Chapter 3 UKRAINE . “I feel like the conflict is endless, Maryna* explains as she stands on the balcony of her apartment block in Svitlodarsk, Donetsk. The 56-year-old mother of two has survived cancer and lives with her mother just two kilometres from the frontline. She has struggled with insomnia and anxiety because of the ongoing violence in Ukraine. Almost 40 per cent of people in Donetsk and Luhansk have experienced trauma, resulting in stress, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a recent study. © U N H C R / O K S A N A PA R A F E N I U K *Name changed for protection reasons The urbanization of internal displacement Displacement in and to urban areas continued throughout the decade. The limited geographic information available confirms that IDPs were predominantly located in rural areas at the start of the decade. By the end of the decade, the trend had reversed. Available data on IDPs indicates that the ratio of urban versus non-urban internally displaced populations was 2:1 at the end of 2019. In other words, where UNHCR was involved in situations of internal displacement in 2019, two out of three IDPs were in urban or semi-urban areas. From Mosul, Iraq to Mogadishu, Somalia, internal displacement was increasingly happening among urban populations in cities rather than in camps. In countries with ongoing conflict in urban areas – such as in Aleppo, Syria or Bangui, Central African Republic – protecting civilians was a major challenge. In addition, IDPs in urban environments are often dispersed and struggle to find accommodation, staying in collective centres and UNHCR > GLOBAL TRENDS 2019 public buildings. Rapid urbanization has increased protection risks posed by overcrowded or substandard living conditions, particularly where IDPs are forced to live in informal settlements, among the urban poor, or where access to safe water and sanitation is limited. Security of tenure and risk of evictions are also greater in urban settings, often resulting in further displacement. Maintaining livelihoods is also a struggle for displaced people, due to many reasons, such as undeveloped local economies, job competition or the need for a new skill set. Engagement in disaster situations In 2010, the High Commissioner’s Dialogue on Protection Gaps and Responses noted that disasters and climate change could be a driver of displacement. Over the following decade, UNHCR continued to engage with people displaced internally by disasters and climate, in more than 25 operations. These included a limited role following the earthquake in Haiti, response to floods in 33