New Roma Community Centres in Zarkapatska oblast will address multiple challenges for the minority group and local integration

UNHCR is working closely with local communities and authorities to support and empower Roma communities and strengthen social inclusion.

Mukachevo, 6 February 2024: Today, a new Roma-led Community Centre (Roma Hub) will be officially opened in Mukachevo, Zarkapatska oblast, followed by another Community Centre to open in Berehove later this month. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its local NGO partner NEEKA have supported the renovation and refurbishment of the two new centres.

The hubs will work as multifunctional spaces to support Roma communities, in particular Roma women and girls, complementing the Government of Ukraine’s National Roma Strategy. Building on experiences and lessons learnt from a similar Roma Hub – run by UNHCR and partners in Uzhhorod since 2022 – a broad range of activities will aim to strengthen Roma communities’ access to rights and services and reinforce their capacities and integration into local communities.

The activities at the centres will be organized in strong coordination with local authorities, Roma-led community-based organizations and other partners, including other UN organizations.

More than 40,000 Roma people are currently estimated to be living in Zarkapatska oblast. While the region has traditionally been home to a large part of the Roma minority in Ukraine, the population has further grown after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, as many Roma communities were displaced to Zarkapatska from other areas of the country.

Engagement and dialogue with Roma communities have emphasized that Roma women and girls face multiple risks due to poverty, discrimination and marginalization. Many families live in dire conditions without access to clean water, electricity and