23.05.2024 | People
Chernivtsi is a cultural centre in the southwest of Ukraine, located near the border with Romania and home to approximately 264,000 inhabitants. Known for its historic architecture, Chernivtsi became a hub for internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing from the eastern and southern regions of the country that have been engulfed in hostilities following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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- With a total project budget of EUR 1.49 million, an administrative building was reconstructed into a dormitory for IDPs, and a polyclinic was refurbished in Chernivtsi. This project is part of the “EU Support for Urgent Housing Needs for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ukraine” action, funded by the European Union and managed by Nefco.
- The new housing has 16 apartments that can accommodate approximately 50 IDPs, while the polyclinic serves an average of 310 IDP patients daily, along with local citizens.
- Among the residents of the dormitory are Svitlana and Tetiana from the war-torn Donetsk region, who share their stories of escaping from hostilities and finding a new home in Chernivtsi.
The influx of newcomers has placed additional pressure on the city’s housing stock and social infrastructure, requiring immediate action. To address this, an administrative building was converted into a dormitory for IDPs, and a polyclinic was refurbished in Chernivtsi under the “EU Support for Urgent Housing Needs for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ukraine” action, funded by the European Union and managed by Nefco.
“At the start of the war, there were more than 60,000 officially registered IDPs in Chernivtsi. Accommodating everyone was a challenge, and with all rental apartments and hotels filled, many were forced to stay in our daycare centres, schools, and religious institutions. That is why this project is extremely important: it provides proper living conditions for those who fled to Chernivtsi to escape the war. The second part of the Nefco project, involving the renovation of a polyclinic, is also crucial because the facility serves both IDPs and Chernivtsi residents. Now, they can access quality medical services,” says Roman Klichuk, Mayor of Chernivtsi.
With a total project budget of EUR 1.49 million, the dormitory’s list of improvement measures include installing new windows and doors, repairing the roof, external walls, and drainage system, installing a utility network and heat pump, updating the heating system, insulating the façade and attic, completing interior repairs, and landscaping. These efforts created sixteen apartments, equipped with the necessary furniture and appliances and suitable for accommodating approximately 50 IDPs.
In the operational polyclinic, which serves an average of 310 IDP patients daily along with local citizens, doors and windows were replaced, corridors and offices were renovated, twelve new medical care offices were created, and medical equipment was purchased.
Photos: The renovated polyclinic serves both IDPs and Chernivtsi residents – Nefco
The newly inaugurated dormitory has already welcomed its first residents. Among them are Svitlana and Tetiana from the war-torn Donetsk region, who share their stories of escaping from hostilities and finding a new home in Chernivtsi.
Svitlana comes from Krasnohorivka. Although the town was at the centre of hostilities in 2014, it was the Russian full-scale invasion that prompted her to leave home. In 2022, she evacuated to Chernivtsi with her two children and parents.
The family has already settled in Chernivtsi. “We have adapted well, and the city now feels like home,” shares Svitlana. “At first, my father struggled because of the different air here, but the children and I adjusted without much trouble. I am currently looking for a job and taking confectionery courses.”
Initially, Svitlana’s family had to live in municipal buildings provided by the city—a school gym and a daycare centre—so moving into a new apartment was a significant change for them. “The apartment is simply breathtaking, and we really like it. I feel such joy. It is also great to have a kitchen, which is the most important thing to me.”
We have adapted well, and the city now feels like home.
Svitlana
Another dormitory resident, Tetiana, is a mother of six from Sloviansk. This is the second time she has had to leave her home because of the war. In 2014, just a year after buying a house for her large family and setting up a small farm, she had to flee her hometown, which was torn apart by hostilities, all while taking care of her young children in a stressful situation. The family eventually returned, hoping not to relive that experience, but were forced to evacuate again.
“The decision was not easy for me, but when the explosions grew so intense that the ground shook beneath our house, like an earthquake from the blast waves, it became terrifying. We left in March 2022, taking only the kids’ school backpacks and two large bags carried by my eldest son,” Tetiana explains.
Chernivtsi was the family’s chosen destination, and they were captivated by the city when they got there. “We arrived at night. Seeing a square paved with stone blocks next to the train station was quite unusual. And when we went for a walk around the city the next morning, I was struck by the architecture and the decorations on the buildings. There are no such mosaics on the facades in Sloviansk. The entire city feels like a museum.”
After living in Chernivtsi for more than two years, Tetiana feels at home here. “Not long ago, my eldest son and I returned to Sloviansk to take care of some things and it felt uncomfortable. I wanted to return to our peaceful home in Chernivtsi as soon as possible. Sloviansk is unsettling now, even though this is where I lived for many years and where my children were born. As we walked the streets, we saw so many destroyed houses. The city is practically deserted, with very few people left, and it feels like it is dying. We are definitely not going back there until the full-scale invasion is over.”
Photos: The newly inaugurated dormitory has sixteen apartments, equipped with the necessary furniture and appliances and suitable for accommodating approximately 50 IDPs – City of Chernivtsi
Moving into a new apartment is a way for Tetiana to finally make Chernivtsi her home. “The apartment is beautiful, but for now it still feels unfamiliar, as if we might leave soon. We need to spend some time here to truly settle in, but the conditions are very good,” Tetiana concedes.
“This project in Chernivtsi is essential in ensuring that people who have fled their homes can find a place to rebuild their lives in relative safety. Through our ongoing partnership with Nefco and local authorities, the European Union is addressing the urgent need for housing and social services in the country. This effort not only provides physical shelter, but also brings hope and stability to those affected by conflict,” says Jocelin Cornet, Head of Department for Reconstruction, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
“Having a history of productive cooperation with Chernivtsi in green and energy-efficient projects, Nefco is happy that another successful one is completed, easing the burden on the city in accommodating and providing social services for IDPs,” says Ronny Nilsson, Senior Adviser at Nefco. “We are pleased with the results of this project, which provided displaced Ukrainians with dignified housing conditions to restart their lives and improved healthcare services for both locals and newcomers.”
The reconstruction of housing for IDPs and a polyclinic in Chernivtsi was implemented under the “EU Support for Urgent Housing Needs for Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine” action, funded by the European Union and managed by Nefco. The initiative aims to provide accommodation for Ukrainian citizens forced to flee their homes due to Russia’s armed aggression and strengthen social infrastructure in ten cities across western and central Ukraine, including Kivertsi, Chernivtsi, Chortkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Kovel, Lutsk, Rivne, Zolochiv, and Zviahel.
For further information, please contact:
Ronny Nilsson, Senior Adviser, Nefco
ronny.nilsson@nefco.int,+358 10 618 0642
Tetiana Vekha, Project Administrator, Nefco
T.Vekha@nefco.org.ua, +380 67 519 80 34
Andriy Katashov, Technical Adviser, Nefco
A.Katashov@nefco.org.ua, +380 96 299 65 70
About the Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP)
The Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP) is a mechanism aimed at mobilising additional funding to finance capital-intensive infrastructure projects in EU partner countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in sectors such as transport, energy, environment and social development. The NIP also supports the private sector, mainly through investment grants and risk capital operations targeting small and medium-sized enterprises. The NIP strives to pool grant resources from the EU budget and EU Member States and use them to leverage loans from European Financial Institutions as well as contributions from the ENP partner countries themselves. In this way, the EU backs its neighbours’ priorities and supports them in carrying out key investments and boosting economic development.