A new community building opens as part of UNDP-UNHCR project to support recovery and returns in the south of Ukraine
A new community building opens as part of UNDP-UNHCR project to support recovery and returns in the south of Ukraine
Zavodske, Mykolaiv Oblast, 11 February 2026 — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have officially inaugurated a rehabilitated community and village council building in Zavodske, Mykolaiv Oblast. The facility, restored with support from the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund (UCRF), houses the local administration offices and provides a vital multi-functional space for civic and social activities in the community.
The efforts in Zavodske are part of a broader joint project by UNDP and UNHCR, “Mine Action and IDP Return in the South of Ukraine”, that was launched in August 2024. The project focuses on creating safe conditions for return, rebuilding homes and infrastructure, and restoring essential services in partnership with local authorities and civil society across Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts. These areas faced the severe impacts of occupation, destruction, and displacement as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The project specifically targets four communities — Zavodske and Shyroke in Mykolaiv Oblast and Vysokopillia and Velyka Oleksandrivka in Kherson Oblast — spurring their early recovery.
The project’s various activities address specific concerns from both Ukrainian refugees abroad and internally displaced people that were raised in surveys on their intention to return: safety from mines and explosive remnants of war, damage to housing and social infrastructure, and the lack of essential services and employment opportunities.
UNDP is leading efforts on community security, mine action, debris removal, and institutional capacity-building in the south of Ukraine. In Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts, debris removal operations in the Shyroke and Vysokopillia communities resulted in the demolition of seven damaged buildings and the safe processing of approximately 14,000 tonnes of debris. In parallel, UNDP continues to support explosive ordnance risk education, strengthen local service delivery, and advance area-based recovery to enhance community safety and early recovery.
UNHCR focuses on repairs of war-damaged homes, the rehabilitation of social infrastructure, and the provision of mobile protection teams that provide a variety of legal aid and counselling support to IDPs and other vulnerable groups. To date, UNHCR, together with NGO partners Tenth of April and Caritas, has repaired 785 homes across the four communities and helped other families with repair materials or cash assistance to do repairs themselves. Five public facilities have been rehabilitated or are in the process, and more than 8,000 residents and returnees have received legal assistance, psychosocial support, or other types of case-by-case protection support.
The project further strengthens community participation and local governance by creating civic and youth spaces, supporting IDP councils, and launching community-led recovery initiatives that promote social cohesion.
“Restoring access to local administrative and social services is not only about opening a building — it is about restoring people’s dignity, their access to rights, and their confidence in the future of their community. At UNHCR, we are grateful for the close and trusted collaboration with local authorities, partners Caritas and Tenth of April, UNDP, and the community members themselves. Our joint efforts will strengthen the communities’ resilience, restore essential services, and ultimately support the sustainable return of people to communities that have suffered so much but remain determined to recover and revive,” said Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, UNHCR Ukraine Representative.
“Community recovery is about restoring the everyday services and spaces that allow people to return, reconnect, and rebuild their lives with dignity. Denmark is proud to support this joint UNDP–UNHCR initiative implemented through the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund, which strengthens local governance, improves access to essential services, and helps create the conditions for a safe and sustainable return. By investing in communities affected by the war, we stand with the people of Ukraine as they move from emergency response towards long-term recovery,” said Jakob Torrild Hansen, Head of the Danish Embassy Office in Mykolaiv.
“UNDP applies an area-based recovery approach to deliver meaningful progress, address complex challenges, and empower communities to drive their own development. In Zavodske, this includes strengthening community security, supporting mine action and debris removal, and enhancing the capacity of local authorities to deliver administrative, social, health, and vocational services. By working closely with communities, youth, and veterans, we are laying the foundations for sustainable recovery and economic revitalization. UNDP is proud to partner with UNHCR on this joint initiative, which is helping restore safety, services, and confidence in the future of this war-torn community,” said Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine.
“This new community hub marks an important step in restoring services and hope for our people. Its realisation was made possible through strong partnerships between local authorities, UNHCR, UNDP, and, crucially, local residents themselves. Together, we are building safer, more resilient communities and enabling the sustainable return of people,” said Vitalii Kim, Head of the Mykolaiv Oblast State Administration.
Background
Zavodske in Mykolaiv Oblast was right on the frontline at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, prompting all but 86 residents of the pre-war population of 4,000 to flee the fighting. Since Ukraine retook the area at the end of 2022, life has been resuming slowly but consistently as is also the case for other communities with similar experiences.
In addition to the rehabilitation of the community building and village council, another facility in Zavodske is being renovated and transformed into an Administrative Service Centre (ASC) and Centre for Psychological and Social Services (CPSS), scheduled to open in July 2026. The Centre provides comprehensive social support for older adults, people with disabilities, and internally displaced people — many of whom have faced years without reliable access to essential social care due to critical gaps in local capacity.
