Weekly Update #69
June 26

The Kremlin announced late on June 24 that Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko negotiated a deal under which Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin will travel to Belarus without facing criminal charges in Russia; some portion of Wagner Group fighters will sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD); and no Wagner personnel will be charged for their involvement in an armed rebellion.

The Wagner Group encircled the Russian Southern Military District (SMD)’s headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and drove to within 330km of Moscow City on June 23 and 24, prior to the announcement of the deal. Wagner forces will reportedly soon begin withdrawing to their bases, and footage reportedly depicts Prigozhin departing Rostov-on-Don. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that Russian authorities will drop the criminal case against Prigozhin and that Prigozhin will go to Belarus, thanking Lukashenko for his role in mediating the deal with the “higher goal to avoid bloodshed.” Lukashenko’s press service earlier broke the news about the deal, reporting that Lukashenko negotiated with Prigozhin and claiming that Lukashenko and Putin agreed to undertake “bilateral actions” to resolve the crisis earlier in the day.

Russian opposition media noted that once Prigozhin observed the lack of widespread military support for Wagner’s actions and changed his mind on Wagner’s prospects, the Kremlin turned to negotiations involving Lukashenko, Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Office, and Russian Ambassador to Belarus. The specifics of the deal, how and on what timeline it will be implemented, the expected outcomes for each party, and the extent to which all involved parties will follow the agreement, remain unclear at this time. It is not clear whether the deal will hold Wagner or Prigozhin accountable in any way for the deaths of at least 13 Russian airmen on June 24.

Russian sources were quick to emphasize that Wagner’s armed rebellion did not impact Russian forces in Ukraine, but Wagner’s actions demonstrated Russia’s lack of reserves in rear areas. The Russian MoD immediately blamed Prigozhin’s armed rebellion for presenting Ukrainian forces with opportunities, claiming that Ukrainian forces began launching assaults in the Bakhmut direction to exploit the internal upheaval. Russian sources widely voiced concerns that the rebellion could disrupt Russian forces’ ability to defend against Ukrainian counteroffensives, but many asserted that Russian forces are continuing to repel Ukrainian attacks.

The Kremlin now faces a deeply unstable equilibrium. The Lukashenko-negotiated deal is a short-term fix, not a long-term solution, and Prigozhin’s rebellion exposed severe weaknesses in the Kremlin and Russian MoD.

Sources: ISW (June 24 Update)

ISW (June 25 Update)

BBC

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Fighting continues

Russian forces launched their largest series of missile strikes against Ukraine in recent months on June 24, despite the armed rebellion within Russia. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces launched 40 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles from ten strategic Tu-95 bombers from the Caspian Sea, nine Kh-22 cruise missiles from eight strategic 22M3 bombers from the northern direction, and two Kalibr sea-based cruise missiles from the Black Sea as well as two S-300 anti-aircraft missiles and three Shahed-131/136 drones.[50] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian air defenses shot down all 40 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, two Shahed-131/136 drones, and one Kalibr cruise missile.[51] Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces struck residential areas in Kyiv as well as Dnipro City and Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.[

Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least two sectors of the front and reportedly made advances on June 24. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar stated on June 24 that Ukrainian forces launched simultaneous assaults and made progress north and southwest of Bakhmut.[55] Malyar also started Ukrainian forces continue to engage in heavy fighting along the Zaporizhia front.[56] Ukrainian Tavrisk Group of Forces Commander Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi reported on June 23 that Ukrainian forces achieved successes and advances in an unspecified area of the Tavrisk (Zaporizhia) direction.

Source: ISW (June 24 Update)

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on June 25 that Russia has lost 224,630 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, with an estimated 720 casualties on June 24.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 4,030 tanks, 7,806 armored fighting vehicles, 6,735 vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,034 artillery systems, 624 multiple launch rocket systems, 385 air defense systems, 314 airplanes, 308 helicopters, 3,472 drones, and 18 boats.

