Beyond the Damage: Investing in People’s Future

While the war continues to cause human suffering and destruction of homes, schools and hospitals, the latest Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5) estimates that Ukraine will need at least $588 billion over the next decade to restore infrastructure and, even more importantly, people’s livelihoods and wellbeing.  

The report, released on 23 February 2026 by the Government of Ukraine together with the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations, underlines the increasing damages in housing, energy and transport sectors.

 The energy sector, in particular, saw a 33.7% increase in recovery needs due to continuous attacks on the generation and transmission systems. The full extent of energy damage is not yet comprehensively captured in the data, as the report overviews the damage up to the end of December 2025.  

“The RDNA once again precisely documents the price tag of infrastructure destruction and sustainable recovery needs,” says Matthias Schmale, the Head of the UN in Ukraine. “But the true cost of war is measured in human lives and livelihoods.”   

Where Recovery Begins: Classrooms in Vyshhorod

In Vyshhorod, just 20 kilometers north of Kyiv centre, recovery is visible in a restored and reopened lyceum. Once a key direction of the Russian offensive toward the capital, the city continues to rebuild despite ongoing attacks. With renovations by UNOPS supported by the European Union, the school has resumed in-person learning, with a basement shelter where classes continue during air-raid alerts. For 11th-grade student Daryna, returning to school took time after her family evacuated abroad at the start of the war. 

“We didn’t know what to do. When it became unsafe, we left. But the school there couldn’t replace my lyceum. As soon as in-person learning resumed, we returned, and I was able to attend my school again.”

Now preparing for graduation exams, Daryna studies amid sirens and power outages - a reminder that recovery is not abstract policy, but lived resilience.

Matthias Schmale warned that prolonged educational disruption risks limiting opportunities for an entire generation:

“Educational interruptions threaten learning outcomes and future opportunities. Investing in schools is not simply about repairing buildings, it is about protecting Ukraine’s people potential and its long-term development.”

Supporting recovery and reconstruction of critical and social infrastructure is not only about building a better future at this stage, itis imperative for survival. The coming months are critical: repairs must be completed before the next winter, and water and energy systems must be protected and reinforced to withstand continued attacks.

Integrated community recovery combining housing, heating, essential services, and employment will be essential to enable Ukrainians displaced by this brutal war to return and rebuild their lives. 

People are central to recovery 

Beyond the numbers, the war’s impact on people remains immeasurable. RDNA5 estimates that socioeconomic losses have reached US$666.7 billion, driven largely by disruptions to commerce, industry, public services, and livelihoods. What can’t be fully captured is the trauma, loss, and strain on mental well-being, as well as impact on living environment and potential long term health impacts.

“Ukraine’s most critical asset is its people,” underlines Matthias Schmale. “Refugee return, veteran reintegration, and women’s labor force participation will shape economic recovery as much as capital flows and rebuilding infrastructure. Recovery must be human-centered and community-based.”

Recovery must therefore focus first and foremost on people: helping families return to safe homes, allowing children to learn again in reopened schools, ensuring communities have access to reliable health care, creating decent jobs that support livelihoods, and protecting vulnerable groups so that no one is left behind in the rebuilding process.

Seeds of Recovery  

Recovery also takes root in Ukraine’s agricultural heartland. In the Kharkiv region, Liubov’s farm once sustained her family and community. Before February 2022, she managed more than 220 cattle, along with pigs and sheep. The invasion devastated her livelihood: livestock was lost, farm buildings destroyed, and dozens of hectares of land rendered unusable.

“I lost almost everything. But the land and the faith that I can rise again I will not give to anyone,” she says.

Through a joint FAO and World Food Programme initiative supporting mine action and agricultural recovery, Liubov received $12,000 in cash and voucher assistance. She purchased seeds, fertilizers, building materials and pedigree calves to restart production in close proximity to the front line, where it is most needed.

“This support was critical and timely. It helped us not to give up.”

The RDNA5 estimates agricultural recovery needs at more than $55 billion. But beyond statistics, farms like Liubov’s represent restored livelihoods, rural stability and renewed confidence in the future. 

A Collective Responsibility 

The Ukrainian government has shown remarkable strength and resourcefulness in tackling unprecedented challenges caused by the war. Essential services are continued to be delivered, schools reopen, hospitals operate, and innovation is promoted.

Yet, the costs of reconstruction and recovery, as described in the RDNA5, place an immense burden on authorities and the Ukrainian people. While no single actor can meet the scale of this challenge alone, strong partnerships and coordinated action are indispensable. It’s also evident that reconstruction is not only about infrastructure, but also, it’s a strategic investment in people – children, women, veterans, older people, people with disabilities, displaced people.  

It is to ensure that students like Daryna can complete their education, that farmers like Liubov can bring in their harvests, and that communities can move from immediate survival toward sustainable development.

“A sustainable recovery of Ukraine depends on collaboration among national and local authorities, civil society, international financial institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, development partners, and, importantly, Ukrainian communities themselves,” stresses Matthias Schmale. “Together, we can make a real difference for the Ukrainian people in their pursuit of a better life."