By KYIV. Dec 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in London on December 9, created a new financial framework for the allocation of EUR 20 million for emergency assistance measures for Ukraine, the press service of the German Embassy in Ukraine has said on Wednesday.
"They are aimed at improving the living conditions of the population by repairing the damage caused by the war to the critical environmental infrastructure. These are, for example, improving the ability to provide drinking water and energy supply, as well as reducing war-related emissions that potentially adversely affect the population, for example, in the case of wastewater, including the provision of appropriate mobile stations and devices," it said.
The embassy said that in this way Germany is fulfilling the obligation assumed in June 2022 at the G7 summit under its chairmanship to contribute to the creation of a relevant platform.
"The recent Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities have caused great damage to the infrastructure and environment. The population is under serious threat due to damage caused to the critical infrastructure such as water supply and drainage, because soil and water pollution directly affects the safety and health of people. In this sphere, we make our efforts and contribute to effective support for Ukraine," said Steffi Lemke, the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.
Acting Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Vasyl Lozynsky and Deputy Energy Minister of Ukraine Yulia Pidkomorna joined the signing ceremony via a video link, the press service said.
The ministry-backed emergency funding mechanism is being implemented in partnership with the Eastern European Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) of the EBRD. The initiative lays the groundwork for emergency assistance measures in the environmental sector, which is also open to other donors, especially from the G7.
