United Arab Emirates

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14 May 2026

Restoring strength and hope: how WHO and the EU support people in rebuilding their lives in Ukraine

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Press Release

12 May 2026

UN WFP truck carrying food for frontline communities hit by drone in Dnipro region, driver injured

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Press Release

11 May 2026

3000 attacks on health care in Ukraine verified by WHO since full-scale invasion

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Latest

Story

14 May 2026

Restoring strength and hope: how WHO and the EU support people in rebuilding their lives in Ukraine

Learn more

Press Release

12 May 2026

UN WFP truck carrying food for frontline communities hit by drone in Dnipro region, driver injured

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Press Release

11 May 2026

3000 attacks on health care in Ukraine verified by WHO since full-scale invasion

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The Sustainable Development Goals in Ukraine

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in the United Arab Emirates:

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Press Release

23 February 2026

Updated Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Needs Assessment Released

KYIV, Ukraine, Feb. 23, 2026— Four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an updated joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5) released today by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations currently estimates that as of 31 December 2025, the total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine is almost $588 billion (over €500 billion) over the next decade, which is nearly 3 times the estimated nominal GDP of Ukraine for 2025. With the support of development partners, the Government of Ukraine is taking significant steps to meet recovery and reconstruction priorities for 2026, including public investment projects and essential recovery support programs such as funding for destroyed housing, demining, and multisector economic support programs, totaling more than $15 billion. In addition, per the available information collected under the RDNA assessment, at least $20 billion in needs have already been met since February 2022 through urgent repairs and early recovery activities in housing, energy, education, transport, and other essential sectors. “Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, the total cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery is now estimated at nearly $588 billion over the next decade, nearly three times the country’s projected nominal GDP for 2025,” noted Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko. “Amid unprecedented Russian attacks on energy infrastructure and homes across Ukraine this winter, our people show resilience, our entrepreneurs keep working. We still manage to recover fast and develop further. I thank the World Bank, EU, and UN teams for supporting our efforts to stand against the challenges. The assistance helps us urgently repair our critical infrastructure to keep the country running as well as continue systematic recovery activities focusing on energy projects and housing for our people.” The latest update presents an overview of nearly four years of impact, covering 46 months between February 2022 and December 2025. It finds that direct damage in Ukraine has now reached over $195 billion (€166 billion), up from $176 billion (€150 billion) in the RDNA4 of February 2025, with housing, transport, and energy sectors being most affected. Damage, losses, and needs remain concentrated in frontline oblasts and major metropolitan areas. In the energy sector, which has been subject to increased attacks as Ukraine endures a winter of record intensity, there has been an approximately 21 percent increase in damaged or destroyed assets since the RDNA4, including power generation, transmission, distribution infrastructure, and district heating. In the transport sector, needs have increased by around 24 percent since RDNA4 and are the result of intensified attacks on rail and ports during 2025. As of December 31, 2025, 14 percent of housing has been damaged or destroyed, impacting over three million households.“Despite the widespread damage that continues to mount against Ukraine’s people, economy and infrastructure, the entire country continues to press on with remarkable strength and resolve,” said Anna Bjerde, World Bank Managing Director of Operations. “The World Bank Group stands firmly committed to supporting Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction and helping to advance the people of Ukraine with jobs, opportunities and hope in a resilient, modern, and competitive economy.”Ukraine’s private sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of unprecedented disruption and will play a critical role in recovery and reconstruction. The RDNA5 underscores that unlocking the full potential of private investment—both domestic and international—will depend on sustained reforms to improve the business environment, strengthen competition, expand access to finance, address labor constraints, and align production with EU green and digital standards. Promoting sustainable and inclusive development and job creation, and integrated approaches to resilient recovery at the local level—such as through the Government’s pilot Comprehensive Restoration program—will also be essential. The RDNA5 findings complement the reform and investment agenda of the Ukraine Facility, grounded in the EU accession process, for the next two years.“Russia’s war of aggression continues to have a devastating impact on Ukraine,” said EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. “The EU will continue to play a key role in supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery by mobilizing more private investments through the Ukraine Investment Framework, and by encouraging key reforms through the Ukraine Plan that will attract investment and bring Ukraine closer to EU membership.”Of the total long-term needs, reconstruction and recovery needs are the highest in the transport sector (over $96 billion (€82 billion)). This is followed by the energy sector (nearly $91 billion (€77 billion)), the housing sector (almost $90 billion (€77 billion)), commerce and industry sector (over $63 billion (€54 billion)), and agriculture sector (over $55 billion (€47 billion)). The cost of explosives hazard management and debris clearance is almost $28 billion (€24 billion), despite some progress in surveying and demining that helped to contain losses in this sector. “People are central to recovery,” said Matthias Schmale, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine. “Ukraine’s most critical asset is its people. 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.”The RDNA5 acknowledges the Government of Ukraine’s efforts to build a forward looking, inclusive, and resilient economic model anchored in postwar recovery planning and long-term growth and underscores the pivotal role played by EU accession and reforms under the Ukraine Plan, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank Group supported programs. The Government’s emerging postwar economic strategy — the Ukraine Economy of the Future (UEF) — focuses on macrofiscal stability, governance and rule of law reforms, private sector dynamism, infrastructure rebuilding, and investments in human capital and social sustainability. These efforts will help to strengthen confidence among citizens, investors, and partners and position Ukraine for accelerated EU convergence and long-term prosperity. Editorial note: All EUR estimates use the Dec 31, 2025, USD/EUR exchange rate.Contacts: In Washington: Amy Stilwell, Sr. External Affairs Officer, World Bank, (202) 294-5321, astilwell@worldbankgroup.org In Kyiv: Victor Zablotskyi, Communications Officer, World Bank, +380 (67) 466-7690, vzablotskyi@worldbank.orgIn Kyiv: Maria Shaposhnikova, Public Information Officer, UN in Ukraine, +38050 4578443, mariia.shaposhnikova@un.org

