Ukraine pledges special fund for post-conflict recovery in eastern regions

Authorities of Ukraine will allocate about 118 million US dollars for the post-conflict recovery in the government-controlled areas in eastern regions, a senior parliamentary official announced here Wednesday.


"First of all, the money will be spent on warming and repairing of schools, kindergartens, houses and roads and part of the funds will be used to pay salaries to teachers, health workers and other employees of the public sector," Maksim Efimov, the first deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on industrial policy and entrepreneurship, told reporters.

The aid package will be distributed in the form of grants to the frontline cities and villages, which were severely affected by the conflict, Efimov said, pointing that the lion share of the funds will go to the cities of Mariupol, Kramatorsk, Krasnoarmeysk and Slavyansk in Donetsk region.

The money will be funneled from a special fund established last year with money saved from the freeze of payments to parts of Lugansk and Donetsk regions controlled by pro-independence rebels, Efimov added.

The armed confrontation between government troops and insurgents, which started in eastern Ukraine in April 2014, has caused an extensive damage to public and private infrastructure of the region.

About 6,500 houses, 151 water supply facilities and more than 310 kilometers of heating networks in Lugansk and Donetsk regions are in urgent need of repairs before the upcoming winter, according to official data of the country.
  Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
  8/10/15
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