Ukrainians who returned home after fleeing war risk being displaced again this winter, as damaged housing, repeated attacks on energy infrastructure and unaffordable heating leave families with few alternatives, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned today.
"For millions of Ukrainians, the challenge is no longer simply whether they can return home. It is whether they can remain there safely and right now the conditions are making it difficult," said Arthur Erken, IOM Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.
According to IOM's latest findings , intentions to leave again are highest among those who returned within the previous three months.
More than four years into the full-scale war, families and communities have exhausted much of their capacity to cope with further shocks. Repeated attacks on energy infrastructure have weakened essential services, while damaged homes and limited incomes make recovery increasingly difficult.
Shelter needs are substantial. An estimated 1.45 million returnees now live in frontline districts, including 565,000 in Kharkiv region alone. In rural frontline areas, three in four returnees need materials to repair damaged walls, while nearly two in three require roofing materials and insulation.
Even where heating is available, many families cannot afford it. During the last cold season, only 32 per cent of households reported being able to heat their homes adequately, falling to just one in four in frontline areas. Nearly six in ten households reduced heating consumption to save money.
The risks extend beyond frontline communities. Six in ten residents of large cities depend on district heating, while one fifth of urban households have no backup power source. An estimated 2.1 million older people live alone in multi-apartment buildings, leaving many particularly exposed to prolonged heating and electricity disruptions.
Nearly 3.6 million people remain internally displaced across Ukraine, while an estimated 3.8 million have returned to their places of residence after displacement since February 2022.
"With winter approaching, the window to act is narrowing. Less than 7 per cent of IOM's Ukraine Crisis Response Plan for 2026 has been funded, severely limiting the assistance available ahead of winter. Additional support is critical now, before winter conditions deepen existing needs and put more families at risk of displacement," added Erken.
IOM is calling for urgent support to repair damaged homes, improve insulation and maintain essential services, alongside investment in sustainable, decentralized energy solutions to help communities withstand future disruptions.