Source: Kyiv Independent

Ukraine’s military said on Saturday that its forces had made advances near Bakhmut, on the eastern front, and further south. The deputy defence minister said an offensive was launched near a group of villages ringing Bakhmut, which Wagner forces took control of in May after months of fighting. Ukraine forces also claimed they had liberated an area near Krasnohorivka, west of the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk.

Source: The Guardian

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Impact of the flooding

Over two weeks after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on 6 June, the massive flooding caused by the disaster has significantly receded, leaving behind devastation, an unconfirmed number of civilians killed and injured, and a worsened humanitarian situation in areas already facing the dire consequences of the war. While access to drinking water, hygiene items and food are amongst the most immediate needs of people affected, humanitarians, health workers and authorities have raised important concerns about the possibility of disease outbreaks caused by stagnant and contaminated water in areas where health services are extremely limited due to the widespread destruction caused by the war.

Despite the receding levels of floodwater, an estimated 200 houses remain flooded in areas of Khersonska oblast controlled by Ukraine, according to the Government. The number of people displaced has also increased to nearly 4,000 people in Khersonska and Mykolaivska oblasts, up from 3,000 on 15 June, according to Ukrainian authorities. Although most displaced people are seeking shelter with their relatives, over 470 people are taking refuge in evacuation centres, including nearly 70 people with limited mobility and a dozen children, according to the Ukrainian authorities. In addition, thousands of people have reportedly been evacuated from the areas under Russian military control, according to the Russian-installed authorities. The UN has not been able to verify information on displacement or humanitarian needs in areas controlled by Russia.

The disaster and the consequent depletion of the Kakhovka Reservoir have created enormous challenges for civilians to access drinking water. The Government of Ukraine informed that a new pipeline, with a total length of nearly 150 kilometres, will be necessary to provide water to the 700,000 people who used to rely on the Kakhovka Reservoir. The Ukrainian authorities also informed that almost 600,000 hectares of agricultural land will remain without irrigation, which will likely hamper crop production in Ukraine.

Hostilities and impediments imposed by the Government of the Russian Federation have also prevented humanitarians from supporting people in areas under its temporary military control or conducting assessments to determine the extent of the humanitarian impact of the disaster. Denise Brown, Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, in a statement published on 18 June, urged the Russian authorities to act in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law, adding that aid cannot be denied to people who need it.

Source: OCHA (Flash update #8)

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Crisis Timeline (Key events)

The Data Friendly Service (DFS), an international NGO based in the United States with a global presence that aims to improve information management for the humanitarian community towards better-informed and more targeted decisions, has regularly plotted key milestones of the Ukraine war since its onset in February 2022.

The latest graphic shows these key events.

Source: DFS

Additionally, the organization released on June 14, 2023 a new report, Ukrainian Crisis Analysis Brief: The Humanitarian Situation in Frontline Communities, that highlights current pressing issues and challenges. These include, among others:

Damage to infrastructure and the cost of transportation stand out as access barriers for both the humanitarian actors and the populations.
Populations in frontline areas have disproportionately large numbers of older people and persons with disabilities whose mobility issues can reduce their access to assistance and services.
Financial issues such as reduced income, lack of money and high prices are the main barriers to accessing food across the country, including in inaccessible areas. However, communities close to the frontline face additional barriers to accessing to food including a lack of items in stores, the closure of stores and movement restrictions.
Low availability and functionality of services, physical barriers and unaffordability stand out as the main challenges to accessing healthcare in frontline areas.
Access to social services, including support for children, can be problematic for those living in frontline communities.
Oblasts which have seen the greatest intensity of hostilities have recorded the most damage or destruction to education facilities. Destruction to schools and insecurity is forcing students to have almost exclusively online classes, which are often disrupted due to power outages and airstrikes.

The linkages among the various factors are shown in the infograph.

Source: DFS

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Ukraine conference grapples with ‘years and years’ of rebuilding needs

In the city of Kharkiv, where hundreds of buildings have been damaged or condemned to demolition, some are taking turns to sleep in tents.

