information on the specific needs of older persons and persons with disabilities, the Age and Disability Technical Working Group (ADTWG), with technical expertise and support from the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAPDU) and HelpAge International, advocated for the idea of giving a voice to older persons and persons with disabilities themselves as experts on their needs, which will strengthen their rights and protect their dignity as humanitarian agencies develop their response plans for this winter, as experts on their needs, which will also strengthen their rights and protect their dignity as humanitarian agencies develop and implement their response plans for this winter.

The target population was those elderly people and people with disabilities who live in their own homes and are going to spend this winter season in homes that they need to prepare for the cold season themselves. The assessment did not collect data from people living in collective centers.

The survey was conducted during face-to-face meetings with respondents or by phone using a Google form during September 2022, reaching 2,978 respondents across Ukraine. Respondents were divided into two categories, older people (60+) and people with disabilities from all over Ukraine. HelpAge volunteers and social workers had access to the beneficiaries of current projects, and NAPD members and their partner organizations (organizations of people with disabilities) provided information on people with disabilities.

Brief summary:

Prioritize the inclusion of people with disabilities and the elderly in cash assistance programs to meet their basic needs, as respondents to direct question 72% informed that the best option to meet their basic needs in the context of winterization would be cash assistance.
Other needs of the respondents were medicine - 62%, food - 58%, and hygiene items - 53%.
Another priority is to provide elderly people and people with disabilities with winter-specific items, such as thermal blankets, winter clothing, heating devices, firewood, solid fuel, etc. (22 % to 45 % respondents reported needing these items).

All civilian infrastructure remains at risk of shelling and destruction, increasing the risks to older persons and persons with disabilities during the coming winter months. It is recommended that alternative heating options and humanitarian assistance be provided in consultation directly with organizations of persons with disabilities and older persons, as well as the communities of this target group.

The evaluation results are presented in English and Ukrainian.