A working meeting between representatives of civil society organizations and charitable foundations and a delegation from UNDP Ukraine took place in Kherson at the Union Foundation.
The following UNDP representatives participated in the meeting:
- Ana Lukatela, Regional Recovery Manager
- Alexey Will, Health Management Analyst
- Yulia Rybak, Program Manager
The event brought together active civil society organizations from Kherson and the region that are directly addressing the challenges faced by frontline communities.
During the discussion, participants raised key issues facing the region: access to medical and social services, support for the elderly, development of services for children and youth, security challenges, limited access to funding for organizations in the “red zone,” as well as the need to transition from humanitarian response to full-scale recovery: “The Kherson region has long since moved beyond merely operating in humanitarian response mode. People are staying, communities are functioning - and we need solutions for recovery, development, and a dignified life here and now, not just after the war ends,” the participants shared.
Special attention was given to civil society participation in recovery processes, building trust, and developing approaches grounded in cooperation among communities, authorities, and international partners.
Significantly, this meeting took place in Kherson - a city that lives daily amid security risks while continuing to work on recovery. This format allows international partners to directly hear the real needs of people and organizations working “on the ground,” rather than through remote or formal consultations.
“It is critically important for Kherson that international partners come here and hear from people directly. The reality of a frontline city cannot be fully understood through reports or online meetings - it needs to be seen and discussed on the ground,” representatives of local civil society organizations emphasized during the meeting.
The UNDP visit also included a separate meeting with representatives of regional and municipal authorities, during which issues of energy, demining, infrastructure restoration, and service delivery were discussed.
Separating these formats - meeting separately with authorities and with civil society - is important for ensuring communities' independent voice and a more comprehensive understanding of the situation.
Yurii Antoshchuk, chairman of the Kherson Regional Charitable Foundation Union and coordinator of the Network of Working Groups on Public Safety and Recovery, noted: “We began working with UNDP even before the full-scale war, and after the de-occupation of the Kherson region, this cooperation only grew stronger. Since 2023, we have been jointly developing communities through the Working Group of Public Safety and Recovery. And UNDP must plan to carry out systematic work in the region for at least the next three years.”
The meeting marked an important step toward establishing a long-term partnership in recovery, social cohesion, and community development in Kherson Oblast.
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