The Flemish government has allocated €1.5 million for the construction of a mental health centre in Lviv, Minister-President Jan Jambon (N-VA) announced on Saturday.
The national rehabilitation facility Unbroken will provide medical care for thousands of individuals injured in the war and support their reintegration into Ukrainian society.
The €1.5 million provided by Flanders will be used for mental health facilities and will complement a pre-existing humanitarian task force in the region.
Flanders presented a symbolic cheque to a Ukrainian delegation visiting Mechelen on Saturday evening. "Unbroken is a unique place where adults and children affected by the war can receive medical care," said Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, speaking at the ceremony. "In the meantime, we even manufacture our own prostheses for victims of the war, but we also provide psychological help to injured and traumatised soldiers and civilians."
The facility is expected to open in early 2025. With 40 beds, up to 1,000 patients will be treated every year.
The Ukrainian Health Ministry estimates that half of the country's population of 38 million people are in need of psychological care, and between three and four million people are in need of medication. A widespread mental health crisis is expected due to the effects of the war with Russia, and there has been a large push to allocate resources to support mental illness.
First Lady Olena Zelenska launched the initiative How are you? to provide online support to individuals suffering from anxiety or depression. Efforts on the ground include using theatrical workshops as a way to discuss emotions, given that distrust of psychological help is widespread in the Eastern European country.
Push for EU aid
There are fears that global aid for Ukraine is experiencing a significant slowdown in recent months. The US House of Representatives approved an aid package of $60.8 billion on Friday despite bitter opposition from the Republican camp. The package is now awaiting ratification by the US Senate.
European political figures have celebrated the latest round of US aid, calling for a similar renewal of EU support ahead of a meeting between Foreign Ministers discussing Ukraine on Monday.
"I welcome that the US House of Representatives has approved a major new package of aid to Ukraine," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg posted on X (formerly Twitter). "Ukraine is using the weapons provided by NATO Allies to destroy Russian combat capabilities. This makes us all safer, in Europe and North America."
