In Kharkiv city and Izium, UNHCR has provided construction materials to local authorities to support repairs of common areas in 45 damaged residential buildings.
With the massive destruction of private houses and apartments due to Russian attacks on Ukraine, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to support repairs of homes in the regions most directly affected by the hostilities.
In Kharkiv region, where residential areas and energy facilities are continuously attacked, damaged and destroyed, UNHCR has delivered substantial quantities of construction materials to the cities of Kharkiv and Izium. This is part of a strategic initiative to support the repair and reconstruction of common areas in multistorey residential buildings, as this is a prerequisite for owners of apartments in these buildings to apply for cash support and compensation under the Ukrainian Government’s scheme eVindovlennya.
With UNHCR’s provision of timber, roofing materials and windows, and in close coordination with the local authorities who have carried out the works, the common areas of 34 multistorey buildings in Izium and 11 multistorey buildings in Kharkiv city have been repaired. As a result, 5,596 families have now become eligible for the state eVindovlennya programme to address damage to their properties.
According to UNHCR’s information, so far around 400 families have already applied, and families continue to return to their homes in these residential buildings.
“In UNHCR, we remain committed to contribute to the immediate and sustainable recovery of communities heavily impacted by the war. We are pleased to be working with the authorities in Kharkiv region on this new initiative, where our support and provision of construction materials not only ensures that common areas in multistorey buildings will be repaired and restored, but also enables the apartment owners to apply for the critical state compensation,” says Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR’s Representative in Ukraine.
“Kharkiv region is grateful to UNHCR for its assistance in the reconstruction of housing and comprehensive ongoing support to the residents of the region. Humanitarian initiatives play a key role in the restoration and development of our region, including in the de-occupied areas, where we jointly direct resources and efforts. The residents of the region feel this support and attention,” says Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkivska Oblast State Administration.
During 2024, UNHCR will expand this initiative to other affected regions and cities in Ukraine, including Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa by supporting repairs of common areas in multistorey buildings, to enable more families with damaged apartments to become eligible for compensation and repair their homes.
The initiative is part of UNHCR’s overall emergency shelter and housing programme. This also includes durable repairs of damaged houses – since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, UNHCR and partners have repaired more than 28,600 private homes across Ukraine. In response to attacks, UNHCR and partners deliver emergency shelter materials, allowing people to immediately and temporarily fix damages, like seal broken windows in their homes. Since February 2022, more than 285,000 people have received such emergency shelter kits.
Together with local NGO partners, UNHCR also provides legal assistance to displaced, returned or other war-affected people in Ukraine, for example to help people restore lost ID or property documents or apply for compensation. Last year, more than 180,000 legal consultations were provided across the country.
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