Coalition’s first shelters to daycares and hospitals

Coalition's first shelters to daycares and hospitals

The International Civil Protection Shelter Coalition for Ukraine has approved funding for the first projects to build protective structures, including the construction and modernisation of shelters in educational and healthcare facilities.

Of the selected seven shelter initiatives, four are to renovate or build a new shelter in hospitals, and three projects involve the construction of shelters for daycares.

The new shelters will be constructed in the regions of Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Sumy.

The Coalition's governing bodies selected the first projects in a wide consultation with relevant Ukrainian authorities, led by the Ministry for Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

"These construction projects will offer protection for children and adults in high-targeted areas and contribute to continuation of critical services for Ukrainian people", said Roman Prymush, the Deputy Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

The selected initiatives are funded from the European Union's Ukraine Facility, and they will be implemented by the Lithuania's Central Project Management Agency (CPMA) and Belgian Agency for International Cooperation Enabel.

"Since our kick-off event in November, the Coalition is now fully operational, and we've completed the first round of project selections. We're here to support Ukraine by funding shelters in hospitals and daycares to keep people safe. We are providing help in places that really need it and standing together during tough times", said Jocelin Cornet, Head of Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

In addition, project selection procedures were refined. The changes to the criteria are meant to better reflect the real needs of communities, especially in frontline regions, while ensuring security, transparency, and no double funding.

The Coalition was launched in May 2025 through Joint Statement between the Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Finland.

The Coalition has currently nine members: Ukraine, Belgium, the European Union, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the European Investment Bank.

In February, the Coalition will continue reviewing and selecting shelter projects submitted by the state and local authorities.

Constant Russian attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure are making shelter places a critical necessity. A massive aim for Ukrainian authorities is to rapidly increase the number of civil protection shelters in Ukraine. The Civil Protection Shelter Coalition aims to unite the international donors to provide efficient and coherent support to Ukraine in this area.

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