EU allocates EUR100M for rehabilitation of war-damaged schos

That’s according to a report published by the EU Delegation to Ukraine, seen by Ukrinform.

“Exactly three months after President von der Leyen's announcement in her 2022 State of the Union Address, the Eurean Commission and the Government of Ukraine have signed a €100 million support package for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of schoing facilities damaged in Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. Support will reach Ukraine through the EU's humanitarian partners and partly as budget support to the Government of Ukraine,” the report reads.

The assistance will flow into Ukraine through EU’s humanitarian partners, and partially – as budgetary assistance to the Ukrainian government.

The Eurean Commission has allocated around EUR14 million from an ongoing contract with the Pish Develment Bank “Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego” to purchase scho buses and bring Ukrainian children safely to scho. The Commission has also launched an EU-wide sidarity campaign to donate scho buses for Ukraine, channeled through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Overall, around 240 buses are now on the way from the EU and its member states. More are coming, according to the report.

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The assistance package includes EUR34 million in humanitarian aid, out of which EUR20 million channeled through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNS) and EUR14 million through the United Nations Develment Programme (UNDP). This support will focus on light and medium repairs including repairs of windows, roofs, doors, sanitation and heating facilities, as well as providing classroom equipment in learning spaces and bomb shelters.

 EUR66 million to be provided directly to the Ukrainian government as budget support.

The Commission will work together with the Ukrainian government and the ena Zelenska Foundation.

“The Commission expects to disburse the €66 million of budget support in the next few weeks. UNS and UNDP have started the damage assessment of the facilities to rehabilitate on the ground. A majority of the educational facilities that will benefit from this grant are expected to be repaired, between December 2022 and September 2023, in time for the start of the next scho year,” the Delegation noted.

As reported, Russian strikes have damaged or destroyed over 2,800 education facilities so far, impacting 5.7 million scho-aged children. Many simply do not have a classroom to go to.

Photo: Vincenzo Circo/IMAGO