UN assures it will help Ukraine with restoration of Okhmatdyt
The United Nations (UN) will help close the list of needs and provide Ukraine with support in the rehabilitation of the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, assured the coordinator of the UN system in Ukraine and Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown, who is completing her two-year mission.
“We won’t forget Okhmatdyt. And the World Health Organization and UNICEF work side by side with the Ministry of Health. I can assure the people of Ukraine that the list of needs that we’ve already received, we follow up. That when we get a clear plan, which I’m sure is coming soon, but it takes time to do those technical assessments about the rebuilding, we will be there,” Brown said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
She stressed the importance of donors continuing “to very generously support what the UN does, what the non-governmental organizations do.”
Brown pointed out that immediately after the Russian strike on Okhmatdyt, the directors of the World Health Organization and UNICEF immediately went with the Deputy Minister of Health to the hospital to provide the necessary assistance.
“The immediate needs were for water, cash support for some of the families, psychosocial support. But it has to go way beyond that. What’s happening right now is as soon as the Ministry of Health can tell us and all of the health partners how they plan to reconstruct, what needs to be done, we will absolutely be there to support,” the UN added.
According to Brown, the UN has already received a list of necessary equipment, and WHO and UNICEF are deciding how they will be able to provide some of this equipment.
In addition, the humanitarian coordinator added that some children need medical evacuation, so the Ministry of Health and WHO are working on this, and UNICEF will provide financial assistance to those families in need of medical evacuation.
“There are different kinds of support. But absolutely, the UN will be there to help rebuild,” Brown said.
As reported, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Matthias Schmale as the coordinator of the UN system and humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine from August 11, 2024, with the approval of the government of the host country.
