Belgium (Brussels, Morning Newspaper) The EU says delivery of emergency energy support coordinated via the EU’s private donation scheme has arrived in Ukraine.
Some 169 generators donated by the Minderoo Foundation in Australia have been transported to Ukraine via the rescEU energy hub in Poland.
Worth €1.95 million, these generators come in addition to the 1,000 generators deployed from the rescEU reserve to Ukraine, as announced at the opening of the hub earlier this year.
In total, the EU has coordinated some 3,000 power generators to Ukraine via donations from the Member States, the private sector, third countries, and its own rescEU reserves. In parallel, the EU has awarded €114.9 million to Poland for purchasing generators as part of this rescEU energy reserve, which is meant not only to support the Ukrainian energy sector but also to address possible needs of other countries impacted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
These EU-channelled generators range from smaller sizes, capable of powering single households, to much larger models suitable for keeping public buildings and vital community services such as hospitals and central heating points running.
The EU says it is working on all fronts to support Ukraine and its people with emergency assistance. This includes allocating €630 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the onset of the war, as well more than 87,000 tonnes of in-kind assistance channelled through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in its biggest operation ever.
Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “In a short time, this rescEU reserve hosted by Poland is becoming the emergency energy lifeline to Ukraine. I would like to thank Poland for playing such a key role in getting assistance to Ukraine since the first days of this war, but also to the Minderoo Foundation for showing that support comes from far beyond the European borders.”
Meanwhile, a concert in support of Ukraine – specifically medical, educational and children’s projects – is planned for next month.
The Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Navarro Torres will present a programme of Chopin’s piano Concerto No1 and Beethoven’s Symphony No 7 on Thursday 4 May at 8 pm in the Brussels Royal Conservatoire, 30 Rue de la Regence, 1000 Brussels.
The guest pianist is Belgian resident Ukrainian Dmytro Sukhovienko. The advice is to reserve early as tickets are going fast. Anyone interested should visit BPHO.be to reserve and pay for a ticket. There are a limited number of places. They are not numbered so it is on a first come first served basis. People can order ten tickets to share with friends so they will be able to be seated together.
The proceeds will go to the following:
The national rehab centre. This is a medical hub in Lviv where those injured in the war can receive comprehensive medical care and rehabilitation. The funds will be used to purchase medical equipment; Dobrodiv is a charity that helps children with educational and psychological support. The funds will be used to co-finance the psychological support centre for children in Kyiv to cope with trauma and stress caused by war through art therapy and other activities and Hospitallers which is a volunteer organization of paramedics who provide medical help and evacuate injured people to hospitals, saving lives in the most dangerous areas in Ukraine. The funds will be used to purchase ambulances and medical equipment/supplies.