Kharkiv, just 18 miles from the Russian border, was relentlessly shelled in the first days of the war. The city’s northeastern district of Saltivka, where the Bobryshevas live, took the brunt of the destruction.

Nearly every building in the district is damaged to some degree — some completely condemned to demolition, others with a mix of abandoned and lived-in apartments.

The city and its surrounding area were liberated by the Ukrainian army in a surprise counteroffensive last fall, revealing the level of destruction and just how much work is needed.

For nearly 16 months now Russia has pummeled Ukrainian cities, villages, transportation hubs and energy infrastructure with waves of missiles and drones. Many have been forced to flee elsewhere in the country or beyond, often after their homes were reduced to rubble.

Earlier this year, the World Bank assessed that the cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine at $411 billion, a figure that’s likely to keep rising as the war drags on.

According to Ukraine’s own estimates, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) fell by nearly a third in 2022. This has forced Kyiv to rely on its Western allies, including the U.S., for billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid to keep the country running.

Speaking in London on Wednesday, Blinken said the Biden administration would give more than $1.3 billion in new aid, including more than $500 million to restore and improve Ukraine’s battered energy grid.

The deputy head of Kharkiv’s department of utility services called the scale of destruction in Kharkiv “unreal,” with more than 4,500 residential buildings damaged and some 1,600 buildings directly hit by rockets or shells. With the war still raging, he said, they have only managed to repair about 200 sites across the city so far.

Source: NBC News

CIVILIAN CASULTIES

(As of June 19, 2023)

Total civilian casualties from 24 Feb 2022 - 18 June 2023

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded

24,862 civilian casualties in the country. This included 9,083 killed and 15,779 injured.

This covers:

20,073 casualties (7,072 killed and 13,001 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred;
4,789 casualties (2,011 killed and 2,778 injured) in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred.

Civilian casualties from 1 to 18 June 2023

OHCHR recorded 557 civilian casualties in Ukraine:

112 killed (59 men, 39 women, 4 boys, 2 girls, as well as 8 adults whose sex is not yet known), and
445 injured (142 men, 126 women, 20 boys, 15 girls, as well as 142 adults whose sex is not yet known).

Source: United Nations

THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Humanitarian aid to flooded areas

In areas under Ukrainian control, critical assistance was delivered through at least 12 inter-agency humanitarian convoys to Khersonska and Dnipropetrovska oblasts since 6 June.

On Monday, 19 June, a convoy coordinated by the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme, with the support of the Logistics Cluster, used boats and amphibious trucks to assist people in small communities in the bank of the Inhulets River, where access became challenging due to flooding and damage to roads. In Khersonska oblast, inter-agency convoys reached Bilozerka, Beryslav, Chornobaivka, Darivka, Kalynivske, Kherson city, Kozatske, Inhulets and Vesele. Inter-agency convoys in areas facing water shortages in the neighbouring Dnipropetrovska oblast reached Apostolove, Marhanets, Nikopol, Pokrov and Zelenodolsk. The supplies delivered by these convoys included food, bottled water, water tanks, hygiene kits, materials for emergency house repairs, solar lamps, blankets, sleeping bags, mattresses and other vital household items provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the NGOs Intersos and Solidarités International.

This response modality is complemented by the UN agencies and NGOs' regular programme in the affected areas, which was reinforced to meet the increased level of humanitarian needs.

Since 6 June, organizations under the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Cluster have delivered over 2 million litres of water through bottled water distribution, water trucking and water treatment to the affected communities in Dnipropetrovska, Khersonska, Mykolaivska and Zaporizka oblasts. In addition to the water distribution, humanitarian partners are mobilizing resources to support Government efforts to drill boreholes, provide treatment and construct an alternative piped supply following the depletion of the Kakhovka Reservoir.