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Press Release

31 March 2026

UN General Assembly adopts landmark resolution to strengthen the work of the UN system

Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the adoption, describing it as a “historic resolution” and “a major step” that establishes a critical building block for a 21st century United Nations system that is more effective, more accountable and better equipped to deliver results in a changing world.“The resolution adopted today reflects a shared understanding of the full mandate lifecycle – and a shared commitment to strengthen each step of it,” the Secretary-General told Member States. “Today’s resolution helps translate the ambition of the UN80 Initiative into concrete, practical action.”A stronger approach to the mandate lifecycleMandates - decisions adopted by Member States that guide the work of the United Nations - sit at the core of the Organization’s ability to deliver on peace and security, development, human rights and humanitarian assistance.The resolution strengthens the full mandate lifecycle by introducing measures to:• Strengthen mandate creation, bringing greater discipline, coherence and transparency, and encouraging mandates that are clearer, sharper and more focused, backed by better information for decision-making from the outset;• Strengthen implementation, with more user-oriented and data-driven reporting, better coordination and more effective use of resources;• Strengthen review and accountability, including through a culture of continuous improvement grounded in evidence, accountability and results.Member State leadership, supported by the SecretariatThe resolution builds on the work of the General Assembly’s Informal Ad Hoc Working Group on the Mandate Implementation Review, co-chaired by Ambassador Brian Wallace of Jamaica and Ambassador Carolyn Schwalger of New Zealand.The Working Group was established by the General Assembly in September 2025 to consider the proposals contained in the Secretary-General’s report of the Mandate Implementation Review developed under Workstream 2 of the UN80 Initiative. The report examined how mandates are created, implemented and reviewed, and offered concrete proposals to strengthen each function. Workstream 2 of the UN80 Initiative. The report examined how UN mandates are created, implemented and reviewed, and offered concrete proposals to strengthen each function.The resolution decides to deliver through a formal Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review, open to all Member States and observers. The tasks include, for example, developing better practical templates, stronger review clauses and further review of existing mandates.While reaffirming the Member State-led process, the Secretary-General outlined how the UN Secretariat will support the Working Group, including through:• a single point of contact for delegations on mandate-related questions and process;• enhanced information on the cost of commonly mandated activities and earlier indications of the financial implications of new mandates;• strengthened coordination of implementation responsibilities across Secretariat entities and the wider UN system; and• strengthened results-based approaches, more tailored and user-friendly reporting, and continued development of the UN Mandate Source Registry and other digital transparency tools.From adoption to implementationCalling the resolution “a major step” - but “only the beginning” - the Secretary-General said the UN system would work as a single, coherent Organization guided by the Working Group to improve how mandates are supported and implemented.The UN80 Initiative, launched by the Secretary-General in March 2025 and welcomed by the General Assembly in resolution 79/318, is a system-wide effort to reshape how the UN system works - so that every mandate, dollar and decision delivers greater impact for people and planet.Media ContactsUN80 Secretariat: un80contact@un.org

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Press Release

16 March 2026

FAO report: agriculture remains a lifeline for rural families in war-affected Ukraine

