Recovery and reconstruction of the education, media and culture sectors in the next decade will require an investment of approximately US$52.13 billion
Damage to cultural heritage in Ukraine is estimated at 4.5 billion dollars (3.8 billion euros) after four years of war as a result of the large-scale Russian invasion, UNESCO said on Monday.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) stated that the recovery and reconstruction of the education, media and cultural sectors in the next decade will require an investment of approximately 52.13 billion dollars (44.18 billion euros, at the current exchange rate).
The agency, based in Paris, detailed, on the fourth anniversary of the conflict, that it mobilized a total of just over 75 million euros in those years, “with the conviction that education, culture, information and science are vital for the resilience of the Ukrainian people”.
In addition to helping to mitigate the direct impact of the war, the objective is to ensure that human rights and people, “particularly women, children, teachers, scientists, communities and cultural professionals”, are “at the center of recovery as key actors and beneficiaries”, highlighted Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, head of the UNESCO delegation in Ukraine, in a statement.
In relation to education, the organization detailed that, during this period, access to mental health and psychosocial support services improved for almost 320,000 students, and mental health training was offered to more than 42,000 education and psychology professionals in schools.
Furthermore, 77,000 teachers received training in digital pedagogy and 31 educational facilities in Ukraine were renovated with support from UNESCO.
Regarding the media, more than 5,100 journalists received support in the form of grants, security training, equipment and psychological assistance.
UNESCO also opened seven centers across the country to support the work of journalists, and its media and information literacy campaigns reached more than 13 million people.
In the heritage area, efforts focused on training 2,500 cultural professionals to improve their skills for future reconstructions.
The organization contributed to the rehabilitation of 20 cultural sites in six regions and established the Lviv Cultural Center, which welcomed 3,500 participants and held 130 events.
To increase the resilience of the scientific sector, the psychosocial and mental health needs of the Ukrainian scientific community were assessed, and an initiative for remote access to laboratory equipment was launched, offering research opportunities in partnership with international laboratories.
The long-term environmental impact of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam has also been addressed through new monitoring and early warning systems for water resources.
