LocationsThe boats will be used during rescue operations along the Sea of Azov coast
Photo courtesy of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Donetsk Oblast
Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, 4 December 2020 –The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine have donated three motorboats, three trailers to transport them, and other specialised equipment for marine operations to the rescue units of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) in Donetsk Oblast.
The rescuers will use the new equipment to work along the coast of the Sea of Azov, in particular in Mariupol and Manhush district, to patrol the sea more effectively and quickly respond to potential dangers. For example, boats will be used in search and rescue operations to rescue people that have got into difficulties at sea.
Martin Schroeder, head of Local and Human Development section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, highlighted the work with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on equipping its units to respond better to emergencies and crisis situations.
“Community security and safety is a key component of the EU support package to the east of Ukraine. We are pleased to continue expanding our cooperation with the State Emergency Service”, Schroeder said. Today’s transfer of equipment for the sea rescue units is another practical step towards improving community security and protection of citizens living along the Sea of Azov coastline.”
In addition, the rescue teams will use boats to transport divers to survey and clean up the seabed, as well as to promptly locate and eliminate situations that pose a threat to the environment, such as oil spills in the sea.
UNDP Resident Representative Dafina Gercheva thanked rescuers of the SES for the critical work they do in eastern Ukraine, often risking their own lives to save others.
“We are confident that thanks to the enhanced technical capacity of SES units and the systematic supply of equipment, which we have provided together with our European partners, rescuers working in the Sea of Azov will be able to quickly respond and eliminate threats to both people and the environment,” Gercheva said. “We will continue to support rescue teams in eastern Ukraine, and continue our joint movement forward on the way to building safe and secure communities.”
Oleksiy Migrin, head of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Donetsk Oblast, thanked UNDP for the regular support provided under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme. “We highly appreciate our long-term cooperation with UNDP, as it contributes to the more effective work of the rescue service of Donetsk Oblast to ensure the safety of citizens in eastern Ukraine, both on land and along the coast and in the Sea of Azov.”
Among the equipment, worth U.S. $104,889 (or over UAH 2 million) purchased under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme with funds from the European Union, rescuers received outboard engines, navigation systems, marine radio stations, acoustic signalling systems and other equipment.
Donetsk rescuers receive support from the UN Peacebuilding and Reconstruction Programme on a regular basis: in early November, rescue teams received a large batch of technical equipment, and in August – equipment for digital communications.
All of the above will allow for high-quality monitoring of the situation in the Sea of Azov, as ensuring the safety and security of the population and preventing the unauthorized impact of explosive remnants of war is one of the highest priorities for rescuers in Donetsk Oblast. Such measures will be taken to prevent possible accidents.
Background
The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
Thirteen international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
Media enquiries
Maksym Kytsiuk, Communications Associate, UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, maksym.kytsiuk@undp.org, +380 63 576 1839
