Ukraine needs to increase financial assistance to support internally displaced persons - Vereshchuk
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk said this in a commentary to Ukrinform, Censor.NET reports.
"We now have to intensify the search for funding sources for 2024, because our state budget is almost entirely focused on security and defense. However, the social sphere should not be neglected," she emphasized.
According to Vereshchuk, against the background of the general recession, humanitarian organizations have reduced their expenditures "and will obviously continue to do so in 2024."
"Today, we have a decision by Norway, whose leadership has a clear plan, to allocate $1.5 billion annually for 5 years," she reminded.
According to Vereshchuk, half of these funds will be used to finance the humanitarian sphere, including projects for IDPs.
At the same time, she called on the leaders and governments of other partner countries to join the financing of such initiatives and projects, "to plan their expenditures more efficiently, that is, not to spread the costs of 10-12 projects that will have a dubious effect, but to focus on projects such as social housing, youth lending, which are absolutely effective, have an effective impact on sustainability, and reduce the number of IDPs left homeless."
"It is very important for us that not only Germany and Norway do this, but also other governments, because this is a clear, planned, predictable position of the state towards Ukraine and our humanitarian front," emphasized Vereshchuk.
The Vice Prime Minister emphasized that it is necessary to increase direct spending on assistance to internally displaced Ukrainians who have lost their homes as a result of Russian aggression, as well as "on things that will help them survive."
"The priority is to provide people with housing, food, medicines and work, i.e. the most necessary things. As soon as we provide this, people will feel more or less stable," summarized Vereshchuk.
