Bulgaria: New UNHCR protection cash assistance programme for refugees from Ukraine

UNHCR Bulgaria announced a new programme that aims to provide financial aid to Ukrainian nationals who have registered under temporary protection, are seeking international protection or have already been granted it.

The aid will be provided to households that meet the following three criteria

1. The household falls in one of these vulnerability categories:

• a member of the household has a serious physical, psychological, intellectual or sensory impairment;
• a member of the household has a serious medical condition that requires (ongoing) treatment or incapacitates the person to take independent care of themselves;
• a member of the household is a child at risk: a child parent, child spouse, teenage pregnancy, child engaged in child labour (a child under 16 years old who engages in work which is likely to be harmful to his/her development or interferes with his/her education), unaccompanied child, separated child;
• a member of the household is an elderly person at risk: person/couple of 60 years old or older, without any family members in the country, person/couple of 60 years old or older who is/are the sole caretakers of children in the household (younger than 18 years old);
• a member of the household who is a pregnant or lactating woman;
• a member of the household who is a single parent to three or more children;
• a member of the household who is exposed to risk or has survived gender–based violence;
• a member of the household who is a survivor of torture;
• a member of the household who is a survivor of human trafficking;
• a member of the household who is a person with severe emotional or psychological trauma;
• a member of the household who is a LGBTQ person facing specific safety risks.

2. The household has limited means of coping due to limited financial resources/lack of access to income
3. A one-time payment of protection cash assistance will most likely decrease the household’s vulnerability

The minimum amount of financial aid available is 190 EUR, and grants will increase depending on the vulnerability and size of the family. In principle, financial aid is to be granted only once; twice in exceptional circumstances.

Candidates themselves cannot apply directly, rather they must be referred by one of UNHCR’s partners (Bulgarian Red Cross, Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria, Foundation for Access to Rights) or by international organisations (UNICEF, IOM).

In the initial phase of the programme - verification interviews - will be run only in Sofia, Varna and Burgas. Expansion is underway to deliver it in Plovdiv and Ruse. 

Further information can be found here.