the eastern regions in rural areas, as IDPs have been reporting harassment at checkpoints if they were perceived to be leaving the region to seek protection. 147. The majority of international humanitarian actors, due to security reasons, are unable to access persons displaced within the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and thus only some very limited assistance has been provided. IDPs, who leave the eastern regions, have generally maintained a low profile, fearing retribution against their relatives who have remained at home. 148. There are considerable gaps in the State’s ability to protect IDPs. The central authorities have not issued formal instructions regarding how to register and assist persons displaced from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, leading to different practices across the country. The system for registering the IDPs is rudimentary, so the number and profile of IDPs and their needs remain largely invisible. As a result, the actual number of displaced persons is difficult to estimate. 149. Regional authorities are waiting for instructions on funding allocations for IDPs from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Temporary accommodation, while theoretically available, cannot be paid for and is thus rationed in many regions. Several administrative matters remain unresolved, hindering IDPs’ ability to resume a normal life: many cannot obtain temporary residence registration; register business activities; or in the case of IDPs from Crimea, who have not registered on the mainland, they may find that they cannot access their personal savings in bank accounts in Crimea. 150. IDPs from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions describe leaving the region with few personal belongings in order to disguise the purpose of their departure. Many report having witnessed violence and experiencing feelings of fear. In dozens of interviews with UNHCR, IDPs have reported significant deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the areas affected by violence and the security operations. They are mostly concerned about security: people report staying in cellars to keep away from the fighting, facing harassment at checkpoints and fearing the increasingly common abductions, threats and extortion. They have been reporting to UNHCR and the HRMMU about the serious social and economic impact of the conflict. Families have run out of money since jobs are lost, banks closed and pensions unpaid. Public utilities like electricity and water work only intermittently. Thus, the IDPs from the eastern regions are particularly vulnerable. There are multiple reports that thousands of people are eager to escape the areas affected by violence and the security operations as soon as they can safely move. 151. Many IDPs have exhausted their resources. Having originally been hosted by friends, family or even generous strangers identified through social networks, they find themselves under pressure to move out of these temporary housing arrangements, as conditions are overcrowded and hospitality reaches its limits. Without sufficient support to find jobs and housing, IDPs report increasing levels of frustration and humanitarian needs. Increasingly, IDPs are trying to self-organise into NGOs to help each other, as illustrated by Crimea SOS, Vostok SOS, the Unified Coordination Centre of Donbas. On 23 May, the HRMMU attended the first all-Ukrainian meeting organized by an initiative group of IDPs from Crimea to bring the problems faced by IDPs to the attention of the Government and local authorities so as to develop joint solutions. 96 | P a g e