United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi visited a shelter reconstruction project that LWF has been implementing for UNHCR, and met families affected by the war in Ukraine.
LWF team leader Mark Mullan with UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi in Kharkiv. Photo: LWF/ Anatolyi Nazarenko
Appreciation for partnership in rebuilding homes
(LWI) - Heroes are those who rebuild: This message could be seen on a mural in Kharkiv, close to the Novobavarskyi district where the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Ukraine team leader Mark Mullan visited apartments renovated in a joint project.
Joint project
Visit with a family whose apartment was renovated by LWF. Photo: Photo: LWF/ Anatolyi Nazarenko
Five hundred twenty-five apartments have been renovated by the end of December 2023, allowing all displaced families in the project to return to their homes. LWF worked with the local organization “Spilna Sprava Dla Liudey” and local contractors and cooperated with the local administration to identify the families. Ninety percent of the funding for the project came from UNHCR, and the remaining ten percent came from LWF-related agencies, member churches, and members of the ACT Alliance.
Enabling people to return home is the biggest humanitarian need in Kharkiv at the moment.
Filippo GRANDI, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The delegation met two families, a man living with a disability and a single mother of two. They warmly welcomed the delegation, says Mark Mullan, LWF Country Representative in Ukraine. Since their apartments were damaged in the early days of the Russian invasion, almost two years ago, they have been living in a community shelter or with relatives. “Enabling people to return home is the biggest humanitarian need in Kharkiv at the moment,” emphasized High Commissioner Grandi.
LWB-Teamleiter Mark Mullan mit UNHCR-Hochkommissar Filippo Grandi (Mitte) vor einem Wandbild, das die „Helden des Wiederaufbaus“ zeigt. Foto: LWB/ Anatoliy Nazarenko
High quality of work
The delegation, which also included Deputy Mayor of Kharkiv Oleksandr Novak, expressed appreciation for the high quality of the work carried out by LWF. In the second phase of the project, LWF also provided essential household furnishings to the families.
“We are following a holistic approach,” explained LWF team leader Mullan. “This project is not just about windows and plumbing, but about addressing the full needs of the families worst affected by this war.”
