International crises have local repercussions, directly impacting cities and their communities. The ongoing war in Ukraine has displaced countless communities, with the United Nations reporting that over 3.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since 24 February.
As Mayor Peter Kurz of ICLEI Member Mannheim (DE) said recently at the International Sustainable Cities Summit, “The Russian war in Ukraine reminds us very painfully that people cannot build a future where war reigns. So, the global sustainable development goals cannot be achieved without peace”. Mayor Kurz went on to expand on the relationship between sustainability and peace, saying: “Sustainability is, in a way, just a nicer word for the conditions for survival”.
Local Ukrainian leaders are at the front lines of this war, and their community of peers – namely, mayors – from other countries are stepping up to provide them with support.
What follows is an indicative (not exhaustive) list of ways that ICLEI Members are lending direct support in the face of this war. We hope that this list inspires others to follow suit.
Furthermore, we invite Mayors who need additional support – especially those in Ukraine and neighbouring regions – to reach out to our ICLEI Member Relations team; we will put you in touch with peer cities who may be able to provide direct assistance.
ICLEI Member support and solidarity
Poland is, in many ways, at the front line providing assistance to fleeing Ukrainians, with the United Nations reporting that over 2 million Ukrainians (about 60% of those who have fled) have arrived in Poland since 24 February.
Katowice (Poland) lies just over 300 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. They have organised psychological and legal support programmes for arriving refugees; launched a 24-hour hotline in Polish and Ukrainian; and have produced and circulated a guide, written in Ukrainian, of all necessary information and support offered by the city.
Cascais (Portugal) has connected with Katowice, as well as to ICLEI Members Warsaw (Poland) and Alba Iulia (Romania), to send them humanitarian assistance. They are furthermore preparing to offer transport, local accommodation and integration support for refugees to come to Cascais.
Romanian communities have seen over 500,000 Ukrainian arrivals. Ukrainians who arrive at Bistrița are invited to go to the Voluntary Service for Emergency Situations headquarters to pick up non-perishable food, blankets, pillowcases, mattresses, personal hygiene items, toys and more.
While Poland and Romania have taken in the largest influx of migrants, ICLEI Member cities from across all of Europe are providing assistance to Ukraine.
In Germany, Freiburg is providing medical aid to its sister city Lviv (Ukraine), and is providing refuge for Ukrainians. For their part, Gartenstadt Haan is demonstrating that even small cities can provide support. Despite being a municipality of only about 30,000 inhabitants, they have set up an email address that can be used to offer accommodation to Ukrainians.
This is not an uncommon strategy. Cities from Germany to Romania, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and beyond have all set-up central platforms or email addresses, which residents can use to offer to host arriving Ukrainians. Readers are encouraged to offer to host, and to reach out to ICLEI Europe, should you require assistance finding your local database or contact point.
Strasbourg (France) has complemented their “call for hosts” with a dedicated reception centre for arriving Ukrainians. For its part, the City of Montpellier (France) is working in coordination with neighbouring municipalities to coordinate donation collection and finding hosts for arriving Ukrainians. They also joined a convoy bringing humanitarian donations to Polish communities on the Ukrainian border.
Rotterdam (the Netherlands) has also created a similar reception centre for Ukrainian refugees. This centre, called “Ukrainian house”, acts as a meeting place where refugees can get together in a familiar and welcoming environment. It is important that refugees not only be physically safe, but also are provided a welcoming environment that can ease the incredible strain they are facing.
…and much more
As already stated, this is not by any stretch an exhaustive list. Cities and communities across Europe and the world are providing assistance and support to Ukraine.
We once again quote Mayor Kurz’s address at the International Sustainable Cities Summit, in which he called on cities across the world to support Ukrainian local leaders, saying: “we must stay together, especially in this situation.”
For more information on how you can provide support, visit your local council’s website for links to platforms and contact persons gathering donations and lists of hosts for refugees.
If you represent an ICLEI Member struggling at this time, please reach out, and we will do our best to connect you with a community able to provide aid.