Kyiv, 16 September 2022 – The Government of Germany and UNDP will scale up their partnership to support Ukraine with evidence-based planning, damage assessment, crisis governance, and urgent projects to prepare for winter, including rapid repairs of damaged power plants. For this purpose, Germany requested that 10 million euros from its 2022 core funding to UNDP be directed to Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has already resulted in significant loss of life, unprecedented displacement, and devastating destruction of infrastructure. Early UNDP projections suggest that up to 90 percent of the population of Ukraine could face poverty and vulnerability to poverty by the end of 2022. Eighteen years of socio-economic achievements are at risk of being lost. Furthermore, more than a million Ukrainians live without electricity, raising fears about people’s ability to cope during the harsh winter months ahead.

In the context of a recent visit to Berlin to meet key German officials, the private sector, and key think tanks, UNDP interim Resident Representative in Ukraine Manal Fouani highlighted the importance of the much-needed support for Ukraine, in particular  the need to tackle the dangerous conditions caused by debris, mines and unexploded ordnance, as well as to to prepare for the coming winter. “We need to continue strengthening the Government’s resilience and its ability to serve Ukrainians and begin the recovery and stabilization process,” she said. “We wish to express our great appreciation for our partners, including Germany, for complementing humanitarian assistance and stepping in to support the people of Ukraine in their hour of need.”

During her trip, Fouani exchanged views with Heike Thiele, Director for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Stabilization at the German Foreign Office (AA), on potential cooperation and support for reconstruction. Special focus was placed on a sustainable and green energy sector in Ukraine. The UNDP delegation from Ukraine also met with Christine Toetzke, Director for European Union and multilateral development policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to thank BMZ for its financial support and brief it on the priorities of UNDP's work in Ukraine. In talks with Felix Banaszak, a member of the German Bundestag, the delegation related UNDP's experience in reconstruction and resilience building, and informed him how the German Bundestag can provide more direct support for this work.  Cooperation with humanitarian organizations is essential for linking humanitarian aid, development work, and peace. In addition to meeting with think tanks on 7 September, Fouani also presented UNDP's Ukraine Resilience Building and Recovery Programme for Ukraine to Deutsche Bahn AG. The goal of the meeting with CEO Richard Lutz was to explore possible avenues of cooperation.

UNDP has supported the people and Government of Ukraine for nearly 30 years. Throughout the war, UNDP has remained on the ground in Ukraine with more than 350 staff, helping authorities with their emergency response, public service delivery, debris removal, damage assessments, economic recovery, and much more. The organization is working closely with the Government to put the foundations for recovery and reconstruction in place–prioritizing green, just, inclusive and digital approaches.

The valuable contribution from Germany will be used to support UNDP’s Resilience Building and Recovery Programme, which is fully integrated within the humanitarian response architecture. The programme aims to support and invest in the resilience of the Government, private sector, and civil society in Ukraine to help ensure no one is left behind in the rubble of war.

Media enquiries: Yulia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Communications Leader; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org