The Health Cluster continued to work closely with the authorities to provide medical supplies and medicines to both increase the capacity of clinics and hospitals to respond to the immediate needs of people and to also enable a rapid response in case of disease outbreaks caused by stagnant and contaminated water. Over the past few days, for example, WHO has delivered 15 additional medical modules and supplies, including emergency health kits, trauma and paediatric kits, amongst other items, to 4 hospitals in Khersonska oblast. The supplies are sufficient to provide care for over 11,000 patients for 3 to 6 months. This complements cholera kits that had already been provided to hospitals in Kherson and surrounding areas in April 2023. WHO is also supporting the authorities and health workers to strengthen surveillance and prevention of water-borne diseases. Rapid assessment of epidemiological risks related to the contamination of drinking water due to the flooding of cemeteries, toilets and landfills has been undertaken, with no related confirmed cases reported to date.

Humanitarians have provided multi-purpose cash assistance to nearly 6,600 people and registered over 30,000 more for this type of support, in line with the commitment made by the UN, including IOM, to provide financial assistance to approximately 40,000 people in areas directly affected by flooding. Currently, 14 organizations, including UNICEF and international NGOs — Acted, Adra, Danish Refugee Council, Estonian Refugee Council, Mercy Corps, Solidarités International, Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH) — are coordinating the Kakhovka Dam response under the activated standard emergency procedure of the Cash Working Group.

Over 3,000 people, including 1,700 children and nearly 1,370 parents, have received Child Protection services, including psychological first aid and psychological and pedagogical sessions for children, legal aid and support with evacuation and at transit hubs and collective centres. Humanitarians are operating child-friendly spaces at the train and bus stations in Odesa and Mykolaiv, providing recreation and psychosocial support to children. Services are provided by at least 14 organizations, including UN agencies — UNHCR, UNICEF — and national and international NGOs such as IsraAID, Intersos, Nonviolent Peaceforce, Save the Children, SOS Children's Village, Support Kherson, The Tenth of April, Voices of Children (VC) and Way Home.

In addition, the Protection Cluster is providing services in 14 centres in Kherson, housing 400 people evacuated from flooded locations, including legal assistance to restore documentation for those who lost it due to the disaster. The NGOs Children New, East-SOS, Help to Leave, Nonviolent Peaceforce and Proliska continued to provide support with transport to reach transit hubs in Kherson city, as well as to neighbouring oblasts.

The Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster is complementing by providing services in the 14 centres for displaced people that are operational now in Kherson city. IOM and the NGO Proliska are providing the sites with critical household items and providing referrals for the multi-sectoral response.

The Shelter Cluster is conducting a technical assessment as part of multi-agency missions in the affected areas, where the water level has receded and they have become accessible, to evaluate the extent of damage caused to the housings. Furthermore, in central Ukraine, the Cluster partners have prepositioned approximately 5,000 non-food item kits, primarily provided by UNHCR, to effectively respond to the needs of the affected population when more areas become accessible as water levels recede.

Source: UNOCHA

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Ukraine Recovery Conference held: 21-22 June 2023, London

The 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC23) was held in London on 21-22 June, as a continuation of the cycle of meetings beginning in London in 2017 as the Ukraine Reform Conference.

Initially set up as a high-level international event for benchmarking progress on the reforms agenda, today it also represents the central forum for the international community to support Ukraine in its recovery and reconstruction efforts in the face of Russian aggression and the immense scale of damage and losses inflicted upon Ukraine resulting from the Russian invasion.

The United Kingdom and Ukraine co-hosted the conference that focused on actionable helping Ukraine build back better, greener and as a more resilient and prosperous European nation. A particular goal is to generate greater momentum on the role of the private sector – and the reforms required to drive investment – as essential parts of Ukraine’s long-term recovery.

The Government of Ukraine provided updates on progress on their National Recovery and Development Plan, including advancements on the reforms agenda. Additionally, they provided assessments of the security situation and outlined the vision for their future post-war economy and the opportunities open to participants to support the recovery process.

An overview of the Recovery Plan is shown on the infograph below.

