Dnipro, Ukraine, 21 February 2023 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with financial support from the European Union, purchased 90 electric convectors to heat a centre housing displaced persons in Ukraine’s city of Dnipro. Two hundred and fifty Ukrainians, who have become internally displaced persons as a result of Russian military aggression, currently live at the centre. These are primarily families with children from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, who have been forced to flee from war-torn communities where intense fighting continues, looking for refuge.

Martin Schroeder, acting Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, gave his assurance that the European Union continues prioritising the development of inclusive support programmes for displaced Ukrainians over the winter, to meet their basic critical needs as quickly as possible. “The purchasing of heating equipment for this centre in Dnipro is a great example of this kind of support. We are sincerely glad that we were able to make the lives of its residents, who had to leave their homes escaping Russia`s devastating war, more comfortable.”

Jaco Cilliers, the interim UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine, emphasized that UNDP has been actively supporting the host communities since the very first days of the war. “Our strategic goal is to ensure a harmonious transition from crisis support to people who have just lost their homes to their gradual integration into new communities and comprehensive engagement of internally displaced persons in the decision-making processes,” Cilliers said. “Supporting this centre is yet another confident step we are taking very consciously to achieve this goal.”

For questions about accommodation in the centre, you can call: +38 099 555 85 46

The heating equipment was purchased within the framework of the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme.

Background

The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: UNDP, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Eleven international partners support the Programme: the EU, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.

Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org