Mercy Corps Urges Ukraine Recovery Conference to Remember the War’s Human Cost
Mercy Corps welcomes the international community’s support to Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts. This is instrumental in enabling a transformative journey towards a sustainable future for war-affected people across Ukraine and returnees from neighbouring countries and beyond. At today’s Ukraine Recovery Conference, we call on Ukraine's international partners to remember the human cost of this war and what it will take to rebuild the lives of the communities and families most affected, notably across areas that have suffered mass destruction and displacement.
Selena Victor, Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy at Mercy Corps Europe says:
“The Ukraine Recovery Conference will naturally be focused on levaraging the massive investment needed to help Ukraine recover and rebuild after the devastating destruction of the past 18 months. But re-building Ukraine isn't just about girders and concrete, it's about the development of critical social infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and other essential services. That means ensuring local authorities and communities themselves have a true voice in recovery and reconstruction processes. It means ensuring transparency and accountability, and ensuring recovery works for all Ukrainians. And it means shoring up and supporting the civil society that has been so active in sustaining Ukrainians during this crisis.”
Moreover, the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine should also ensure sustainability and achieve climate neutrality while simultaneously addressing the needs of job creation and skill development. This approach is especially relevant for workers in the coal industry and the agricultural sector, many of whom have been internally displaced.
Cara Buck, Mercy Corps’ Ukraine Response Director, says:
“Agriculture is a pivotal force within Ukraine's economy and society. Before the full-scale war, nearly one-third of Ukrainians resided in rural areas, creating a foundation that was disrupted by the conflict, hindering producers' capacity to strategise and capitalise on market prospects. A staggering 70% of the small-scale producers interviewed by Mercy Corps face immense challenges in formulating medium and long-term plans amid the prevailing circumstances. The humanitarian and environmental consequences of the Kakhovka dam destruction have only worsened the situation for hundreds of thousands of farmers and households.”
It remains important to involve civil society, local authorities, regions, and communities in the Government of Ukraine’s National Recovery Plan, follow-up action plans, and broader recovery and reconstruction processes in line with Ukraine’s decentralisation agenda.
Ukraine's path to reconstruction and recovery requires the collective voice of its diverse civil society to participate in planning, design, and decision-making. They are indispensable in ensuring that the interests and aspirations of war-affected people are reflected in decision-making spaces, and that Ukraine's recovery ultimately meets the needs and standards prioritised by returnees, internally displaced people, and host communities.
About Mercy Corps in Ukraine
Mercy Corps has been responding in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war in February 2022. The team is providing emergency assistance to refugees in neighboring countries and people displaced inside Ukraine so they can meet their basic survival needs. We also fund local organizations that know their community best and are working quickly to address their most urgent needs. Mercy Corps and its partners have reached more than 2 million people in Ukraine and neighboring countries with emergency cash, food, psychosocial support, information campaigns and other urgent assistance.