Kiev expects UN assistance to go through heating season

MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) - The United Nations is planning to raise over $2.6 billion to help Ukrainians in 2025, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said, while discussing with representatives of this international organization priority areas of using this assistance, in particular, provision of drinking water, alternative sources of heat and energy.

"The UN plans to raise more than $2.6 billion to help Ukrainians in 2025. This provides for the plan adopted by the organization. We discussed its implementation with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi," Ukrainian media quoted Shmygal as saying in a statement on social media on Thursday.

They talked about the UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Ukraine in 2025, he said.

"We also talked about the existing and new support programs. In particular, we drew attention to such priority projects as provision of drinking water to communities in southern Ukraine, alternative sources of heat and energy, housing rebuilding, and business development," Shmygal said.

"I thanked for the humanitarian programs aimed at supporting displaced people and going through the winter period that were implemented jointly with the Ukrainian government. The UN has envisioned $492 million for the passage of this heating season," Shmygal said.

In total, 8.5 million Ukrainians were provided with various types of assistance from the UN in 2024, he said.