Families in Ukraine whose homes were destroyed in Russian attacks are getting back on their feet after being provided with prefabricated homes with support from Irish Aid.
Ireland has teamed up with UNHCR – the UN’s refugee agency – to install prefabricated homes on the site of houses destroyed in fighting. A total of 135 homes have been installed so far, providing shelter to people in the Kyiv region who have lost their homes in the war. With help from Ireland, UNHCR hopes to have 300 prefabricated homes installed by the end of the year.
Among those to have moved into newly built prefabricated homes are Tetiana (56) and her husband Vladyslav (55).
When a missile attack destroyed Tetiana’s home, the pain was more than being made homeless: it drove her from the land her family had lived on for four generations. Tetiana and Vladyslav lived with friends and relatives after their home in Horenka, close to Kyiv, was destroyed following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“I lived with my friends, with relatives, but I was constantly returning to my home to take care of my land,” she says.
With help from Irish Aid, UNHCR installed prefabricated homes on their land, allowing Tetiana and Vladyslav to have their own home again, back on the land that means so much to them.
“I am glad to be staying on my land,” she says. “Living in others’ homes is not for me. Of course, this will not replace our house, but it is still very meaningful for me and my husband. Four generations have lived on this land and I would never want to abandon it. For people like me, who lost everything, this is a very good solution.”
With Ireland’s support, UNHCR repaired 110 houses and installed five prefabricated core homes in Horenka village. Back on their land, Tetiana and Vladyslav hope to rebuild their house over the coming months.
Irish Aid’s support for the UNHCR’s home-building program is part of Ireland’s wider humanitarian efforts in the region. Irish Aid has already provided nearly €90 million in both humanitarian aid and stabilization funding. Ireland’s humanitarian assistance is focused on those most vulnerable and hard to reach, such as women & children, displaced and homeless people, and those communities closest to the conflict areas.
“Two and a half years into this appalling conflict, we must not forget the pain and suffering being inflicted on people in Ukraine,” said Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD. “This humanitarian aid is a sign of Ireland’s continued support for people living through Russia’s brutal invasion.”