The report on food security and agricultural livelihoods in Ukraine, based on interviews with more than 2 800 households across nine front-line oblasts, provides a detailed picture of how rural families are coping with the prolonged impacts of the war.The report reveals that, despite the challenges, agriculture continues to serve as a vital safety net. Four in ten households are engaged in agricultural production, and for many families farming provides a direct source of food while helping shield them from market disruptions and rising food prices. At the same time, the assessment shows that rural livelihoods are under increasing strain. One in three households reported a decline in income over the past year, reflecting growing economic pressure on families already affected by the war.This financial stress is forcing many households to adopt strategies that may help them manage short-term hardship but weaken their resilience over time. More than 75 percent of surveyed households reported relying on coping mechanisms, such as spending savings, borrowing money or cutting essential expenditures, including healthcare and education.“For many rural families in Ukraine, agriculture is not just a source of income – it is a lifeline that helps them feed their families and maintain a sense of stability despite the ongoing war,” said Shakhnoza Muminova, Head of the FAO Office in Ukraine. “Supporting farmers and rural households is therefore necessary not only to protect food security today, but also to safeguard the resilience and recovery of rural communities.”The findings of the report also highlight the compounded challenges faced by the most vulnerable groups. Internally displaced persons, women-headed households and families living near the frontline experience higher exposure to shocks and significantly greater risks of food insecurity.“The assessment shows that many rural households continue to rely on farming as a crucial coping strategy,” said Aziz Karimov, Head of the Assessment, Research, and MEAL Unit at FAO Ukraine, and a lead author of the report. “However, declining incomes, repeated shocks and limited access to agricultural inputs are gradually weakening this safety net, leaving vulnerable households increasingly exposed to food insecurity.”Evidence to guide emergency agriculture and support rural livelihoodsThe report provides critical insight into how the war continues to affect food security and agricultural livelihoods at the household level. By linking economic pressures, production challenges and exposure to shocks, it helps explain why many rural families are becoming increasingly vulnerable despite continuing to farm.The findings have informed FAO’s Emergency and Early Recovery Response Plan for Ukraine 2026–2028, as well as Food Security and Livelihood Cluster partners planning processes aimed at strengthening agricultural resilience and protecting rural livelihoods. By providing evidence on how the war continues to affect household food security and agricultural production, the assessment helps guide targeted support to farmers and rural communities.As Ukraine continues to face the profound consequences of the war, coordinated efforts by national authorities, humanitarian partners and international donors remain essential to address the growing pressures on rural communities. Supporting farmers and rural families is critical to stabilizing food systems, protecting livelihoods and preventing further deterioration of food security in rural areas.Key findingsAgriculture remains a critical livelihood strategy, with 40 percent of surveyed households engaged in agricultural production, and 86 percent of agricultural households producing primarily for self-consumption.Agriculture helps protect households from food insecurity, with farming households reporting lower levels of food deprivation and more diverse diets compared with households not engaged in agricultural activities.Rural households are under increasing financial pressure, with one in three households reporting a decline in income over the past year, and 48 percent of households relying primarily on agricultural income experiencing falling earnings.Households in frontline areas face significant economic vulnerability, with 42 percent relying on pensions and 36 percent on social benefits as their primary income sources, and 3 percent reporting no income at all.Agricultural production is declining under mounting constraints, with 30 percent of crop producers reporting smaller harvests, rising to 45 percent in Khersonska oblast, while 20 percent of livestock producers reported losing animals due to the war.More than 75 percent of households reported adopting coping strategies to manage financial hardship, including spending savings, borrowing money or reducing essential expenditures such as healthcare and education.Displacement has had severe impacts on livestock production, with 70 percent of surveyed evacuees reporting that they had to abandon livestock when fleeing their homes.The most vulnerable groups remain internally displaced persons, women-headed households and families living near the frontline, who consistently experience higher levels of food insecurity, more frequent shocks and greater reliance on negative coping strategies.

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Press Release

30 March 2026

UNHCR supports repairs of common spaces in multi-story buildings, enabling more than 7,500 families to access state compensation

Since 2023, UNHCR has carried out or supported repairs in more than 100 multi-story residential buildings – this has enabled over 7,500 households to become eligible to apply for compensation under the Government’s eVidnovlennia programme.Under national regulations, apartment owners can only apply for compensation once the common areas – such as roofs, staircases, entrances, or windows – have been restored and declared safe. In many war-damaged buildings, the cost of repairing these shared spaces is too high for residents to manage on their own, leaving entire buildings excluded from the compensation mechanism.By repairing these common spaces, UNHCR addresses one of the most practical and immediate barriers to compensation. The repairs are implemented through a combination of contractor-led works and the provision of construction materials to local authorities, complementing the community-led efforts.In 2025 alone, UNHCR helped with repairs across Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions, making over 1,700 families – in total 3,250 people – eligible to apply for compensation.This work is part of UNHCR’s broader approach to ensure that displaced and war-affected people in Ukraine gain access to the Government’s vital compensation scheme which also entails provision of free legal aid. Together with local NGO partners, UNHCR provides legal counseling to help people restore their housing, land, and property rights, recover essential documents, confirm ownership, or complete inheritance procedures required for compensation claims. In 2025, UNHCR delivered 39,000 legal consultations, helping thousands navigate procedures and overcome administrative obstacles with over 2,200 cases successfully resolved to restore documentation or ownership rights."Through our integrated approach to shelter and protection interventions, we are making sure that no one is left behind and that people are supported to access the Government’s essential compensation programme, which we know serves as a lifeline to many families whose homes have been damaged by Russian attacks. By combining practical repairs with legal aid and our strategic advocacy, we help remove barriers for thousands of people, delivering tangible results today and helping to prepare communities for future reparations and recovery work," says Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, UNHCR’s Representative in Ukraine.The repairs of common spaces are part of UNHCR’s larger shelter programme in Ukraine, which supports war-affected and displaced families through emergency shelter materials provided immediately after attacks (more than 565,000 people supported since 2022) and durable house repairs (close to 55,000 houses repaired since 2022).UNHCR’s response in Ukraine is made possible thanks to the generous support of government and private donors. This includes top donors contributing specifically to the Ukraine operation as well as those providing critical flexible funding to UNHCR globally: Denmark, the European Union, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.More info: UNHCR Ukraine Brief: People-Centred Recovery in Action – Unlocking Compensation

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14 May 2026

Restoring strength and hope: how WHO and the EU support people in rebuilding their lives in Ukraine

