News item | 21-12-2023 | 11:19
The Netherlands is releasing €102 million for support to Ukraine in the first support package of 2024. The amount is part of the more than €2 billion that the government has reserved for support to Ukraine in the coming year.
€102 million for humanitarian aid and urgent needs
The government has made €102 million available for the first four months of 2024 to help Ukraine get through the winter and prepare for spring. On December 15, during his visit to Ukraine, Geoffrey van Leeuwen, Minister for Foreign Trade, announced how the amount would be spent.
The ongoing war continues to take its toll on Ukrainian society and economy. The needs therefore remain as great as ever. The new support package is aimed at urgent needs:
- €15 million for humanitarian aid through it Ukraine Humanitarian Fund from UN OCHA;
- €15 million for the demining of agricultural lands and liberated areas, among other things;
- €62 million to support the Government of Ukraine in delivering basic services, restoring critical infrastructure and ensuring reforms through the Special Program for Ukraine and Moldova Recovery (SPUR), part of the International Development Association (IDA) from the World Bank;
- €10 million in supplies for the Ukrainian electricity network.
Visit of Minister Van Leeuwen to Ukraine
Minister Van Leeuwen for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation was in Kyiv on December 15. Including a visit to a power plant, consultations on reconstruction and to emphasize the continued Dutch support to Ukraine.
Minister Van Leeuwen (in a message on X): “During my visit to Kyiv, I emphasized the vital importance for Ukraine to hold out against Russian aggression, especially now that winter has arrived. The Netherlands helps with humanitarian aid and support for the recovery of critical infrastructure.
The Netherlands offers assistance by providing shelter, providing emergency medical care and clearing dangerous explosives. We also ensure that important sectors such as the energy infrastructure remain running, so that Ukraine does not get left out in the cold this winter.”
More than €2 billion in support in 2024
The other reserved support for 2024 is divided into €2 billion in military support, €295 million as a contribution to the European Peace Facility (EPF), €89 million for combating impunity and €3 million for non-military cyber support.