News item | 03-04-2023 | 15:46
The Netherlands offers Ukraine extra support. Minister Schreinemacher (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) and Minister Hoekstra (Foreign Affairs) reported this to the House of Representatives on Monday. The €274 million package comes from the government’s reserve of €2.5 billion for support to Ukraine in 2023. €180 million is earmarked for humanitarian aid, agriculture and rehabilitation work. The remaining €94 million will go to non-lethal support to the Ukrainian armed forces, the fight against impunity and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Humanitarian aid, recovery and reconstruction
Ukraine’s needs remain great. The additional contribution of € 180 million from Minister Schreinemacher meets the most urgent needs. Of this amount, € 20 million will go to humanitarian aid, € 10 million to mental health care and psychosocial support and € 10 million to demining agricultural land, among other things. Minister Schreinemacher is also making € 40 million available for the purchase of seed and equipment for Ukrainian agriculture.
In addition, € 100 million will go to the rehabilitation of hospitals and health care, energy supply, housing and infrastructure. The support package is being implemented in collaboration with the UN, World Bank, development bank EBRD and NGOs.
Special envoy
Minister Schreinemacher has appointed former diplomat Ron van Dartel as a special envoy to promote the involvement of the Dutch business community in the reconstruction in Ukraine. The envoy will maintain contacts with Dutch companies and the Ukrainian authorities, map out the concrete needs of Ukraine and see whether the Dutch expertise is in line with this. Van Dartel will also maintain contacts with large international institutions that issue tenders to create entrances for Dutch companies.
Non-lethal support, accountability and culture
As long as Ukraine remains forced to defend itself against Russian aggression, the government will continue to support Ukraine. The extra contribution from Minister Hoekstra mainly consists of support for the Ukraine Comprehensive Assistance Package. With a contribution of € 75 million, the government aims to provide more intensive support to Ukraine, and to extend this support to future-oriented capacity building for better cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. €14 million has been made available for the fight against impunity for international crimes. This money is spent, among other things, on the establishment of the war damage register in The Hague, the Dialogue Group on Accountability, and the support of forensic evidence-gathering by the International Criminal Court. €5 million will be spent on protecting and preserving identity-defining culture in Ukraine.