Estonia to build housing for displaced people in Ukraine's Zhytomyr Oblast
Estonian companies plan to jointly build accommodation worth €1.8 million for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine in Zhytomyr Oblast.
The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), the Zhytomyr Region and the city of Ovruch have signed a joint declaration of intent to reconstruct the city's former barracks into an apartment building for internally displaced persons.
The Estonian construction company Nordecon and its Ukrainian subsidiary Eurocon won the tender. The work must be completed no later than 275 days after signing the contract.
ESTDEV's head of Development and Cooperation in Ukraine Margus Gering said the foundation's model for reconstructing Ukraine is to offer a pilot project in cooperation with a local partner that can then be scaled across the country.
"Since we had a very good experience working with the city of Ovruch to build a kindergarten, we decided to continue our partnership to solve the lack of housing for internally displaced people. Our common wish is that internally displaced persons will find new homes in Ukraine and not have to move to another country," he said in a statement.
Nordecon also constructed the kindergarten in Ovruch that opened last year.
The new apartment building will be completed in 2025.
In Ukraine, it is estimated that over 33,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged in the war, and there are 3.7 million IDPs. Nearly 40 percent of them have been displaced more than once.
Although Ukraine has been able to provide temporary housing for IDPs, the housing market faces chronic challenges such as poor infrastructure, low construction quality and unclear ownership, ESTDEV said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said Estonian projects in Zhytomyr are considered highly valued all over Ukraine because they give hope for a better life to residents of the war-torn country.
"We have completed several successful projects and gained experience on how to carry out building projects in a country at war," he said.
ESTDEV is a government foundation that manages and implements Estonia's participation in international development cooperation and humanitarian aid projects.
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Editor: Helen Wright