Inside, her husband Oleksandr is learning how to use a wheelchair under the guidance of a physical therapist.For the past three months, Nataliia has not left her husband’s side. She has been caring for him after multiple complex surgeries – treating wounds and stitches and helping him relearn the simplest things: how to eat, drink, and sit up again.Until recently, the couple lived in Kostiantynivka, in a small house they had built over many years, hoping to spend their retirement surrounded by nature.“But we were never the kind of people who could sit idle,” Nataliia recalls with a smile. “We had a big household – chickens, geese, and sometimes five or seven pigs. But Sasha loved his nutria the most. He was always busy with them – building new cages, separating the females from the males, or taking them to the vet if they got sick. Sometimes I would joke: ‘Why don’t you just go kiss your nutria?’ But of course, I helped him, because he loved them so much. He has always been a kind and hardworking man – if someone needed help, he would be the first to show up. And when bread stopped being delivered to our town, he volunteered to bring it together with some guys from the nearby town of Druzhkivka.”That morning, a neighbour asked Oleksandr to help with some work around the yard. As always, he agreed. A few minutes later, a Shahed drone struck the neighbour’s courtyard.“At first, I didn’t even understand what had happened,” Nataliia remembers. “I just heard a terrible scream – an inhuman scream. When I ran outside, there was a sneaker lying on the grass… with a torn- off leg inside it. On the way to the hospital, Sasha kept asking the same question: ‘Where is my sneaker? Did you take it with you?’”The neighbours were killed instantly. Oleksandr survived, but doctors had to amputate both of his legs and remove one eye. Then came the long and difficult road of rehabilitation.For a long time, Oleksandr could barely move. He spent most of his time lying down and gradually lost motivation. Even sitting on the bed was possible only for a few minutes – severe back pain made it unbearable.“Until Illia appeared,” Nataliia says. Illia is a physical therapist at the hospital. Only a few days ago he began working with Oleksandr – teaching him how to transfer into a wheelchair, maintain balance, and use his arms. Just recently, even that seemed impossible.“But now you can’t stop Sasha,” Nataliia smiles. “Sometimes Illia says, ‘Maybe that’s enough for today.’ But Sasha asks to continue. He says he wants to become independent again as soon as possible – to stand on prosthetics.”People who have lost both lower limbs or sustained spinal cord injuries are often forced to relearn how to live - and in many cases, their mobility depends on a wheelchair for a long time. That is why it is essential to ensure an individual fit, so that the wheelchair is comfortable, safe, and supports a person’s daily activities.According to the National Health Service of Ukraine, since the start of the full-scale war, around 12,000 people have sustained spinal cord injuries. This is only part of those who currently require long-term rehabilitation and assistive mobility devices.That is why specialists across Ukraine are being trained to properly assess, fit, and adjust wheelchairs according to international standards.Over the past three years, more than 300 rehabilitation professionals have completed this training, and nine Ukrainian specialists have become certified trainers, helping pass these skills on to colleagues.This makes it possible to gradually expand access to quality rehabilitation services across the country – from cluster to super-cluster hospitals – ensuring that more patients receive the support they need where they are treated. The project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union.“I think everything will be alright for us,” Nataliia says with a gentle smile. Maybe we’ll even start a household again someday. We’ll live… and enjoy life. Because life goes on.”

