Objectives
Fund scope
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine resulted in the largest mass displacement of people in Europe since World War II. The incursion has destroyed entire cities and communities, caused the tragic deaths of civilians, including children, and wiped-out decades of development gains, pushing more than a quarter of Ukrainians into poverty. Despite horrific devastation, people in Ukraine continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and solidarity, organizing in community-based volunteer groups in preparation to rebuild and plan for the future as soon as it is safe to do so.
Communities across Ukraine have been affected differently with significant numbers of displaced people struggling to find adequate resources and maintain social cohesion. In the central, south and north regions of the country some groups are ready to move forward with recovery, reconstruction and returns. In the east, close to the frontline, communities directly affected by the conflict need significant humanitarian assistance, as detailed in the annual Humanitarian Response Plans. Across the country there is a need to design and implement community recovery efforts that can reduce and prevent humanitarian needs.
The Ukraine Community Recovery Fund assists people in recovering from the war with improved infrastructure, inclusive systems and resilience. Stakeholders provide rapid area-based early recovery support to communities affected by the war in leveraging government infrastructure priorities and a UN people-centred, human rights-based approach. In supporting the Government of Ukraine on early recovery through inclusive, area-based and community-focused approaches, fund stakeholders support national and local authorities in building sustainable recovery investments. United Nations-implemented reconstruction and recovery efforts are rooted in supporting all members of communities to mobilize and articulate recovery needs and build the capacity of local authorities.
Strategic action and theory of change
The Fund is a tool government and UN stakeholders use to boost delivery efforts toward national priorities, bridge gaps in recovery in targeted areas and catalyze strategic recovery efforts. The initial phase of the Fund supports completion of five emergency early recovery priorities as identified in the second Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA2): Housing, mine action, energy, critical and social infrastructure and services, and support to the private sector, through a people-centred, human rights-based approach.
The theory of change is that assuming that areas under government control, in particular liberated areas, remain accessible, and international support remains significant, IF the United Nations works at community level, targeting individuals, communities and institutions, in a principled manner, aligned with national priorities, through area-based, multi-sector, data-driven, nexus approaches, systems can be strengthened and resilience raised amongst Ukrainians to recover from the war and rebuild their lives.
Crosscutting approaches include a focus on marginalized populations or any group facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, such as people living with disabilities, the elderly, displaced populations, veterans, and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence other forms of sexual violence. In addition, the United Nations will continue to put human rights and protection up front and support the government in implementing its human rights commitments and monitoring access to rights for all.