NEWS & EVENTS DIGEST (April to July 2024)


This is the second digest of 2024, covering the period from April to July. It offers a brief overview of the main news, accomplishments, and results in various activity areas of the Municipal Institution “City Development Institute of Zaporizhzhia.”

Humanitarian Response

The City Development Institute of Zaporizhzhia continues to organize the city’s Humanitarian Hub. Every day, specialists from the municipal institution:

  • Process requests for humanitarian or charitable assistance received from the city council’s structural units, municipal institutions, and companies.
  • Prepare and submit proposals to grant partners, charitable foundations, humanitarian agencies, and businesses to attract the needed assistance (supplies).
  • Ensure the delivery, acceptance, and accounting of humanitarian supplies and other assistance.
  • Distribute the aid according to the decisions of the city’s Coordination Center for Humanitarian and Social Issues.

Between April and July, international partners, as well as Ukrainian charitable foundations and NGOs, provided humanitarian aid worth over UAH 55 million through the city’s Humanitarian Hub. All aid
received through the Hub is then directed to the intended beneficiaries, specifically hospitals, social services, city utilities, schools, IDP shelters, etc.

Supplies received included:

  • Construction materials from the NGO Proliska and the Charitable Foundation District 1 to repair houses damaged by shelling.
  • Individual UNICEF kits for school students (5,168 pieces), as well as kits for teachers and psychologists (598 pieces).
  • Hygiene kits for vulnerable populations from the Right to Protection Charitable Foundation.
  • Power generators from GEM, Tetra Tech, Kercher LLC, Blau-Gelbes Kreuz e.V., Ukrainian Action, and other partners — 36 units in total.
  • Gate valves, hydrants, and other important equipment for the municipal water-supply company, Vodokanal, from the NGO GoLocal and the Czech NGO People in Need.
  • Equipment and tools for utilities from the IOM Ukraine, valued at over UAH 2.4 million.
  • Computer equipment and furniture from Posmishka UA for digital educational centers at public schools.
  • 46 functional beds for hospitals, medical clothing, and other medical supplies from Blau-Gelbes Kreuz e.v.
  • 69 power generators for schools and Points of Invincibility, as well as diesel heaters for emergency and rescue services from the Zaporizhzhia regional organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society.

Generalized reports on the types and volumes of humanitarian aid received by the Zaporizhzhia City Council are published quarterly on our website (in Ukrainian).

City Projects

Thanks to the Kusanone program and the local NGO “STEP,” three inclusive resource centers (IRC) in Zaporizhzhia have received WSC-4 cabins for suspension therapy, complete with a full set of accessories.


This new equipment will improve conditions and expand the range of rehabilitation services available in the IRCs of three city districts. Additionally, a special vehicle for transporting people with disabilities, based on the FIAT DUCATO L3H2, has been purchased and is expected to be delivered to Zaporizhzhia in August. The Kusanone program has allocated a total of UAH 2,800,849.84 for the project implementation.

The King Baudouin Foundation, as part of the SCHRÉDER-Together initiative, will provide 16,500 euros for the reconstruction of street lighting on two streets in Zaporizhzhia.

This project, submitted in cooperation with an NGO, aims to ensure energy-efficient lighting in areas critical to the safety of road users. Currently, the partners are discussing the mechanism for transferring grant funds.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has allocated over UAH 15.5 million to create a youth center, provide training for the youth council and youth workers, and implement youth initiatives in Zaporizhzhia.

These activities are part of the project “Strengthening Youth Policy in Zaporizhzhia through the Establishment of a Youth Center and Youth Council as Effective Models of Youth Participation,” implemented by the “STEP“ NGO in consortium with the youth-led CSO “Molod Online,“ the City Development Institute of Zaporizhzhia, and the Zaporizhzhia City Council.

The project officially started in July 2024. However, its presentation to local youth and other stakeholders took place during the “MEET-UP“ youth forum earlier in May.

Recovery and Urban Development

Thanks to the support and expertise from USAID’s DG East project, we continue our efforts to make Zaporizhzhia more inclusive for all its residents. In the spring, Yaroslav Hrybalskyi, an expert on inclusive design, assessed the accessibility and inclusiveness of urban parks and squares. Based on his recommendations, four locations have been selected for the creation of inclusive sports and playgrounds. DG East will provide the necessary equipment, while the city council will handle the planning and construction work.

We continue to collaborate with the Ro3kvit Urban Coalition for Ukraine, uniting the efforts of city authorities, experts, and activists to create the Vision of Zaporizhzhia 2030. So far, intersectoral working groups consisting of municipal employees, NGO leaders, and active citizens have participated in three workshops. The Ro3kvit team also conducted a SWOT analysis to explore the challenges and opportunities for urban development.

The development of Vision 2030 was initiated by the Zaporizhzhia City Council. This document, created through a participatory approach, is the first step toward a future strategy and recovery plan for Zaporizhzhia city.

International Cooperation

In May, officials from Zaporizhzhia and Linz signed an updated Action Plan for 2024-2025. This document outlines the priorities for further project and humanitarian cooperation between sister cities. The ceremony took place during the 2nd International Summit of Cities and Regions in Kyiv.

A humanitarian cargo from the city of Belfort, weighing over 520 kg, arrived in Zaporizhzhia in May. It included food, hygiene products, baby products, and animal feed, all collected through generous donations from the people of Belfort.

In June, we handed over a brand new MAN dump truck to the utility company responsible for road and street maintenance. This vehicle is one of the most recent outcomes of our cooperation with Magdeburg and Oberhausen. The much-needed vehicle was purchased through a GIZ project for civil protection in Ukraine. Additionally, two more vehicles were donated by charitable foundations: an ambulance for City Hospital No. 5 from Malteser Hilfsdienst Magdeburg, and a minibus for the Children’s Hospital from Oberhausen Hilft.

Another vehicle will be purchased for Zaporizhzhia thanks to the GIZ project: a wheelchair-accessible minibus with a manual ramp, which is highly needed by social services.


In July, Zaporizhzhia and Oberhausen launched a new partnership project to improve medical rehabilitation services for people affected by the war. With funding from Engagement Global, the rehabilitation center at City Hospital No. 3 will receive modern equipment worth nearly 80,000 euros, including a diode laser, a portable hyperbaric chamber, kinesotherapy equipment, a rehabilitation treadmill, and other devices. The procurement is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Training and Professional Development

In the spring, the City Development Institute of Zaporizhzhia launched pilot Project Workshops for City Council employees. This two-month training covered the basics of project management, fundraising, and grant writing. Twenty specialists from the education, healthcare, social protection, labor management, and other sectors completed the training.

At the invitation of the City’s Center for Professional Development of Teachers, we held two additional training sessions on writing grant proposals for education projects.