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08 May 2026

Ukraine’s recovery has a hidden fault line, and we are not measuring it

Ukraine’s recovery needs are staggering. The latest assessment of damage and needs places the figure at $587.7 billion over the next decade, nearly three times the country’s GDP. International partners have mobilised extraordinary support, channelled through a very sophisticated architecture. The system knows a great deal about needs and commitments. Damage is mapped, needs are quantified, reforms are tracked, and disbursements are conditioned based on performance benchmarks. Ukraine has become one of the most closely monitored recovery processes in modern history. None of the tools governing Ukraine’s recovery was designed to measure whether institutions behind all of this can actually function and deliver. That is the hidden fault line. Resilience, misused and misunderstood “Resilience” has become one of the most frequently used words in Ukraine to describe the extraordinary capacity of Ukrainians to endure conditions no society should have to withstand. That interpretation is understandable, but incomplete. The capacity to cope with extraordinary hardship is not resilience. It is the absence of an alternative. Resilience, properly understood, is something more operational: whether government systems can keep delivering services under pressure, adapt when circumstances change, and maintain the trust of the people they serve. And right now, no one is measuring it across Ukraine’s recovery architecture. That gap matters. Recovery fails when state capacity is not fully part of the equation. Built for a different problem Most recovery frameworks begin with the same questions: what has been destroyed, what will it cost, who will pay? Those are necessary questions, but not sufficient. They rest on an assumption that if financing is available and reforms are agreed, delivery will follow. Ukraine is stress-testing that assumption under conditions no recovery framework was designed for. It is not a post-conflict case, but a country simultaneously fighting a large-scale war, keeping services going for millions of displaced people and affected populations, managing billions in international assistance, and advancing reforms under martial law. This is a permanently stressed system operating at the edge of institutional limits. The question is no longer whether Ukraine can rebuild, but whether state systems can carry the weight placed on them. Four pressures, one blind spot Four compounding pressures are eroding the state’s ability to deliver in ways the current recovery architecture is poorly equipped to see. Need and capacity move in opposite directions. Frontline oblasts account for 82% of documented destruction. The areas bearing the heaviest burden are also the ones where the fiscal and institutional base has been most severely compressed. Spending does not always translate into results. Social protection allocations in the 2026 budget stand at UAH 468.5 billion ($10.5 billion), covering growing caseloads of displaced persons, veterans, and vulnerable households. In parallel, humanitarian cash programmes deliver large-scale support. Despite the combined scale of both, nearly 80% of households in frontline areas still cannot meet basic needs. External financing is becoming increasingly uncertain. The US has ended budget support, and the 2026 financing gap stands at around $52 billion with only $5.5 billion secured by the end of Q1. Humanitarian funding is declining at the same time, affecting the most vulnerable. Institutional capacity is under pressure. Mobilisation, emigration, and internal displacement have reduced the number of experienced civil servants and administrators. This loss is not visible in dashboards, but it determines whether systems can function. The state is asked to do more with fewer people. The measurement gap at the heart of recovery The frameworks governing Ukraine’s recovery are sophisticated and, within their own terms, effective. Damage assessments tell you what has been destroyed and how much is needed, Ukraine’s digital reconstruction platform DREAM tells you what projects have been registered, funded, and completed. The IMF benchmarks and EU scorecards tell you, in complementary ways, whether the right systems and processes have been adopted. Every instrument does what it was built to do. None was designed to answer the one question that matters most: can the institutions responsible for delivery actually function, and where, and under what conditions? Consider DREAM. Out of more than 12,000 registered projects, fewer than 10% are fully funded. More financing is needed. Historically, nonetheless, Ukraine’s public investment absorption capacity has never exceeded 30%. This is not only a financing problem. It is also a capacity problem. More money helps, but it will not, on its own, close the recovery gap. What gets measured gets managed. The tools governing Ukraine’s recovery fail to measure the one thing that determines whether recovery holds: state capacity under sustained pressure. What cannot be seen cannot be strengthened. The consequences are already visible. First, priorities become distorted. When capacity is not visible, investment flows to where delivery is easiest. The risk of territorial disparities grows, with frontline regions, where institutional stress is greatest, receiving support that falls short of what their situation requires. Second, humanitarian transitions become poorly managed. Humanitarian aid never stops because people no longer need it. It stops because money runs out. In 2026, with humanitarian funding contracting, that moment is already here. A successful transition is measured by whether people can access services, meet their basic needs and become self-sufficient. Right now, that test is being applied without the evidence to know whether the systems taking over can pass it. Third, private investment becomes even more constrained. Private capital responds to predictability and credible commitments, not damage maps. Security conditions matter, but they are not the whole story. Across much of Ukraine’s territory, a critical binding constraint is not security but the absence of any reliable way to read the institutional landscape on the ground. The risk financing architecture is important, but it will not unlock the purely commercial investment that the scale of Ukraine’s needs requires. A different kind of question The instinctive response to complexity is more coordination: new platforms, working groups, and mapping exercises. That temptation should be resisted. The problem is not lack of dialogue. It is the absence of a shared, evidence-based picture of where systems can function effectively and where they need further support. Without that, coordination produces alignment around incomplete questions. Closing this gap requires a state capacity agenda built around what resilience means in operational terms: whether systems can deliver under pressure, adapt when conditions change, and sustain the trust of the people they serve. In practical terms, this requires three shifts: for humanitarian partners, using capacity evidence to guide transition decisions rather than funding cycles; for development institutions, calibrating instruments to local conditions rather than national benchmarks; and for government, clearly identifying where the state can deliver effectively, where it requires reinforcement, and where complementary support remains necessary. The evidence of the capacity constraint exists. What is missing is a framework that consolidates and operationalises it across state systems, at national and subnational level, in a form that decision-makers can act on. The window is open Ukraine’s recovery will not be determined by what is mapped, committed or financed alone. It will be determined by whether institutions can function, adapt, and retain public trust under sustained pressure. The window for getting this right is open. A recovery architecture that cannot measure state capacity under stress will never deliver the recovery it claims to be building. The methods exist. What is missing is their integration into how recovery is governed.

