EU grant to help communities rebuild in eastern Ukraine

Mr. Janthomas Hiemstra, UNDP Country Director, Mr. Berend de Groot the head of the EU Cooperation, Mr. Pavlo Zhebrivsky, Governor of Donetsk region, Mr. Yury Klimenko, Deputy Governor of Luhansk region, Ms. Anastasia Divinskaya, UN Women Gender Advisor. Photo: UN Women/Anna Kvit

As the local authorities of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in eastern Ukraine are working towards improvements in recovery and efficiency of public services and reconciling communities, the European Union launched its Euro 10 million contribution to recovery and peace-building in the crisis-hit region through a joint UNDP and UN Women Programme.

Aimed at restoring effective governance and promoting reconciliation in conflict-affected communities of Donbas, the funding from the European Union will enable UNDP and UN Women to contribute to peace-building and prevention of further conflict through effective and accountable decentralization and local government reform, gender-responsive recovery planning and service delivery, and enhanced community security and social cohesion.

Working in partnership, UNDP and UN Women will put emphasis on establishing a reliable monitoring system, spurring economic rejuvenation to boost livelihoods, supporting local authorities to implement gender-responsive recovery activities and restoring basic services.

The programme will also focus on improving security for internally displaced persons and host communities. Enhancing the capacity of gender equality advocates and women affected by the conflict to demand accountability and transparency in local decision-making and spending will be put at the heart of the programme.

“This is a comprehensive intervention to enhance capacities of communities, regional and local administration to improve service delivery, enhance security and social cohesion among communities with a focus on integration of IDPs and host communities,” said Mr. Berend de Groot, the head of the EU Cooperation. He added: “This intervention complements the ongoing EU-funded action in response to the security crisis in the Donbas, which, including the humanitarian assistance, is well above 300 million Euros.”

UNDP Country Director, Janthomas Hiemstra, highlighted: “This additional contribution from the EU is a timely complement to the initial funding from Switzerland and Sweden, and will enable us, together with UN Women, to further address head-on the pressing issues that stand in the way of effective governance and social stability in Donbas. It is crucial that we tackle certain dynamics that have a particularly negative impact on the most vulnerable communities: displaced persons and women.”

UN Women Gender Advisor, Anastasia Divinskaya, confirmed: “Integration of a gender perspective as well as of interventions specifically targeting women affected by the conflict throughout the local government reform, and in regional and local planning are critical to respond to the disproportionate impact of the conflict as well as needs faced by women, particularly the most vulnerable.”