Press Release

DENMARK BECOMES FIRST CONTRIBUTOR FOR NEW UKRAINE COMMUNITY RECOVERY FUND

14 November 2023

Denmark has become the first contributor to the new Ukraine Community Recovery Fund (UCRF), a financial instrument launched by the UN in Ukraine in collaboration the Ministry for Restoration of Ukraine. The Fund supports community-level investments in reconstruction of housing, energy, social infrastructure, humanitarian demining, and support to livelihoods and local economic development. These interventions are combined with targeted capacity strengthening of local authorities for essential service provision and community mobilization.

“Denmark strongly believes in the importance of a community-focused approach to recovery,” said Dan Jørgensen, the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy. “Since 2022, we have worked closely with the city of Mykolaiv and the Mykolaiv Oblast in the south of Ukraine, providing layers of assistance ranging from generators and drinking water systems early on to the comprehensive restoration of social infrastructure and entire residential neighborhoods now. Throughout this process, UN agencies have been our partners, and we are delighted to take on the important role of first mover and an advocate to other donors to support the Fund and the community recovery approach in Ukraine.”

“Community recovery requires us to work together. The results the UN has achieved for recovery on the ground are only possible because UN agencies worked together in joint teams with the local administrations and other partners. This work is critical for those communities, and it is a good start. But it is not enough,” said Denise Brown, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine. “Denmark’s contribution as First Mover is an important one. We already see it catalyzing further contributions to the Fund and expanding our reach so that we can support more Ukrainian families to go back to their communities and homes.”

For more information, see the piece on the website and the concept note of the Fund.