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05 May 2026

Ukraine Is Changing the Future of Mine Action and the World Should Pay Attention

When people think about mine action in Ukraine, they usually focus on danger.They think about contaminated farmland, damaged roads, unexploded ordnance, and the long shadow that war leaves behind.All of this is true. But Ukraine is also becoming something else: one of the world’s most important innovation hubs for detecting, managing, and clearing landmine contamination.What is happening here may not only shape Ukraine’s recovery, it could transform mine action globally.According to estimates cited by international mine action organizations, contamination is likely to affect tens of thousands of square kilometres, with some assessments suggesting that up to around 30% of the country’s territory may be impacted or suspected. A problem of historic scaleUkraine faces one of the largest contamination challenges seen in decades.After years of frontline fighting across vast territories, large areas of land are suspected to contain landmines, unexploded shells, cluster munitions, and other explosive hazards. The problem is very large. But the numbers do not always show the full reality.Not every area marked as dangerous is actually contaminated. There is an important difference between: land that is potentially contaminated, land that is suspected, land that is confirmed and land that truly requires clearance. That distinction matters because if every square kilometre is treated the same way, recovery becomes slower, more expensive, and less efficient.The real challenge is not only clearing land. It is identifying where the real risks are quickly and accurately. Ukraine as a global turning pointMine action has changed several times over the last decades.First, it moved from being a purely military task to a humanitarian one.Later, international standards improved how operations were managed.Then new conflicts involving improvised explosive devices forced another transformation.Ukraine may now represent the next major turning point.But why? Because technology has finally reached a level where it can dramatically improve how mine action is done.Artificial intelligence, drones, robotics, digital mapping, combined sensors, and precision GPS are no longer future concepts. They are tools available now.And Ukraine has the urgency, talent, and scale to test them in real conditions. Technology can make mine action faster and saferTraditional clearance methods are slow, labour-intensive, and dangerous.In many cases, deminers must investigate every signal in the ground manually. That takes time and puts lives at risk.Today, new tools can change that; a drone can map terrain in minutes. Sensors can detect different signals below the surface.AI can combine thousands of data points and identify areas with high probability of contamination.Robotic platforms can inspect dangerous zones remotely.Precision GPS can mark hazardous points within centimetres rather than metres.This means fewer people exposed to danger, faster decisions, and more land returned safely.Ukraine is not inventing every technology from zero. But it is becoming a place where existing tools are being combined in new ways that could redefine the sector.Mine action is not only about minesToo often, mine action is measured by outputs:Number of devices removed Square metres cleared Teams deployed These indicators matter. But they do not tell the full story.The real question is what mine action makes possible:Can farmers return to work?Can children reach school safely?Can roads be repaired?Can investors build factories or warehouses?Can families come home?Mine action should be seen as an enabler of recovery, because you cannot build homes, hospitals, schools, or power infrastructure on unsafe land.Without clearance, reconstruction slows down. Without reconstruction, recovery stalls.Why the whole world should careUkraine’s contamination crisis is not only a national issue.Before the full-scale war, Ukraine was one of the world’s most important agricultural producers.When farmland is damaged or inaccessible, global food supply is affected.That can increase food prices far beyond Europe. For wealthier households, higher food prices are frustrating, but for poorer families in countries already facing hunger, they can be devastating.The same logic applies to energy markets, transport routes, and trade.What happens in Ukrainian fields can affect households thousands of kilometres away.This is why supporting mine action in Ukraine is not charity, it is an investment in global stability. Smarter financing is neededMine action is expensive. But not every dollar creates the same impact.Sometimes, clearing highly contaminated land may cost more than the economic value of that land.That does not mean it should never be cleared. It means decisions must be smarter, based on evidence and long-term outcomes.Ukraine also offers an opportunity to think differently about financing.With strong banking systems, insurance markets, and international support, innovative models could unlock more capital blending public money, private guarantees, and development finance.This could help scale solutions faster than relying only on grants.Measuring what really mattersOne of the biggest lessons from decades of mine action worldwide is that we often measure the wrong things. Success is jobs created, tax revenue restored, also displaced families returning home or women entering sectors where they were once excluded.In Ukraine, more women are already joining mine action teams and leadership roles. That matters not only for the sector itself, but for wider economic participation and social change. The moment to leadUkraine did not choose this contamination challenge, but it can choose how the world responds to it.The country now has an opportunity to lead a new generation of mine action: faster, smarter, safer, and more connected to economic recovery.That requires continued donor support, smarter regulation, stronger partnerships, and openness to innovation.But it also requires a shift in mindset, because mine action is not the end goal; it is the foundation that makes every other recovery goal possible.If Ukraine gets this right, it will not only clear land, it will help clear the path for how the world responds to contamination crises in the future.

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04 May 2026

Story of a School in Chernihiv Region: Returning to Learning in Safe Conditions

Everything changed on 1 March 2022, when a large Russian military convoy entered the village. People soon found themselves under occupation. They were terrified to go outside, and leaving the village was extremely difficult. Valentyna, a teacher at the Pisky secondary school, recalls that period with sadness:“My family and I never left the village. But there were times when enemy troops were stationed just 300 metres from our house. It was terrifying. On those days, we would flee to the forest and stay there all day because it was too dangerous to remain at home. Looting had already begun, and livestock was being stolen. We deliberately left our doors and windows unlocked so that if Russian soldiers entered the house, they would at least not break anything.” The occupation lasted a month but left a lasting mark on the residents’ memories. People spent weeks without communication, sufficient food and medicine, and electricity. Simply charging a phone and reaching out to family became a challenge for many.Polina, an 11th-grade student who has attended the Pisky school since first grade, is now preparing for her final exams. She dreams of becoming a marketing specialist and plays the guitar in her free time. Her family decided to stay in the village during occupation. She shared her memories from that period:“We had spent a long time without electricity, and then, right at the start of the war, we found ourselves under occupation. Every day we could hear tanks and explosions. It was truly terrifying.” In the first months of the full-scale invasion, Polina’s school was damaged. A window was blown out, and the roof was compromised.“We don’t know exactly how it happened, but we think it was from a burst of automatic fire. That day, Russian soldiers were furious and drove through the village, firing at everything in their path. When the rainy season came, water started leaking through the gaps in the roof. We, the teachers and parents, did all we could to save the building,” recalls Valentyna Samson.After the village was returned under Ukrainian control, UNOPS repaired one of the school buildings with funding from the EU. However, because the school lacked a proper shelter, there were plans to close it entirely. To prevent this, UNOPS and the EU decided to build a modular shelter — a separate structure designed for short-term protection against debris and blast waves. “We were very happy when we learned that UNOPS would not only repair the school but also build a shelter. We understood that children need to study in person — it’s crucial for both social development and the learning process. Now, with the shelter in place, we have a fully established procedure for air raid alerts: as soon as the sirens sound, all teachers lead the children to the shelter, where they continue their lessons until the all-clear signal,” says Valentyna Khomenko, the school principal. Denys, an 11th-grade student, shared that everyone quickly adapted to learning in the new conditions.“The modular shelter has everything we need to continue learning. There are three zones: one for the younger grades, one for the middle grades, and one for the older students. Each student has an assigned seat in the shelter. We stay in our places until the all-clear signal sounds,” he explained. The students are happy to come to school every day and see their friends. Despite the ongoing war, they are all preparing for exams, dreaming of a bright future, and hoping for the end of the conflict.About the projectThe Schools Repairs in Ukraine project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNOPS, aims to repair educational facilities that have been damaged during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This $30 million initiative is being implemented in the regions of Chernihiv, Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv, focusing on schools requiring light to medium repair work.The primary objective of the project is to provide access to repaired school facilities which will increase the proportion of children receiving face-to-face education. By rehabilitating more than 70 schools, the project will help restore facilities to a safe and welcoming environment where students can continue their education without interruption.

