UNOPS Completes Repairs of 74 Educational Facilities in Ukraine with EU Support
To enable Ukrainian children to return to in-person learning, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has successfully rehabilitated 74 educational institutions in the Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions. This work was carried out as part of the "School Repairs in Ukraine" project, implemented with support from the European Union and a total budget of €28 million.
According to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine’s educational infrastructure has suffered massively: more than 4,650 educational facilities have been damaged, and 423 completely destroyed.
The rehabilitated facilities include kindergartens, secondary schools, and vocational colleges. Significant attention during the reconstruction was devoted to safety: shelters in most facilities were repaired and equipped to ensure comfortable conditions for students and educators during air-raid alarms.
“Access to education is a fundamental right of every child that war must not take away. By restoring schools and creating reliable shelters, we are bringing back a sense of normal life, safety, and the joy of interacting with peers to children. As long as Ukrainian communities need our support in protecting this right, the European Union will stand by them,” said Marianna Franco, Head of the European Union Humanitarian Aid Office in Ukraine.
Depending on the extent of the damage, the scope of construction works encompassed a range of tasks: from replacing shattered windows and doors to capital repairs of roofs and facade insulation. Specialists also modernized heating systems and renovated classrooms, gyms, corridors, and sanitary facilities. Properly equipped basic shelters allow many educational institutions to conduct full-time classes even under current conditions, helping communities gradually return to a normal pace of life.
“Quality educational infrastructure is the foundation for the resilience of the entire country. Restored schools and reliable simple basic shelters allow children to learn, and parents to work with peace of mind regarding their children’s safety. We are grateful to the European Union for its partnership and the opportunity to jointly implement such solutions, as every restored school is a tangible contribution to the recovery and preservation of Ukraine’s human potential,” said Marysia Zapasnik, Head of Programme, UNOPS Ukraine Multi-Country Office.
Notes to the editors:
Bona fide media are permitted to use photos stored in the folder for reporting on the project with the attribution © UNOPS
About UNOPS
UNOPS offers practical solutions across peace and security, humanitarian and development operations. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners, such as the European Union and its Member States, to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement across the world. Read more: www.unops.org
About EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid
The European Union and its Member States are among the world’s leading humanitarian donors, providing assistance to people affected by conflicts and disasters worldwide. Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the European Commission delivers life-saving support to millions each year, guided by humanitarian principles and based on identified needs.