Details of 24 Thematic Plans are in the link -- https://www.urc-international.com/urc2022-recovery-plan

At Recovery Conference, strong EU support with new €50 billion Ukraine Facility and €800 million in agreements for investment for Ukraine's recovery

At the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented the details of the Commission's proposal for a new Ukraine Facility that, if adopted by the European Parliament and Council of the EU, will mobilise up to €50 billion over four years in the form of both grants and loans.

The Facility will support Ukraine's efforts to sustain macro-financial stability, promote recovery as well as rebuild and modernise the country, whilst also implementing key reforms on its EU accession track between 2024 and 2027. The Facility underscores the EU's steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing war of aggression and on its path towards EU membership.

In the margins of the Conference, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis, together with the heads of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), signed agreements worth over €800 million to mobilise private investment for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine's economy.

The agreements, which are supported by the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, the financing arm of NDICI-Global Europe, underscore the joint international commitment to mobilise the private sector for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. These agreements are separate to the new Ukraine Facility, which is expected to be operational in 2024.

Five agreements were signed to finance recovery of Ukraine's economy, energy and municipal infrastructure.

The signed agreements will support private sector participation in Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. They will mobilise funds for war insurance and provide guarantees that de-risk finance for the Ukrainian private sector, including small enterprises, agri-business and women-led companies

Source: European Commission

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World Bank and Donors Provide Additional $1.75 Billion for Ukraine in Support of Relief and Recovery Efforts

The World Bank Group announced today $1.75 billion in additional support for Ukraine. The financing is composed of a $500 million World Bank loan guaranteed by the United Kingdom, a $1.25 billion grant from the United States, and a $15 million grant from the Government of Finland. The support package is part of the World Bank’s Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance in Ukraine (PEACE) Project, which helps Ukraine sustain critical service delivery capacity and core government functions at the national and regional levels.

This additional financing for the PEACE project builds on previous funding and will continue to provide support in key sectors such as health care, education, payment of pensions, social assistance programs, and wages for employees providing core government services.

Since its inception in June 2022, the PEACE project has enabled the Government of Ukraine to sustain support for an estimated 13 million beneficiaries, including 10 million pensioners, 500,000 school employees, 145,000 government employees, 56,000 first responders, and over three million social assistance beneficiaries and internally displaced persons. The PEACE project combines loans and grants from the World Bank and other development partners, and currently totals $19.745 billion.

With today’s announcement the World Bank Group has now mobilized nearly $35 billion in emergency financing in support of the people of Ukraine, including commitments and pledges from donors including: the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland, and Belgium.

Source: World Bank

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IFC and Partners Announce New Funding and Support for Ukrainian Private Sector

IFC and partners announced multiple new agreements that provide financial al and advisory support to Ukraine’s private sector amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the London Recovery Conference. These agreements support IFC's $2 billion Economic Resilience Action (ERA) program, launched last year, which includes financing from IFC's own account alongside guarantees, concessional loans and grants from donor governments. The agreements also mark the first financial contributions from the United Kingdom and the United States to the program.

IFC estimates that Ukraine’s private sector could contribute about $140 billion to the country’s reconstruction needs over the next 10 years - a third of the reconstruction and recovery needs estimated in the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment. In addition to financing for rebuilding, the private sector needs support now to continue to provide jobs, goods and services, and tax and export revenues.

The new agreements covered the areas of cross-border trade, energy, small businesses, renovation of municipal buildings to accommodate IDPs, urban transportation, and infrastructure development.

Source: World Bank

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Build Forward: NGO recommendations on Ukraine recovery and reconstruction (June 2023)

Ukrainian and international civil society and NGOs submitted a paper at the Ukraine Recovery Conference to inform conference participants on how to meet immediate needs while taking steps towards Ukraine's recovery and eventual reconstruction. It emphasizes the importance of adopting an inclusive, human-centric, child-centric and gender-just approach, anticipating major risks that may jeopardize reconstruction efforts, along with mitigation measures that can be taken at present.