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Press Release

12 May 2026

UN WFP truck carrying food for frontline communities hit by drone in Dnipro region, driver injured

The truck was traveling in a convoy alongside two WFP armored passenger vehicles, carrying a total of seven staff members. After successfully offloading food commodities in Zoriane and Slovianka, Dnipro region, the truck was damaged by an FPV drone, injuring its driver. The two other vehicles left the location and the driver was immediately taken to a hospital. While immobilized, the truck was hit multiple times by separate drones.All vehicles were clearly marked as UN WFP vehicles. “It is shocking and shameful that civilians and humanitarians must risk their own safety to deliver lifesaving assistance to frontline communities facing desperate conditions,” said Richard Ragan, WFP Country Director in Ukraine. “These repeated attacks on humanitarian convoys and distribution sites threaten the people we support, and risk cutting them off from the assistance they depend on,” Ragan added.In the last two years, WFP recorded more than 80 attacks on its vehicles, warehouses, distribution points and the vehicles and assets of its local humanitarian partners in Ukraine.Despite increased security risks, WFP continues to support nearly 600,000 people with critical food and cash assistance every month in Ukraine’s frontline regions. In the last month WFP distributed food boxes to 157,000 people in frontline locations.Background information: The United Nations World Food Program is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.For more information please contact: Antoine Vallas, WFP/Kyiv, +380 952501154, antoine.vallas@wfp.orgOleksandr Mariash, WFP/Kyiv, +380 999724356, oleksandr.mariash@wfp.org

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Press Release

11 May 2026

3000 attacks on health care in Ukraine verified by WHO since full-scale invasion

The scale and frequency of these incidents place patients and health workers at constant risk and undermine the delivery of life-saving services. Under international humanitarian law, the wounded and sick, medical personnel, health-care facilities and transport must be respected and protected. Member States must also take feasible precautions to protect civilians and civilian objects, including health-care services, and to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, subject to applicable controls. From primary health care centres to maternity hospitals, and from ambulance teams to pharmaceutical warehouses, every component of the system has been affected. Health-care facilities have been most impacted: around 80% of verified attacks on health care have affected outpatient clinics, hospitals and other care settings. Beyond the immediate casualties, such attacks disrupt service delivery, damage critical infrastructure and erode the health system’s capacity over time.“Every one of these attacks is a violation of international humanitarian law, and every one represents a patient who couldn’t be reached, a health worker in danger, a community left without care,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “This cannot be normalized. Under international humanitarian law, health care is protected. That is not a guideline or a recommendation. It is a binding obligation on all parties to any conflict. WHO will continue to document every attack on health and advocate for the protection of health workers in Ukraine.”Health-care transport remains among the most vulnerable elements of the system in terms of human impact. Approximately 20% of recorded attacks on health care have been on ambulances and other health vehicles, with nearly 1 in 3 of these incidents resulting in casualties – making medical transport one of the highest-risk areas for injury and loss of life. “Since the beginning of this year alone, 186 attacks on health care verified by WHO have resulted in 15 deaths and left at least 81 people injured, with numbers continuing to rise. Compared to the same period in 2025, the number of deaths has increased nearly fourfold, while injuries have almost doubled. These patterns not only place health workers at heightened risk, but also further disrupt the continuity of care for those who depend on it most,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. “The WHO Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care monitors and verifies the impact of attacks on health care to inform system-wide advocacy for compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of health care, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2286 (2016) and World Health Assembly Resolution 65.20 (2012), which condemn attacks on health workers and facilities and call for measures to prevent violence and ensure accountability,” added Dr Habicht. Escalating health needs in UkraineThe continued damage to health infrastructure has significantly constrained the ability of medical personnel to deliver essential care, requiring constant adaptation of humanitarian health operations. This is unfolding amid escalating needs: according to the United Nations, 12.7 million people in Ukraine require humanitarian assistance, including 9.2 million in need of health support. Civilian casualties have increased by an estimated 31% compared with the previous year, 2025.“According to the latest estimates, the needs for rebuilding the health-care sector over the next 10 years already amount to US$ 23.6 billion. At the same time, we are doing everything possible to ensure that patients have access to necessary medical care. We are grateful to WHO and all our partners for their systematic support, which helps sustain and strengthen the health-care system under these extremely challenging conditions,” said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine. Long-term, sustained support to Ukraine’s health systemDespite continued attacks and mounting humanitarian needs, sustaining and strengthening Ukraine’s health system remains essential to safeguarding uninterrupted access to life-saving services for millions of people. In Ukraine last year alone, WHO supported:1.9 million people with essential health servicesnearly 1000 health facilities with medicines and equipment more than 2500 health workers through training over 6400 patients through medical evacuation abroad for specialist care.In close coordination with the Ministry of Health, local authorities and partners, WHO continues to adapt support to the evolving situation, helping facilities stay functional, protecting health workers where possible and reinforcing the resilience of the health system. WHO has been on the ground in Ukraine since 1994, supporting the country’s health system. Its efforts strengthen the immediate humanitarian response as well as the recovery, restore essential services disrupted by war, and advance institutional reforms that will shape Ukraine’s health system for decades, ensuring better access to care and improved population health.

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Press Release

11 May 2026

Ukraine’s Barrier-Free Routes School supports 22 communities to design accessible public spaces

This hands-on educational programme helps communities design accessible and user-friendly routes that connect key everyday destinations, including administrative buildings, social institutions, parks, and other public spaces. This year, 139 communities from across Ukraine applied to join the school. A total of 22 teams from 12 oblasts – Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Poltava, Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Volyn, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, and Odesa – were selected to participate. A total of 66 participants will take part in a four-day in-person theoretical training in Kyiv, followed by a practical module with a mentor directly on their selected route. They will then continue developing their projects with expert support. The full programme will run for three months and conclude with presentations of the barrier-free route projects that have been designed. “Barrier-free access is ultimately about the quality of life in a community – whether people can move freely in public spaces, access services, and participate fully in everyday life,” said Christophoros Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine. “Strengthening the capacities of local professionals is critical, as they are the ones making decisions that shape people’s daily experiences.” “Barrier-Free Routes School is about practical solutions at the community level. Last year’s participants did not simply complete a training programme — they started changing the way they approach accessibility, thinking not in terms of isolated facilities, but of complete routes that people use every day. Today, we are scaling up this approach: 22 new communities will work on routes designed to make urban spaces truly accessible — from home to hospitals, administrative service centres, public transport, and other essential locations. This is no longer only about infrastructure, but about ensuring that all people can fully live, work, and participate in community life,” said Nataliia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine. The initiative was launched last year at the request of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, and received financial support from the Government of Japan. The training is part of the Ministry’s flagship “Movement Without Barriers” programme, implemented under the First Lady Olena Zelenska’s “Barrier-Free” initiative. “Barrier-free communities are those where accessibility becomes part of everyday planning and decision-making for all residents,” said Tetiana Lomakina, Advisor-Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment. “It;s at the local level that accessibility moves from vision to practice. What makes this school particularly valuable is that teams go beyond learning – they immediately work on real accessibility routes that transform people’s daily experiences: getting to a hospital, school, transport stop, workplace, or accessing essential services.” In 2025, 61 participants from 15 communities completed the programme and developed barrier-free route projects. These solutions demonstrate how accessibility standards can be integrated into recovery processes – from adapting urban spaces to rethinking public infrastructure. The 2026 school builds on and expands this work. “Japan remains firmly committed to supporting Ukraine’s recovery in a way that is truly accessible for veterans, people with disabilities, older people, and families with children. For us, accessibility is not only about infrastructure — it is about people’s dignity, independence, and equal opportunity to participate fully in community life,” said Hirotaka Kawakami, First Secretary of Economic and Economic Cooperation Section of the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine. “Together with UNDP and our Ukrainian partners, we are investing in the knowledge and skills of professionals who shape environments to serve everyone". The Barrier-Free Routes School complements a broader set of UNDP initiatives promoting accessibility and universal design. Through three cycles of the Universal Design School, UNDP has already trained around 170 professionals from across Ukraine, supporting the development of inclusive solutions in their communities. Some of these projects are already being implemented, while the accumulated experience has been compiled into almanacs of developed projects – practical publications designed to support the scaling up of such approaches across Ukraine. Media inquiries: Yuliia Samus, Head of Communications and Advocacy, UNDP Ukraine, yuliia.samus@undp.org  

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Press Release

08 May 2026

FAO and UNOPS launch programme to support farmers in Khersonska oblast

Kyiv, 8 May 2026 - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, has launched a new call for applications in the State Agrarian Registry (SAR) to support small-scale agricultural producers in Khersonska oblast. The initiative is being implemented with financial support from the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund (UCRF) and aims to restore agricultural land and help revive farming activities affected by the war.The SAR call is open to farmers from Borozenska, Kalynivska, Velykooleksandrivska and Vysokopilska communities whose land has been impacted by hostilities since February 2022 and further affected by drought. Eligible applicants include agricultural producers cultivating between 3 and 300 hectares of land, with plots located at a safe distance from the frontline.Applicants are required to be registered in the SAR, provide cadastral numbers for plots requiring survey, clearance or restoration, and complete a needs assessment questionnaire. Beneficiary selection will be based on programme criteria, including the share of land left uncultivated due to the impact of hostilities, changes in the number of farm workers since February 2022, the level of contamination and damage caused by explosive ordnance, the significance of the soils, the plot’s connection to a watershed area, and the impact of drought on yields, crop losses or cultivated areas.Selected farmers will receive cash assistance and vouchers to purchase essential agricultural inputs, including drought-adapted seeds, drip irrigation kits and other materials needed to restart production, complemented by agronomic guidance and support in applying for the State compensation programme for humanitarian demining.Applications can be submitted through the State Agrarian Registry from 8 May to 1 June 2026.The initiative forms part of a broader USD 2.6 million joint project by FAO and UNOPS, funded through the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund, to help farming communities in Khersonska oblast safely return to agricultural production.Useful materials:
• Instructions for registration in the SAR
• Instructions on how to log in to the SAR and edit your personal dataContact Information:SAR contact center: +38 044 339 9215; support@dar.gov.uaFAO hotline: +38 099 090 7582; +38 068 318 0943; UA-Feedback@fao.org

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