As part of the cooperation between the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), special social institutions in Kyiv region for elderly patients and people with disabilities have received new rehabilitation equipment.

Maryna Denysiuk, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, Masashi Nakagome, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, Ruslan Kravchenko, Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, and Hideki Matsunaga, Head of the JICA Ukraine Office, took part in the ceremony of handing over the equipment from JICA.

The equipment for social institutions in the Kyiv region from the people of Japan includes 11 vehicles for transporting people with disabilities and low-mobility patients, 22 physiotherapy machines and other rehabilitation equipment.

This assistance is provided under the Project for Emergency Recovery and Reconstruction, a joint project of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine and JICA. The project participants are the most affected cities and regions that need priority assistance.

"Ukraine and Japan are cooperating at the governmental level to implement projects to restore and overcome the consequences of the war. Japan regularly provides technical and grant support for key sectors and meeting the basic needs of our citizens.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency is working systematically in the areas of humanitarian demining, supplying the necessary equipment for the energy sector, water and wastewater management, demolition waste management, and installation of heat pumps at social infrastructure facilities. The Ministry is also restoring the affected kindergartens, schools and hospitals. Thanks to the cooperation between the Ministry and JICA, we are capable of restoring critical infrastructure in the communities. So we continue to expand our cooperation to help people survive the difficult times of war," said Maryna Denysiuk.

Kyiv region was one of the first to be attacked by the occupiers at the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion and has a significant need for restoration, including in the healthcare sector. According to the head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, in accordance with the instructions of the President of Ukraine, active work is underway to develop infrastructure in the region for the rehabilitation of both military and civilians who have been injured in the fighting.

According to Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Masashi Nakagome, such joint projects are evidence of the solidarity of the Japanese and Ukrainian peoples. Japan continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in both emergency relief and long-term reconstruction projects. In particular, in the areas of healthcare, rehabilitation and the creation of social services in communities. The donated equipment will help the most vulnerable members of the communities to restore their health and maintain resilience in such a difficult time.

In early 2023, Ukraine and Japan signed a series of grant agreements providing more than USD 700 million for the reconstruction of Ukraine.