On Aug 29, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk paid an official visit to Odessa.

First, she inspected the living conditions of the refugees in the camp of the NGO "Good Samaritan". In addition to housing, there are also greenhouses where vegetables are grown and a farm.

People who live in a camp long-term are offered to choose an activity for themselves, to do farming. Currently, there are 200 beds in the reserve, but Vereshchuk noted that she will consider the possibility of placing about 80 displaced people there, who will be helped by the authorities and volunteers with food.

Our internally displaced persons often do not want to go to work, because the humanitarian rations given are enough to feed themselves. The medicines and hygiene products are enough to provide for themselves and their families, and it turns out that there is no need to work anymore. Because there is monetary assistance, there is payment from the state and work is not a priority. And I ask: what do people do? How many internally displaced people have, for example, work. It turns out that it is only 10%. Therefore, if you offer and immediately give work, this is very important.

Iryna Vereshchuk

The minister also met with immigrants in one of the Odessa schools. She noted that despite the difficult situation of most internally displaced persons, they do not lose optimism, continue to work, and children expect to return to study in their native schools.