Consequences of a strike on a residential area of Kharkov on May 25. UNECE and partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Kharkiv at the Ukraine Recovery Conference Peace and security
Kharkov, the second most populous city in Ukraine, located just thirty kilometers from the Russian border, has suffered significantly from the war. According to the mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov, 150 thousand of the approximately 1.3 million Kharkov residents are homeless today. Since the beginning of the war, about nine thousand residential buildings, 110 kindergartens and 130 schools, all thermal power plants and transformer substations, 88 medical institutions and 185 social buildings have been destroyed.
As representatives of governments, international, regional and local organizations gather in Berlin for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and partners hold high-level talks to renew commitments to support Kharkiv .
“After the invasion, our goals, plans and life in general changed,” said Mayor Terekhov, “but we stand and will stand. We need to rebuild our city and we are looking for help.”
Recalling that UNECE was among the first partners to collaborate with the city on long-term reconstruction planning, EEC Executive Secretary Tatiana Molchan outlined plans to expand the scope of work within the UN4UkrainianCities initiative, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and GIZ GmbH. This activity is based on a master plan developed by the Norman Foster Foundation in partnership with the Kharkiv City Council.
“UNECE remains committed to supporting the city of Kharkiv and the wider urban regeneration efforts of the Government of Ukraine countries, mobilizing international expertise,” said Tatiana Molchan, “but it is clear that, given the ongoing destruction of urban areas of Ukraine, much more financial and technical support is needed.”
According to Mayor Terekhov, about $10 billion needs to be mobilized for the future reconstruction of Kharkov.
UNECE is supporting Ukraine in developing a new law on housing policy, which is expected to be presented in Verkhovna Rada in July 2024, and also helps in the preparation of two more bills – on housing management and rental housing.
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