The United Nations Office for Project Services has rehabilitated 74 educational institutions in Ukraine’s Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions under an EU-backed programme with a €28 million budget.
The work was delivered through the “School Repairs in Ukraine” project, with repairs carried out at kindergartens, secondary schools and vocational colleges, the European External Action Service (EEAS) reported on Tuesday.
More than 4,650 educational facilities have been damaged since the start of the full-scale war, with 423 completely destroyed, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights said.
UNOPS stated that it prioritised safety work, with shelters in most of the renovated facilities repaired and equipped so pupils and staff can use them during air-raid alarms.
Construction work ranged from replacing shattered windows and doors to major roof repairs and façade insulation.
Heating systems were modernised and classrooms, gyms, corridors and sanitary facilities renovated as part of the project.
Shelters repaired for air-raid alarms
“Access to education is a fundamental right of every child that war must not take away,” said Marianna Franco, Head of the European Union Humanitarian Aid Office in Ukraine.
“Quality educational infrastructure is the foundation for the resilience of the entire country,” added Marysia Zapasnik, Head of Programme at the UNOPS Ukraine Multi-Country Office.
UNOPS noted that “properly equipped basic shelters” meant many of the repaired institutions could hold in-person classes “even under current conditions”.