Significant themes of the paper covered the following issues:

Meeting the immediate needs of civilians affected by the ongoing war is of utmost importance. The areas where fighting has ceased remain dangerous due to explosive remnants of war and mines, leading to regular incidents causing civilian and child casualties. The destruction of civilian infrastructure and the ongoing hostilities have further exacer-bated the need for urgent essential services like protection, mental health support, healthcare, education, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Recovery efforts as the war continues in Ukraine are both necessary and possible but must follow clear principles. These include the prioritisation of ongoing financial sup-port to sustain the Ukrainian economy, aligning recovery efforts with EU accession standards, ensuring the ownership and coordination of recovery efforts by Ukraine on national, regional, and local levels, and promoting transparency and accountability throughout the process. To implement these principles in practice, the active participation of affected populations in decision-making processes is crucial,
Long-term thinking must be linked to urgent action. The recent tragedy at the Kakhovka dam illustrates the need for such a multifaceted and coordinated approach. Civilians in the affected areas need to be provided with drinking water and humanitarian aid, and recovery. Preparation for reconstruction efforts must begin now and prioritize sustainable and transparent development of public water infrastructure to serve cities and communities in the affected regions. All this process would need to ensure consultations and participation from the affected groups,
The risks to reconstruction and priorities for action must be recognized and immediately addressed. Furthermore, the paper identifies risks to post-war reconstruction in Ukraine, such as lack of coordination among donors, insufficient information and expertise, and the potential for misuse of funds and corruption. It emphasizes the need to start mitigating risks as part of the recovery process, rather than waiting for the hostilities to end

Source: Save the Children

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FAO and WFP join forces to clear agricultural land from remnants of the war and help farmers resume production

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a joint programme in collaboration with mine action partner Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD) to support smallholder farmers and rural families most affected by the war.

The programme has already started in Kharkivska oblast, and will later expand to Mykolaivska and Khersonska oblasts, focusing on farmers with land plots smaller than 300 hectares as well as rural families growing food for their own consumption.

The programme is designed to safely release land back to productive use, including by clearing it from mines and other explosive remnants of the war, to help restore agricultural livelihoods, contribute to Ukraine’s economic recovery, and phase out the need for humanitarian assistance for thousands of rural families.

The war has damaged Ukraine’s agriculture and food production, disrupted supply chains and exports, increased production costs, and caused widespread mine contamination.

According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, published in February 2023, Ukraine’s production of grain and oilseeds decreased by 37 percent in 2022. Almost 90 percent of small-scale crop producers surveyed by FAO in Ukraine reported a decrease in revenue due to the war, and one in four reported having stopped or significantly reduced their agricultural activity.

FAO, WFP and FSD in close coordination with communities, local authorities and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, will first identify and map lands that require demining by using satellite imagery. In the second phase, demining teams will survey and clear lands from mines and other explosive remnants of the war, prioritizing plots that can be quickly released with minimal clearance work. In the third phase, FAO and FSD will test soils to assess contamination by pollutants left behind by exploded weapons. FAO and WFP will simultaneously survey small farmers and rural families on the types of inputs and resources they need to restart agricultural production, and will provide direct in-kind or cash support where possible.

To date, the $100 million project is facing a funding gap of $90 million. FAO and WFP estimate potential annual savings of up to $60 million in direct food assistance to rural communities. The project has been supported by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, a UN pooled fund, as well as private donors.

Sources: FAO, WFP

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Clear Landmines To Rebuild Ukraine And Feed The World – The Halo Trust

As global political and business leaders prepare to meet in London for the Ukraine Recovery Conference (Weds 21 – Thurs 22), the internationally renowned British landmine clearance charity The HALO Trust is urging governments and the private sector to join forces in the mission to clear the country of landmines.

HALO is warning that reconstruction efforts depend on removing explosives from up to 30 per cent of Ukraine’s territory, including 1000 km of a densely fortified frontline. This will require a multi-year effort to reverse more than $135bn of damage to infrastructure including housing, transport, energy and prime agriculture land.

