PARTNERSHIP FUND FOR A RESILIENT UKRAINE

A hotline that provides legal services and administrative assistance has proved a critical lifeline for thousands of Ukrainians who have suffered from Russian aggression. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, legal and paralegal specialists from Donbas SOS have responded to more than 60,000 requests from Ukrainians seeking help, including those who have been displaced due to Russia’s invasion.

In March 2022, Donbas SOS was among the first projects the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) supported as part of its emergency response. At that time, the hotline’s small staff of operators was processing up to 9,000 calls per month and required immediate international assistance to meet demand. The hotline provides advice and information to help Ukrainians navigate issues such as accessing social benefits, resolving administrative and legal issues, and finding humanitarian aid.

Issues identified by hotline operators have been used to propose changes to Ukrainian legislation, appeal to local and national government agencies for improving the conditions of war-affected population, and develop advocacy campaigns on issues such as social payments, housing allowances, utility payments in the war zone, restoration of documents. Donbas SOS’ proposals, especially those related to rights for internally displaced persons (IDPs), have been accepted by policymakers and reflected in government policies, strategies, and decrees.

After 24 February 2022, Okhtyrka, Sumy Oblast, found itself encircled, its population of 48,000 (about twice the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) trapped within its boundaries. As the fighting intensified in the outskirts of Okhtyrka, Russian forces sought to occupy the city, but Ukrainian defense forces stood firm, launching a counteroffensive that liberated occupied territories in Sumy on 26 March.

Even as the city endured the ravages of war, Okhtyrka Central District Hospital’s doors remained open as the only medical facility in Sumy Oblast that continued providing critical care to both military personnel and civilians. In a remarkable display of resilience, doctors lived and worked in the hospital’s basement for weeks.

Responding to the need to restore the hospital’s basement so it could be used as a shelter, Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) helped improve the basement and provided 20 tons of construction materials and equipment for the shelter’s bathroom facilities.

Recognizing the importance of providing a sense of normalcy for the community’s youngest residents and ensuring opportunities for leisure, PFRU also restored the gym of the Okhtyrka Children and Youth Sports School. PFRU installed 28 sturdy doors, securing shelter spaces, and puttied over 225 square meters of the school’s walls, installed a new heating system. This essential upgrade breathed warmth and life back into the gym, allowing up to 100 children to resume judo and sambo exercises.

The Ivanivka Hromada on the southern outskirts of Chernihiv City was occupied at the very beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in March 2022. As a result of shelling, local infrastructure suffered. The windows and doors of the city’s Lyceum were broken, and its roof was damaged. The Russian military forced citizens to move to the Lyceum basement and kept them there. The Ivanivka Village Council building was robbed, its windows were shattered, and its interior was destroyed. The Centre for Public Services lost windows, and its equipment was stolen by Russian occupiers.

In response to a request by the Hromada, PFRU assisted in restoring these buildings. PFRU repaired the Lyceum roof, which posed a risk of leaks and further damage to the building. PFRU’s repairs ensured safe and clean conditions for learning for 165 students.

PFRU also replaced the broken windows and front doors of the Centre of Public Services and provided construction materials and equipment to restore heating, electricity, water supply, and interior finishings, allowing the centre to reopen. During its first working week, the centre served 169 residents, enabling them to access 186 administrative services through the centre.