Restore Ukraine and International Organization for Migration Provide Safe Homes for War-Affected Ukrainians in Kharkiv Region
The funds are used to help rebuild housing and provide suitable living spaces for families in the war-torn state as winter approaches.
Restore Ukraine, a nonprofit organization that provides shelter, food and other assistance to the people in war-torn Ukraine, has become an implementing partner of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to provide safe living spaces for displaced and war-affected people in Kharkiv Region.
Thousands of Kharkiv families have been forced to abandon their homes during the Russian invasion. Many people who have lost their dwellings or have been forced to leave them are in urgent need of humanitarian support, facing homelessness and hunger, as winter approaches. Now, when winter is coming and the average temperature in this region ranges between 17°F and 14°F, many local residents remain without a roof over their heads. Such weather conditions make the upcoming winter unbearable.
With funding from international donors, including USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, European Community Humanitarian Aid Office, German Federal Foreign Office, Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UN’s country-based pooled funds), the government of Canada, and more, Restore Ukraine supports IOM in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of permanent living accommodations and temporary shelters. The project includes the distribution of 5,000 shelter repair kits enabling volunteer support to assist families who cannot do the repair work themselves, as well as the implementation of direct repair works on 60 private households that are currently unsuitable for living in the coming winter. Additionally, the project focuses on winterization of a collective center in Kharkiv that is currently housing displaced persons from around the Eastern region of Ukraine.
The project focuses on the most vulnerable populations. These include families with two or more children; single parents with several teenagers; people with medical needs, chronic illnesses or disabilities; elderly people; and people who were injured during the war – everyone who could no longer survive on their own.
Kharkiv has been hit particularly hard by the invasion. According to the mayor’s administration, Russian artillery has destroyed more than 11,000 residential buildings, including 8000-plus apartment complexes and private households. Out of them, almost 900 belonged to the social infrastructure that regular people used daily – kindergartens, schools, universities, and hospitals.
Making the winter extremely cold, Russian missiles set a new target to paralyze the country – ongoing shelling already damaged between 30% to 40% of energy infrastructure facilities, according to the authorities, leaving some people without heating. Power supply has been disrupted throughout the whole country including in Kharkiv where Restore Ukraine operates.
“Many of these people have nowhere to turn for refuge, so we are committed to helping them rebuild and find suitable shelter for their children and other loved ones before another brutal winter sets in,” said Yaro Hnatusko, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Restore Ukraine and a native of Ukraine currently living in Johnson City, TN.
“We are extremely grateful for the International Organization for Migration’s support in helping us secure suitable living space for many Ukrainians in dire need,” Hnatusko added. “This partnership allows Restore Ukraine to make construction materials accessible for the community and make necessary repairs in the damaged Kharkiv neighborhoods.”
“Since the bombing doesn’t stop, Restore Ukraine is committed to reaching all displaced natives who haven’t been able to relocate and to provide them with life-saving assistance,” Hnatusko said.“ Kharkiv is by far the city that has suffered the most destruction in this invasion. These people are our family members, our friends, and our co-workers, and they’re enduring unspeakable hardships. Things will get even worse this winter. But Restore Ukraine will continue to employ all means possible to help them—we won’t rest until they can rest and peace is restored.”
About Restore Ukraine: Founded in February 2022, Restore Ukraine’s vision is to restore dozens of cities and hundreds of communities for displaced Ukrainian families. Restore Ukraine is a fiscally sponsored project of Humanitarian Social Innovations, a nonprofit organization with federal tax-exempt status as a public charity under IRS Section 501(c)(3). Above 90% of Restore Ukraine’s revenue goes directly to crisis relief programs for the people of Ukraine. All donations to Restore Ukraine are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
About the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As the UN Migration Agency, IOM supports migrants across the world, developing effective responses to the shifting dynamics of migration, and works in emergency situations, developing the resilience of all people on the move, particularly those in situations of vulnerability. IOM has been working in Ukraine since 1996. Since February 2022, IOM has been providing multi-purpose assistance to war-affected people and communities.
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collected since February 2022
lbs. of hygiene products delivered
lbs. of construction materials allocated
apartments rebuilt
lbs. of food distributed
Numbers are lifetime stats, updated April 1, 2023.*