Ukraine faces the heaviest landmine contamination the world has seen since the Second World War, according to the UK-based charity. Its teams are clearing landmines from liberated territories across five oblasts, including areas flooded by the Kakhovka dam breach. HALO deminers found over 5000 landmines across Kharkiv and Mykolaiv oblasts in the last eight weeks alone.

The First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine announced that HALO is surveying land in recently liberated areas using methodology it has tried and tested in over 30 countries during its 35-year history and increasing its mechanisation to achieve high rates of clearance. Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, The HALO Trust has cleared 150 hectares of land and found 10,000 mines and other items of ordnance, protecting lives and livelihoods.

He also pointed out the knock-on effect of landmines on Ukrainian soil is increasing food insecurity in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions. Ukraine is typically responsible for six per cent of all calories traded on the global market, and along with Russia accounts for a quarter of global wheat and grains exports and 80 per cent of sunflower oil exports.

Source: HALO

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Boosting Project Delivery Capacity in Key Ukrainian Institutions

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), along with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development – part of the World Bank Group – agreed at the London Ukraine Recovery Conference to cooperate with the government of Ukraine on supporting institutional capacity building in ministries and agencies as the country prepares to embark on reconstruction of its economy.

The latest needs assessment by the World Bank and Ukrainian government puts the cost of reconstruction over 10 years at $411 billion. To meet these needs, Ukraine must improve its implementation capacity for public sector projects so it can absorb and effectively use the large inflows of money which reconstruction can be expected to bring.

The three international financial agencies and the government of Ukraine pledged to join forces in helping Ukraine build institutional capacity in the public sector through deepening project preparation and implementation expertise.

The first step will be focused on providing technical assistance and sector expertise in the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, to establish an effective Project Delivery Unit.

The exercise could then be extended to other critical sectoral ministries, state companies and agencies, with extensive training of civil servants and the engagement of essential international and local experts in key areas through transparent selection processes.

All these measures aim to address any lack of financial capacity contributing to the recovery of the economy, industry and infrastructure and the reconstruction of people’s lives in Ukraine, and will make it easier for domestic and international investment, especially in the private sector, to move forward.

Source: World Bank

HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE

Regina Caeli - June 25, 2023

I greet the Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order from Pisa; the children from Gubbio, Perugia and Spoleto; the group from Limbadi who are celebrating the young Leo; those participating in the motorcycle pilgrimage from Cesena and Longiano; and the Radio Maria volunteers who, with the huge banner, invite “everyone under the mantle” of the Virgin Mary, to implore the gift of peace from God. And we ask this especially for the suffering Ukrainian people.

Saluto la Fraternità dell’Ordine Francescano Secolare di Pisa; i ragazzi di Gubbio, Perugia e Spoleto; il gruppo di Limbadi che festeggia il giovane Leo; i partecipanti al moto-pellegrinaggio da Cesena e Longiano; e i volontari di Radio Maria Italia, che con un grande striscione invitano a porsi “tutti sotto il manto” della Vergine Madre Maria, per implorare da Dio il dono della pace. E questo lo chiediamo specialmente per il martoriato popolo ucraino.

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ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE REUNION OF AID AGENCIES FOR THE ORIENTAL CHURCHES (R.O.A.C.O.)

Sala Clementina - June 22, 2023

Thank you for your great efforts in helping Ukraine support internally displaced persons and refugees. A few years ago, I wanted to unite my own efforts to yours on behalf of that beloved country through the initiative “The Pope for Ukraine”, and later with other ongoing projects. Yet I also want to take this opportunity to urge everyone not to be lacking in concrete closeness, closeness of prayer and charity, to the war-torn Ukrainian people.

Vi ringrazio per il grande impegno con cui soccorrete l’Ucraina per sostenere sfollati interni e rifugiati. Ai vostri sforzi per quel caro Paese qualche anno fa ho voluto unire il mio con l’iniziativa “Il Papa per l’Ucraina” e poi con altri costanti interventi. Ma vorrei cogliere anche questa occasione per invitare tutti a non fare mancare concreta vicinanza, vicinanza di preghiera e di carità, al martoriato popolo ucraino.

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