Ukraine
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been supporting Ukraine since 1993. It has had an office in Kyiv since 2009 and operates across the country.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is exacting a heavy toll, with around 15 million Ukrainians suffering physically and mentally from the consequences. In many parts of the country, medical facilities are no longer able to function. At the same time, the economy has contracted sharply. Many skilled workers have left the country. Over six million people have been displaced internally. The energy supply has also been damaged and many electricity lines have been destroyed. At times, up to 12 million people have been without power.
GIZ’s work in Ukraine is carried out on behalf of five German ministries, the European Union (EU), and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The core areas are:
- Good governance, resilient society
- Economic development
- Energy and climate change mitigation
GIZ operates in all regions of Ukraine and works closely with all municipalities that are not under Russian occupation. To support the country’s EU accession plans, it advises the Ukrainian Government on local self-government, the rule of law, facilitated trade, and energy and climate change mitigation. In this context, GIZ advises Ukrainian municipalities on offering more efficient and digitalised services for citizens and provides training for administrative staff. It also assists municipalities in rebuilding infrastructures such as damaged schools and hospitals.
To develop the economy in the long term and safeguard jobs, GIZ advises small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on tapping into new markets. Furthermore, to rebuild the country, it trains specialist staff in sectors where they are urgently needed, such as in the health care system or the construction trade.
GIZ is working to ensure a reliable energy supply and increase climate action in Ukraine. It advises Ukraine on the development of a greener and more resilient energy system, supports administrative bodies and businesses in saving energy and trains specialist staff in environmentally friendly construction and renovation. To make the power supply resilient in times of crisis, GIZ is procuring generators, for example for hospitals, and construction materials to repair damaged power lines quickly.
In all of its activities, GIZ promotes societal resilience. It offers extensive medical and psychosocial support, in particular for children, women, veterans and internally displaced persons, and is setting up efficient disaster management solutions with its Ukrainian partners.
