How to Effectively Provide Humanitarian Aid Locally
On April 1st, the Aspen Institute Kyiv held the final event of the “Relief for Ukraine: Ecosystem of Support for Ukrainians” Program—the Dialogue “Aid to War Victims: Effectiveness in Collaboration.” The Institute implemented the Program on the initiative of CORE Response in Ukraine.
The event brought together participants from previous seminars, representatives from the Cabinet of Ministers, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, local governments, non-governmental organizations, and businesses.
The second-panel discussion was dedicated to effective humanitarian response at the local level. Vitaliy Kim, Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration; Serhii Sukhomlyn, Mayor of Zhytomyr; and Kateryna Yamshchykova, Secretary of the Poltava City Council and Acting Mayor of Poltava, were the speakers.
Jobs, Education, Solving Water Problems: Project-Based Humanitarian Aid
Following the full-scale invasion, the Mykolaiv region suffered significant destruction. Twenty-one of the 52 territorial communities were in combat zones, and 108 settlements were occupied. According to the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Russian occupiers damaged at least 15,622 civilian infrastructure objects, mainly through artillery shelling.
Additionally, 288,000 hectares of land in the Mykolaiv region need surveying, as only 125,000 hectares have been cleared of mines. Other humanitarian consequences of Russian aggression include drinking water problems. In Mykolaiv, potable water has been unavailable since April 12th, 2022, due to the Russians destroying the Dnipro-Mykolaiv water pipeline.
Despite this, more than 129,000 internally displaced persons reside in the Mykolaiv region. During the Dialogue, Vitaliy Kim, Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, stated that humanitarian aid should be project-based:
“We stopped distributing humanitarian aid to everyone in 2022, as we had seven volunteer organizations besides the main headquarters. A resident could visit all points in the morning, receiving something at each one. This harmed our entrepreneurs, as goods stopped being sold in the market. We have now moved to project-based cooperation. For example, we installed three water towers, provided jobs for 300 people, and conducted demining training.”
How to Keep Internally Displaced Persons in the Community
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Zhytomyr was a “transit” city: residents of temporarily occupied territories mostly received help and moved further west in Ukraine or abroad—the second wave of displaced persons arrived during Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector in late 2022. Zhytomyr Mayor Serhii Sukhomlyn said that one of the city’s tasks now, and at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, is to create conditions for as many internally displaced persons as possible to stay in Zhytomyr.
“I don’t understand those who say displaced persons are additional expenses, a burden on the utility sector, etc. They are a treasure. Many people may move abroad after Ukraine acceded to the European Union. The development of the state and cities is only possible with people. Therefore, our task is to allow those who come to stay and work in Zhytomyr.”
In this context, Zhytomyr implements several programs. According to Serhii Sukhomlyn, the city opened a social hostel with support from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a German foundation. We will open another one later this year. In addition, with the help of the European Commission, four-story buildings with 160 apartments are being built. Thanks to cooperation with the Italian Red Cross, 56 houses are being constructed, and the repairs, furniture, and appliances are complete.
Digitalization and Systematization of Registries: How to Provide Humanitarian Aid Effectively
Due to its central location in Ukraine, Poltava became a kind of humanitarian hub after Russia’s full-scale attack on our country. The city received aid from international donors and Ukrainian NGOs. Humanitarian cargo continues to arrive in Poltava.
Kateryna Yamshchykova, Secretary of the Poltava City Council and Acting Mayor of Poltava, emphasized that one task for effective humanitarian aid provision is the systematization and digitalization of the registries of aid providers and recipients.
Ms. Kateryna also agreed with Serhii Sukhomlyn on the importance of internally displaced persons for city development. Among the steps to help retain displaced persons in the community, the Acting Mayor of Poltava sees education development, primarily vocational and technical training, and raising the status of working professions.
Separately, she noted the arrangement of shelters, which will be a factor in the return of families from abroad and their reunification, creating safety and convenience for communities and residents.
“We need to create shelters not as ‘parking lots’ – cold and uncomfortable, but on the contrary, they should become multifunctional spaces that are convenient and comfortable.”
Hearing the Voices of Communities Will Make Aid to War Victims More Effective
Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of The Aspen Institute Kyiv, emphasized the crucial role of communities in helping war victims. According to her, locals better understand the situation’s specifics and needs.
“At The Aspen Institute Kyiv, we strive to engage stakeholders in dialogue at all levels to assist war victims effectively. We thank CORE Response in Ukraine for the opportunity to implement the Relief for Ukraine program. Without sincere dialogue and coordination, verifying real needs will be extremely difficult. Additionally, it is worth turning to digital solutions to systematize work: recording available humanitarian aid, keeping track of recipients, etc.”
The “Relief for Ukraine: Ecosystem of Support for Ukrainians” Program is implemented by the Aspen Institute Kyiv on the initiative of CORE Response.
