On July 11, 2023, the PROSTO project "Support to Accessibility of Services in Ukraine" organized an online event to address the state and needs of liberated and war-affected hromadas in Ukraine. The event included the presentation of the Project's third monitoring report, which covered 140 targeted hromadas. Additionally, Stanislav Petrov, Deputy Head of the Kherson Regional Administration, provided initial assessments of the dam explosion's consequences and the situation in the Kherson oblast.

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Based on the conclusions from the monitoring report, Vasyl Sehin, the policy coordinator of the PROSTO Project, emphasized the critical importance of technical and institutional capacity within hromadas and Administrative Service Centers (ASCs) for the timely receipt of payments for damaged and destroyed property. The monitoring shows that 55% of the 140 monitored hromadas and ASCs face a shortage of staff, hindering their ability to fulfill their duties comprehensively.

Stanislav Petrov presented a map showcasing the needs of hromadas in the Kherson region, with data that is updated daily. The map consists of layers categorizing and marking the urgency of humanitarian needs. You can access the map here.

During his speech Stanislav Petrov also highlighted several key aspects:

Many flooded houses are currently uninhabitable, requiring complete replacement of furniture and household equipment.

Local authorities are actively working on restoring water supply, but primarily through wells.

There is a pressing need for municipal transport, including bulldozers, tractors, and garbage trucks.

While more people initially started to return to their homes in the summer, the dynamics decreased after the dam explosion.

The exact extent of environmental damage is still under assessment. There is a need for field research in the affected areas.

The project’s monitoring analysis further emphasized the significant need for funding to create inclusive infrastructure in hromadas, especially to accommodate the growing number of people with disabilities.

"Restoring access to administrative services in hromadas is a top priority after their liberation, as returning residents require a wide range of services provided by Administrative Service Centers. We therefore prioritise support to local authorities in renewing these capacities and ensuring that residents can access necessary administrative services," stated Susanna Dellans, Deputy Head of Reform Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Swiss Embassy, Sweden’s Embassy, USAID projects UCBI-4 and DOBRE, EU-funded U-LEAD Programme, GIZ (Resilient Regions Programme) and SALAR International project "Support to Decentralization in Ukraine".

We also express our gratitude to the representatives of the Government and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine who took part in the discussion: Marina Matsenko, Senior Consultant at the Secretariat of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning; Dmytro Turchak, Director of the Department of Strategic Planning and Regional Policy at the Ministry of Reconstruction of Ukraine; Marina Bobranitska, Head of the Department of Administrative Services Centers development at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

You can download the monitoring report and the maps on the PROSTO website.