Looking for a housing and a job, fund for treatment and evacuation are the main problems, which IDP-journalists are forced to face with. The talks about it were in time of session of National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) secretaries with the journalists, who left Donbass and Crimea. The working meeting helped to define the main areas of assistance to colleagues who suffered from the war in the Donbass and the annexation of the Crimea.
A NUJU secretary, the head of the correspondent net of a newspaper ‘Golos Ukrainy’ (Voice of Ukraine), Donbass IDP Lina Kusch informed present people about created by National Union of Journalists of Ukraine fund of assistance to colleagues, suffered from war fare in Donbass and annexation of Crimea.
A NUJU secretary, the editor of Radio Freedom project ‘Krym.Realii’, IDP from Crimea Helen Jurchenko called to tell about problems, which IDP-journalists face with: professional, housing, social, psychological, etc.
During the discussion participants agreed that the biggest difficulties appear in the search for housing and work. Also, there are lack of information in opportunities to improve their professional level or expand the range of professional contacts is among the problems IDP, which they forced to face with.
Suffered as a result of hostilities in Donbass and Crimea annexation journalists need qualified psychological care, some need specialized medical care or financial support to purchase a drugs.
Especially acute is the issue of evacuation, participants of session noted.
A chief editor of ‘OstroV’ internet-edition Sergei Garmash considers that fund of support of journalists can provide assistance in case of emergency: curation as a result of illness, evacuation in case of danger, as well as providing of temporary housing (for 1-2 months) for the journalist, left occupied territory.
An editor of the information edition ‘Golos Kryma’ (Voice of Crimea) Lyudmila Schekun has supported this idea. She noted that assistance to journalists can be either primary or secondary: the first supports colleagues in the case of extreme remove help to solve the problem of rent housing, the second includes assistance in looking for a job of getting additional education.
Ex-editor-in-chief of ‘Jizn Luhanska’ (Life of Luhansk) newspaper and now the correspondent of ‘Golos Ukrainy’ (Voice of Ukraine) newspaper Oleg Trachuk offered to cooperate with the international organizations, in particular, with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to solve current problems of IDP-journalists. Otherwise, journalist called Donbass and Crimea colleagues to unite in one organization in negotiations with international partners.
Also, meeting participants noted the importance of assistance to children of IDP-journalists in an improvement and study, emphasized the importance of joint communication, exchange of information and the need for mutual assistance.
To make more full monitoring of the situation an Electronic Questionnaire will be developed. It will allow to determine the list of basic needs of IDP-journalists and those who need help.