UNHCR to supply Ukraine with 50,000 emergency repair kits for damaged homes

UNHCR Representative in Ukraine Karolina Lindholm Billing said this at a meeting with an Ukrinform correspondent.

She noted that about 2,000 such kits and building materials, including tarpaulin, window film, wooden beams and nails, had been handed over to residents of Irpin, Bucha, Borodianka and Makariv, whose homes had been damaged during the war. According to the UNHCR Representative in Ukraine, most of the materials were purchased on the Ukrainian market through tender procedures, as it is a component of support for the local market and economy, and the rest were imported.

Another area where UNHCR is working to help people affected by the war is rebuilding damaged housing, Lindholm Billing said.

She said UNHCR plans to start with Irpin, Borodianka, Makariv and focus on helping to repair private homes where the most vulnerable live, particularly people with disabilities, large families, families with children with special needs. She also said UNHCR will try to start as soon as possible as winter is not so far away, and the housing issue is becoming one of the most pressing issues.

As was noted at the meeting, according to the Kyiv School of Economics, which relies on figures from local authorities, as of mid-May, the total area of destroyed housing in those areas currently accessible, including the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions, and some areas in central and western Ukraine, amounted to 38.5 million square meters.

In the context of housing assistance, Lindholm Billing said that one of the priorities for UNHCR Ukraine is to help central and local authorities renovate premises that could serve as collective centers, such as sanatoriums, where people from the occupied territories could find temporary shelter. Answering a question from Ukrinform, she said that the initial budget of the housing support program, which includes kits for emergency housing repairs, is $35 million.

She said UNHCR was constantly emphasizing to donors that housing is a key priority for the war-affected population and everyone needs a safe place to live.

The Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine and UNCHR on April 19 signed a memorandum of understanding that provides for cooperation to support internally displaced persons, including in finding sustainable and affordable housing.

Photo: UNHCR: Makariv, Kyiv region, May 2022