The Government of Croatia and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, signed today a new funding agreement to support eco-friendly and alternative energy solutions in the humanitarian and recovery efforts in Ukraine. The contribution of EUR 2 million will help expand UNHCR’s winter response and ensure that displaced and other war-affected families have access to alternative energy sources, like portable power stations, and receive support to repair and insulate substandard homes.
Freezing temperatures, coupled with a challenging energy situation caused by the Russian Federation’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, are exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation for millions of people across the country.
This timely contribution is the highest the Government of Croatia has ever made to UNHCR. This generous increase will allow UNHCR to scale up support to the most vulnerable families in Ukraine this winter, as millions of people continue facing challenges with access to electricity, heating, and water due to damages to energy infrastructure and homes.
“It’s a top priority for UNHCR to support people and communities get through this third winter in the midst of the full-scale war and a critical energy situation. Just this past week, we again witnessed coordinated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which continue to severely affect millions of people – particularly the most vulnerable, like older and socioeconomically vulnerable people and persons with disabilities. They urgently need support to stay warm in their homes throughout the cold months, and I am very grateful to Croatia for their generous and extremely timely contribution that will make this possible. This funding will truly make a big difference in the lives of so many Ukrainians, and practically demonstrate that solidarity with the people of Ukraine is still strong” says Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.
“Following Russia’s continuous indiscriminate attacks on energy infrastructure, Croatia significantly increased its support to Ukraine energy sector with 4 million euros for the period 2024-2025. I am particularly pleased that we are starting this year with 2 million euros contribution to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Croatia’s contribution will help provide war-affected Ukrainians with essential winterization items and it will also directly support the Ukrainian Government’s priorities for early recovery and resilience-building. I thank the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for their excellent work and cooperation in this joint endeavor,“ says Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia.
UNHCR’s winter response includes the distribution of eco-friendly and portable power stations to vulnerable families in houses and apartments as well as to collective sites hosting the most vulnerable internally displaced people, who often have nowhere else to seek shelter. UNHCR is distributing and installing Rapid Thermal Kits with materials to quickly – as well as cost- and energy-efficiently – improve insulation of private homes.
For families, whose homes have been damaged in the war, UNHCR and partners are doing repair works such as replacing windows and fixing broken roofs to ensure families can stay warm in their own homes and not be compelled to move.
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