Heat and electricity for schools, hospitals and shelters
Ukraine | 2023 | CBPF
Ukraine, Odesa and elsewhere. Yuliya Halayda is director of a school in Odesa. When a missile attack struck the city, the school lost electrical power.
The war has damaged infrastructure and energy networks throughout the country. In November 2022, the government estimated that about 40 per cent of the energy infrastructure was destroyed. People suffer regular loss of electricity and heating supply, increasing the risk of illness and disrupting work, education, and health care.
UNOPS has been working with the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) to help people by providing electricity generators to improve their living conditions and make sure they all have access to essential services.
At the beginning of 2023, UNOPS helped deliver more than 300 electricity generators to thirteen regions in Ukraine as part of an emergency response project. Funded by the UHF, the generators powered district heating and healthcare facilities, providing communities with heating and access to essential public services in case of power outages.
At Ms. Halayda’s school, the generator was switched on as back-up power to allow the children to continue their learning.
Neighbors who didn’t have electricity can use the school as a safe heating point. They can come to the school to charge their phones and get hot drinks.
“Emergency projects like this one are incredibly important to keep communities in Ukraine going,” says Tim Lardner, UNOPS Country Director in Ukraine. “The project team worked tirelessly to overcome numerous challenges, including supply shortages and logistical bottlenecks. Now that the generators are in place, they will contribute to the long-term resilience of Ukrainian district heating and medical infrastructure . Should power outages happen again, communities will be able to feel a sense of normality,” he adds.
Anna Yurchenko, the Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, noted, “We are grateful to the UHF-funded project: it is helping keep Ukrainians warm at home, in hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure.”
At Dr. Oleh Chekryzhev’s maternity hospital, in Pervomaysk, Mykolaiv Oblast, power cuts used to last half the day. This meant new mothers and their babies had no access to hot water or light. The doctors, nurses, and patients used candles and flashlights just to see in the dark. Now with the generator, back-up power is available when the cuts happen. Dr. Chekryzhev and his team hope that their patients will now be more comfortable and safe.
Original story: adapted from original article from UNOPS
More information about the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund