Belize

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 Belize:

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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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04 April 2026

“It was really hard to stand on my feet again”

Zakhar, 12, remembers that September evening in 2025 only in broken fragments. He and his friends were walking to the small local shop, the only place in their village in Kharkiv region where they could get a mobile signal. They were laughing and chatting when they stumbled upon a strange object in the grass. One of the boys kicked it. Then came a deafening blast – a blur of smoke, pain, and ringing silence.It was a hand grenade. The explosion left Zakhar and another boy with shrapnel wounds, burns, and concussions. Their two other friends, uninjured but terrified, ran to a nearby farm to call for help.“I hardly remember that day,” says Zakhar, a shy boy with serious eyes. “I just remember my friend finding the grenade and kicking it. Then the explosion. I fell. Everything spun around, and I crawled away. After that, I only remember bandages and the hospital.” A childhood disruptedBefore the accident, Zakhar and his mother lived in Kupiansk district, an area that was severely damaged during the first months of the war. They endured constant shelling, hunger, and isolation.“Our whole community was shattered,” his mother Natalka recalls. “Shells kept landing nearby. Windows were blown out. Shops didn’t work. Food was scarce. We lived off vegetables from the garden and cooked on open fires because there was no gas or electricity. It was getting harder to live there with a child.”Even when the fighting became less intense, hidden dangers remained in their community Four years into the full-scale war, the threat of mines and explosives to children in Ukraine persists. Ukraine is now one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, with more than 20 per cent of its territory – around 146,076 square kilometres of land and water – potentially contaminated with explosives. This includes spaces where children should be safe and protected, such as playgrounds and schools. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 179 children have been killed or injured by mines and explosive remnants of war since February 2022. “Our teacher once told us online that mines are dangerous,” said Zakhar. “But the connection was poor — sometimes I couldn’t even hear the lessons.”However, according to a UNICEF survey, more than half of Ukrainian teenagers engage in risky behaviour around mines and explosive objects despite knowing the risks. “We used to roam around the village, go fishing, wander near the quarry,” Zakhar says. “There were no signs saying ‘Mines’. We just didn’t think about it.”“Your son has been blown up”On that fateful evening, Natalka had just returned home from working at a local farm when children came running and shouting: “Your son Zakhar has been blown up on a mine!”She sprinted out and found her son lying on the ground, his leg wrapped in his torn T-shirt. “A local man helped to bandage him. I was terrified but tried to stay calm,” she recalls. She quit her job to stay by his side through the surgeries and months of rehabilitation.Zakhar suffered the worst injuries of all the boys. “His leg muscles were torn. His body was full of shrapnel,” Natalka says quietly. “They even had to transplant skin. The hardest part was helping him stand again.” Starting the recovery journey The day after the accident, UNICEF’s mine victim assistance programme partner International Rescue Committee (IRC) contacted the family. “When we learned about the incident, we immediately developed a support plan,” says Viktoriia, a case worker at IRC. “That included psychological counselling and financial aid to support medical treatment. Natalka also received cash assistance from UNICEF to help cover essentials and urgent needs, since she’s a single mother who lost her job and had to relocate.”They moved to Kharkiv as renewed shelling forced villagers to flee once more. Zakhar now studies online while undergoing therapy for both his physical and emotional recovery. “He’s a quiet, sensitive boy who needs gentle communication,” Viktoriia explains. “Our psychologists and social workers provide him with stability and care. His condition has improved, but we’ll keep supporting the family as they adapt to their new life.” Zakhar now walks with care, after undergoing several surgeries and skin grafts on his injured leg. His wounds still ache, and air raid sirens make him flinch, but he says the worst is over.“Now I’d never go near a mine or something strange again. I tell other kids not to either. Because it was really hard to stand on my feet again,” he said. “Before the explosion, I loved cycling. It’s been a year since I last rode a bike. But this summer, I’ll try again.”###UNICEF’s mine victim assistance programme, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee and funded by the European Union's Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), provides holistic support to children injured by mines or other explosive weapons in Ukraine. UNICEF's mine and explosive ordnance risk education, conducted with partners like the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and Ministry of Education, equips children with life-saving knowledge on how to identify and protect themselves from mines, explosives and other hazards. These awareness sessions are conducted in classes and activities across the country, including in remote and high-risk communities.

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A boy stading in front of a ruined buiding

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02 April 2026

Clearing the path for the future: mine action efforts in Ukraine

Fields can’t be planted, roads can’t be used, communities are unable to return home. With support from the United Nations, mine action efforts are helping to address these challenges through surveillance and clearance, risk education, and technical support.On Mine Awareness Day, the UN in Ukraine calls on the Member States, donors, and partners to invest in mine action in Ukraine as a precondition of recovery and long-lasting peace.The fields no one plants Serhii and Iryna, a couple from Kamyanka in Kharkiv region, left their home in 2022 after hiding in the basement from hostilities for a few weeks. When they returned in 2023, their home was damaged, their belongings destroyed, and the yard littered with debris and mines – the hidden danger that caused Serhii to suffer from serious injuries, requiring multiple surgeries.“Every morning, I wake up and think – thank God we’re alive,” said Iryna. “We just want peace, to live without fear, to go to the market safely again.”An estimated 20% of Ukraine’s territory has been affected by landmines and explosives – an area larger than England and Wales combined. The consequences are both immediate and long-term: nearly 1,680 civilians have been killed or injured, over 9 million remain displaced in the country or abroad, many of them unable to return, 67% of agricultural areas affected, costing Ukraine $11.2 billion annually. “During my travels across the country, I’ve seen plenty of land contaminated by mines and explosives, especially in the frontline regions,” explains Matthias Schmale, the Head of the UN in Ukraine. “It affects people and economies. Clearing the land, making it safe again for living and production, is critical, not just for Ukraine, but for food security worldwide.”The price of the futureAccording to the latest Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, damage to the explosive hazards sector is estimated at US$10.6 million, while losses reached US$26.7 billion. The latter are mostly driven by reduced land use, disrupted transport, and declining economic activity. For people, this number means less safe movement, limited access to services, including medical ones, and restricted livelihoods, disproportionately affecting rural, frontline communities, and returnees. The impact is also gender-specific: risks are higher for women working in agriculture, for men involved in debris clearance, and for children in contaminated play and school areas.Without making the land safe, it’s extremely difficult to rebuild houses, hospitals, open farms, businesses. Demining is a prerequisite for Ukraine’s reconstruction, requiring an estimated $34.6 billion over ten years. On the bright side, mine action is the only sector that, under recent estimation, needs US$2.2 billion less than last year. This was possible because of the innovations, expertise, and more effective coordination employed in humanitarian demining. To make life on land possibleIn support of government and national mine action actors, the UN in Ukraine continues to introduce innovative technologies to survey and clean the land, to equip deminers with protective gear, specialized machines and knowledge, to provide help to survivors and farmers, ready to return to the cleared land, and to engage more veterans and women in mine action. Accelerating land release has been one of the priorities for the UN in Ukraine and its partners. In 2025, UNDP, WFP, and FAO enabled the release of over 7,600 hectares of mine‑suspected land, directly benefiting over 11,500 people. In addition, UNDP processed 99,000 tons of debris from 43 buildings across Kharkiv, Sumy, and Mykolaiv, enabling reconstruction and reducing environmental risks. People are the key to the mine action – those who operate in the field and those who coordinate. UNDP equipped 202 State Emergency Services of Ukraine (SESU) demining teams, while UNOPS delivered over $9.5 million worth of vehicles, ambulances, and a remotely operated demining machine to a full demining battalion – over 420 people. Both agencies have been working continuously to provide hundreds of deminers with knowledge and expertise in mine disposal, underwater demining, and the use of technology and automation. UN Women, jointly with partners, has been working to support women in the mine action sector, where they have traditionally been underrepresented and often limited to administrative positions. In 2025, 26 women received training to enable them to lead mine action. Two years ago, 35-year-old Tetiana joined the demining team at “The HALO Trust,” eventually qualifying to lead both manual and mechanical demining operations. “At first, it was very stressful – fear mixed with adrenaline. But knowing that my work directly contributes to people’s safety was incredibly motivating,” she recalls. Now leading a team of nine, she oversees daily operations, assigns tasks, and ensures strict safety procedures are followed. Although only one woman is on her current team, around 30 percent of HALO Ukraine staff are women, including in leadership roles. Tetiana believes there should be more. “Ukrainian women are incredibly strong,” she says.Being safe means being aware Despite growing awareness of mine risks, many people in Ukraine, especially children and young people, continue to be exposed to danger. According to UNICEF, while 80 percent of adolescents can identify explosive threats, more than half in contaminated areas still take risks. Boys aged 14 to 17 are particularly affected, accounting for nearly 80 percent of child casualties since 2022, often due to exploring forests, fields, and abandoned sites. UN agencies are helping people learn how to stay safe from explosive hazards, support survivors, and train professionals in assistance to survivors. In 2025, 1.5 million children received life-saving information on how to protect themselves from mines and explosives through UNICEF-supported campaigns and activities. Over 500,000 adults received explosive ordnance risk education sessions and leaflets to reduce safety risks in affected communities.Funded by the European Union, UNOPS handed over virtual reality goggles to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine to showcase the dangers of hazardous items and what to do if they encounter them, but in the safety of the classroom. “The new tech is going to be integrated into our awareness raising and outreach work,” explains Serhii Tarasov, Head of the Institute for Engineering and Special Training at the National University of Civil Protection in Cherkasy. “With the way the devices let the user see threats in a realistic environment, they will certainly improve audience engagement and help us shape the right behavior patterns among our trainees.” Next steps: innovative technologies and the need for further investmentsUkraine has been integrating innovative technologies into mine action from AI-powered mapping to tailored support for people who have suffered from mine accidents. The country’s growing expertise in demining has the potential to make a change both in Ukraine and in other countries facing similar risks.The response is government-led, with the UN’s continuous support through strategic planning, operational strengthening, coordination, and data integration. To meet current and future needs, Ukraine’s mine action requires stronger investments to scale national systems and to deploy new technologies that make demining faster and safer. It is also important to involve more people with disabilities, veterans, and women in demining work and to expand support for survivors and their families.“These priorities show that mine action is not a Sisyphean task, but a practical investment that lays the foundation for lasting peace and safety in Ukraine,” sums up Matthias Schmale. “With sustained international commitment, it can deliver meaningful, long-term results for affected communities.”

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01 April 2026

Ukraine’s hidden dangers: why clearing mines and explosives is fist step for safety

Paul Heslop, a representative of the United Nations Mine Action Service and Special Adviser to the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, joined yesterday’s noon briefing at UN Headquarters to raise awareness of mine action in Ukraine and call for further investment in scaling up operations and new technologies.Contamination on an unprecedented scale“Mines and unexploded ordnance are stopping fields from being planted, critical infrastructure from being rebuilt,” said Paul Heslop, showing models of artillery shells, grenades, and landmines that contaminate Ukraine’s cities, soil, and skies every single day.“We're talking about around 6 million of these as unexploded ordnance. We are looking at a level of contamination that has not been seen in Europe since the end of the Second World War,” he explains.The war today will leave a legacy that, until it is removed, will stop those countries’ recovery and will have a long-term effect on the global economy. In Ukraine, the economic consequences are already severe. The presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance is costing the country $11 billion a year, reducing growth by between 3 and 5 percent of GDP. Innovation and the path forwardIn Ukraine, new approaches are already making a difference. Using satellite imagery, drone imagery with AI, and data analytics, more than 30,000 square kilometers of land have been assessed and safely returned. “We need to invest in new technologies, new methodologies, and improving human capital,” Paul Heslop emphasized.Mine clearance is slow and complex, but essential. Without it, recovery cannot begin. With it, communities can return, economies can restart, and countries can rebuild. The lesson from Ukraine is clear. “Prolonged investment in mine action is an investment in peace. It’s an investment in recovery. It’s an investment in moving things forward.”Until the mines are cleared, people cannot be truly safe.A full briefing is available here.

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30 March 2026

In Mykolaiv oblast, medical care becomes closer to people

The corridors are quiet, but invisible work is in full swing. We pull on gowns, masks and shoe covers, and head to the laboratory, where the equipment hums softly. "This little worker of ours is sleeping now," Natalia Hryhorivna, head of the laboratory, jokes, tapping the panel of the new hematology analyzer. The hospital received it through a joint project by UNOPS and the Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk. Once switched on, the analyzer slips back into the lab's daily rhythm: complete blood count, leukocyte formula, ESR, hematocrit - the tests ordered for dozens of patients every day. "Before, we did everything on one analyzer, and we had queues," Natalia Hryhorivna explains. "Now that we have a second one, we can split the flow: one for inpatients, one for outpatients." For the lab’s three technicians, this means simpler planning and faster service. On busy days, during medical checkups for example, they process up to fifty tests. Domanivka hospital serves three communities in the Mykolaiv region: Domanivska, Prybuzka, and Mostivska. Together, this is about 23,000 people, plus more than 4,000 internally displaced persons who settled here after 2022. There is no rail connection here, and when bus routes drop off, for example in spring when high water cuts off roads, "going to Mykolaiv for tests" sounds like a luxury. The local hospital is not a "last resort" option, but the only realistic option. "People don’t need to go anywhere else. A family doctor sends an electronic referral, we do the tests and enter the results into the system," Natalia Hryhorivna says. In the way she says "we," I hear both professional pride and the tired resilience of a team working with little room to spare.
The hospital grounds are easy to get lost in: buildings and utility blocks are spread across five hectares. Deputy directors proudly show us pellet-fired boiler rooms, solar panels, generators – all the pieces that help keep the hospital running through frequent power outages. On the way to the surgical department, we pass by a detached building with an older stationary X-ray unit. It sits about a hundred metres away from the surgical wing, across uneven paths.Inside the surgical department, there is something new: a mobile X-ray unit, also delivered by UNOPS with financial support from Novo Nordisk.
The senior nurse, Larysa Vasylivna, puts it simply: “It has made our work easier. Now we can do X-rays right in the operating room. We don’t have to move the patient anywhere.” Before, patients had to be transferred between this and the building with the stationary X-ray machine on stretchers or gurneys. Heavier patients – “150 kilos and more,” she recalls – sometimes required six people to carry them. Who carried them? Nurses. Doctors. Whoever was available. Surgeon Yevhen Mykhailovych adds: “This mobile unit means we don’t have to disturb the patient during imaging. For people with fractures, that’s a huge relief.” Anyone who has experienced such pain will understand the difference this makes. For the surgical team, having mobile imaging in the operating theatre is immediately transformative: an image taken during the procedure shows what the eye cannot – deep structures, the alignment of bones, the accuracy of fixation, and allows the team to adjust on the spot. Here, the war is discussed without grand words, simply as extra pressure on a system that was already fragile. With displacement, there are more patients. Not everyone has the paperwork to register with a family doctor. But how do you turn away someone who needs help now?“I haven’t refused a single person in my entire practice,” Yevhen Mykhailovych says.That, perhaps, is the core of the Domanivka hospital story: despite ageing buildings, difficult roads and a shortage of staff, there are practical solutions that bring care closer to people. When the lab equipment runs reliably, and a surgeon wheels a mobile X-ray unit into place before an operation, it is a quiet, everyday win against circumstances, and for patients who often have nowhere else to turn.About the project:This joint project, implemented by UNOPS with financial support from the Government of Denmark and Novo Nordisk, aims to strengthen healthcare facilities in the Mykolaiv region and help them expand the range of medical services. The project consists of two components: with financial support from the Government of Denmark, UNOPS is carrying out repair work in five hospitals in Mykolaiv, and with funding from Novo Nordisk, UNOPS is procuring and delivering priority medical equipment to more than 15 healthcare facilities around the region.

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24 March 2026

War in Ukraine After a Harsh Winter: “Far from abating, the violence is worse than ever”

The United Nations officials are warning that the war continues to bring suffering, death, and continuous disruption into the lives of people living in Ukraine.“It has been over four years since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” said Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo at the UN Security Council meeting on 23 March 2026. “Nearly 1,500 days of death, destruction, and despair.” From a Harsh Winter into Renewed Strikes on Critical InfrastructureMillions of Ukrainians have just come through months of cold weather, often with limited electricity and heating due to repeated strikes on energy systems. Now that winter is over, attacks are rising again instead of easing.Russia is launching more than 5,000 drone strikes each month, along with frequent missile attacks.Key infrastructure continues to be hit, including energy networks that people rely on to recover after winter, as well as homes, schools, hospitals, and transport systems.“Military activity near Ukraine's nuclear sites, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, continues with potentially devastating consequences,” continues DiCarlo, mentioning successful repairs of the station's energy supply.Humanitarian support continuesSince 19 March alone, at least 25 civilians have reportedly been killed and more than 130 injured, including children, particularly in Donetsk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.“The damage builds - quietly but relentlessly - alongside the visible destruction,” said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher.Humanitarian workers continue to provide food, cash assistance, medical care, shelter, and protection to people along the front line and after strikes, with local organizations being the backbone of this effort. “Over a cruel, cold winter, around 100 humanitarian organizations supported more than 1.6 million people,” explained Tom Fletcher.

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Press Release

16 April 2026

WE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO COUNT THE CIVILIAN TOLL EVERY DAY

Overnight, like many people across Ukraine, I was woken by the sound of explosions in my hotel room in Dnipro. Some of the country’s largest cities—including Dnipro, Kyiv and Odesa—came under a massive attack by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.Over a dozen residents, including a child, have been reported killed, with scores more injured. The toll is rising as rescue efforts continue.For many communities, this is no longer a single attack but part of everyday life. In cities like Dnipro, residents have endured multiple nights of intense attacks, while in Odesa, strikes have become a near-daily threat. These attacks are now affecting communities far beyond the immediate front line.Once more, families have seen their homes damaged or destroyed in an instant. Others have spent the night in shelters or huddled at home, trying to comfort children terrified by the relentless alarms and blasts.First responders have also been injured while responding to the strikes. This reflects broader and increasingly high risks faced by those helping the affected civilians, including humanitarian workers.We should not be forced to count the civilian toll every day. This cycle of violence against those who are simply trying to live their lives must stop.

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Press Release

07 April 2026

‘Land: The Bearer of Memory’ installation dedicated to humanitarian demining now in Kyiv’s Gulliver shopping mall

The installation consists of eleven transparent cylinders, ten of which are filled with soil from regions affected by hostilities, creating a space where the land “speaks” through the voices of people whose lives have been changed by the war. Beneath these cylinders is living grass, serving as a symbol of recovery and the return of life. Each flask contains a separate audio story: from sappers who neutralize explosive objects every day, to farmers restoring their fields, and children returning home. This soil becomes a symbol of resilience, restoration, and memory.A distinctive feature of the updated installation is an eleventh cylinder, which is empty. No grass grows beneath it – there is no life there. It symbolizes Ukrainian land to which access is currently unavailable and which is still waiting to be de-mined. This cylinder holds untold stories that sound different – only the noise of the wind and the rustling of grass. This serves as a reminder that much work remains ahead, with vast areas of land waiting to be renewed and returned to life.Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine, noted the importance of the exhibition’s continued presence: “Land is more than just soil; it is the foundation of a community’s future and the bedrock of Ukraine's recovery,” Lootsma said. “By sharing these stories in the public sphere, we ensure that humanitarian de-mining remains a primary national priority. This installation allows the land to ‘speak’ for itself, serving as a reminder that until the final mine is cleared, the restoration of life and the country's socio-economic potential remains incomplete.”Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, emphasized the significance of inaccessible land symbolized by the installation’s eleventh cylinder: “If you drive past the fields right now, you will see that work is in full swing,” Bezkaravainyi said. “However, a vast amount of agricultural land remains dangerous and will once again go uncultivated this year. Our task is to ensure that areas like (those represented by) ‘Cylinder 11’ become increasingly rare, because safe land yields returns that far outweigh the effort invested in it.”The project was originally presented in January this year at the Ivan Franko National Academic Dramatic Theatre in Kyiv, with the participation of UNDP in Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, and the Demine Ukraine platform. The goal of the project is to raise public awareness of humanitarian de-mining as one of Ukraine's key priorities. The Gulliver Shopping and Entertainment Centre acted as the location partner for the installation, opening the space to a wide audience and integrating the theme of humanitarian de-mining into the daily urban environment.Background:According to official data, since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than a third of Ukraine’s territory – 174,000 square kilometres – was considered potentially contaminated. However, by the end of 2025, this figure had been reduced to 133,300 square kilometres. Even as the war continues, Ukraine has already returned more than 40,000 square kilometres of land to use, including 5,203 square kilometres released in 2025 alone. Learn more about the initiative and listen to the stories at https://landofmemory.com.ua/en/ Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, Head of Communications and Advocacy, UNDP in Ukraine; yuliia.samus@undp.org

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Press Release

07 April 2026

UNDP documentary ‘Land of Silence’ on humanitarian demining in Ukraine now available online

The film follows the stories of people working on the frontlines of mine action — deminers, researchers, and technical specialists — who deal with the daily realities of explosive hazards. Through their experiences, “Land of Silence” documents the scale of the contamination of Ukrainian land with explosives, along with the critical role of demining in Ukraine’s recovery efforts.After more than four years of full-scale war, Ukraine is one of the most mine-affected countries in the world, with around 22 percent of its territory (133,300 square kilometres) potentially contaminated and requiring survey.The documentary film project was initiated by UNDP in Ukraine and implemented with financial support from the Government of the Republic of Korea, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.Directed by Viktor Solodukha and Emil Bakhtiyev , the film tells the stories of:Pavlo Bondarenko, head of the mechanized demining unit of the State Emergency Service in Mykolaiv Oblast.Natalia Horun, non-technical survey specialist at Norwegian People’s Aid.Oleksandr Bonchkovskyi, Doctor of Philosophy in Geography and chief scientific consultant at the Society of Researchers of Ukraine.“Land of Silence” has been screened at international and Ukrainian film festivals, including the Tokyo Short Film Festival 2025, where it was shortlisted and included in the official recommended programme. In Ukraine, it was presented in the non-competitive programme of the 54th Molodist International Film Festival in Kyiv. Watch the film here: https://sweet.tv/movie/37558-tixa-zemlia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCzOByfBvZg Background:Today, 133,300 square kilometres of Ukraine’s territory affected by the war remain potentially hazardous. Some 21,000 square kilometres are currently accessible for demining. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 40,700 square kilometres have already been returned to safe use.Media enquiries:Yuliia Samus, Head of Communications and Advocacy, UNDP in Ukraine; yuliia.samus@undp.org

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Press Release

12 March 2026

UN Commission concludes that deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by Russian authorities, as well as enforced disappearances, amount to crimes against humanity

Thousands of children have been deported to the Russian Federation or transferred to occupied areas in Ukraine by Russian authorities, according to the Commission. It has so far verified the deportation or transfer of over 1,200 children from five regions in Ukraine.Shortly before the full-scale invasion, the Russian authorities undertook large-scale relocations, which they justified as “evacuations” due to the risks of the armed conflict. But the Commission found that four years later, 80 per cent of the children from the documented cases have not been returned. This contravenes international humanitarian law, under which evacuations can only be temporary for compelling reasons of health, medical treatment or safety.“The deportation and forcible transfer of children is a grave violation of international law,” said Erik Møse, Chair of the Commission. “Children must never be separated from their families coercively.”Russian authorities have coordinated legislative, administrative, and practical measures to facilitate deportations, transfers and subsequent placement of children in families and institutions in the Russian Federation. Some of these measures were adopted in the days preceding the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion.The evidence collected demonstrates that authorities acted pursuant to a policy conceived and executed at the highest level of the Russian Federation’s leadership. The involvement of President Vladimir Putin, and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, has been visible from the outset. This policy has been implemented by authorities and institutions across various branches of power at central and regional levels in the Russian Federation, as well as in the occupied territories in Ukraine.Russian authorities have systematically failed to disclose the whereabouts of the children to parents or legal guardians and have kept children in a coercive environment making their return to families almost impossible. Instead of establishing a system facilitating the return of children, Russian authorities placed them under long-term arrangements with families or institutions in 21 regions of the Russian Federation and in the occupied territories. They systematically granted Russian citizenship to the children whom they deported or transferred and their profiles were also placed on adoption databases.Families and children had to take it upon themselves to locate one another. The returns that could be organized occurred after obstacles, delays, and security risks. Four years on, most of the families are still looking for their children, resulting in lengthy separations, distress and suffering. This amounts to the war crime of unjustifiable delay in the repatriation of civilians. The Commission further investigated the conduct of trials by courts in the Russian Federation and in Russian occupied areas of Ukraine. During the trials, Russian authorities systematically presented evidence that was fabricated by use of torture. Civilians and prisoners of war were deprived of fundamental fair trial guarantees, as the guilt of the accused was presumed from the outset demonstrating the lack of independence and impartiality of the courts. The Commission found that the Russian authorities committed grave breaches of international humanitarian law, which constitutes war crimes.The Commission has continued to document cases of sexual violence committed by Russian armed forces. In one case, a girl as young as 13 years was the victim of rape. In another, a woman had a child as a result of rape.The Commission also investigated the circumstances of nationals from 17 countries recruited to fight with Russian armed forces in Ukraine. It found that many had been deceived and lured from abroad through promises of civilian employment or other lucrative arrangements. They were coerced to sign contracts written in Russian, which they did not understand, and sent to the frontline without necessary training. The Commission interviewed 85 soldiers who had served in the Russian armed forces in connection with the fighting in Ukraine and subsequently deserted. Most testified about violent practices arbitrarily ordered or tolerated by commanders, including executions, beatings, and detaining soldiers in pits or tying them to trees. Their accounts demonstrate a total disregard for human life and dignity. As for Ukraine, the Commission recalled the prevailing legal uncertainty surrounding the overbroad definition of “collaborative activities” in Ukrainian criminal legislation. It highlighted that the crime’s scope could encompass actions that do not threaten national security. Analysing rulings of the Supreme Court of Ukraine on this issue, the Commission found that when considering lawful activities under international humanitarian law, the Supreme Court failed to take into account that body of law, which obliges the Occupying Power to ensure that essential services in territories under their control continue to be provided to the civilian population. Finally, the Commission documented violations reported during mobilisation for the Ukrainian armed forces. These include irregular administrative detention, lack of access to a lawyer, and hurried examinations by military medical commissions that ignore possible underlying medical issues. Instances of violence have been recorded against conscientious objectors, who were taken by force to recruitment centres and military bases, regardless of expressed readiness to carry out alternative civil service. Background: The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to, among other things, investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, and related crimes in the context of the aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation. The Commission comprises Erik Møse (Chair), Pablo de Greiff and Vrinda Grover.The Commissioners were appointed by the President of the UN Human Rights Council; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights Office provides support to the Commission of Inquiry, the commissioners serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including the UN. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the mandated commissioners.For media requests and queries, please contact: Saule Mukhametrakhimova, Media Adviser, Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, saule.mukhametrakhimova@un.org, or (+43-1) 26060-83450 or (+43-676) 3493464; or Todd Pitman, Media Adviser for the UN Human Rights Council’s Investigative Bodies: todd.pitman@un.org / +41766911761; or Pascal Sim, Human Rights Council Media Officer: simp@un.org.

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