U4U Together With French and Ukrainian NGOs Announce an Initiative #DesLumièresPourlHiver to Power Ukraine Through Winter

2022-11-22 | Political initiatives

We are glad to announce that after our recent advocacy trip to Paris, and with a help of U4U French members we are staring the campaign « Des Lumières pour l’Hiver » (Lights for Winter): generators from French communities to Ukrainian municipalities.

As you know, Vladimir Putin’s regime has been carrying out attacks on the Ukrainian power grid and communal heating systems for several months. In other words, Russia wants to freeze Ukraine this winter. Thus, during its retreat from Kherson, the Russian army carefully destroyed the entire electric grid of the city as well as the hot water distribution network.

During our advocacy trip to Ukraine, particularly in Lutsk and Rivne, and Kyiv (22.10.2022. – 25.10.2022) we have seen that regions are in dire need of generators. The Ukrainian Government announced that around 25.000 generators are needed. However, according to available information only 700 were delivered. Further attacks destroy infrastructure every day – much more rapid action from us is needed.

 

Together with French NGO Stand With Ukraine and Ukrainian NGO ANTS we started this campaign to assist between communities in generators delivery and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for survival. We called on each French community to deliver at least one generator for social infrastructure in the municipality of Ukraine, asking them to send electric generators allowing at least to heat the essential public buildings: hospitals, schools, maternities, housing, town halls. Essentially, to help those in the direst need.

The initiative is supported by the AMF (Association of the Mayors of France), Ukrainian governmental authorities and in particular the Ukrainian embassy in France.

 

This campaign includes:

– The assistance in the purchase of a generator by the French municipalities for identified Ukrainian commune,

– The logistical aspect and the installation of the equipment (from the transport to the place, the passage of the customs and until the deployment of the generator in the beneficiary commune).

– An exchange of letters, videos and a videoconference with the elected officials of the assisted commune is also proposed, as well as a visit to the assisted commune for the mayors who wish to do so.

Beyond this very concrete gesture of solidarity, this project implies a human dimension and a fundamental moral support for the people in Ukraine.

 

We urge our United for Ukraine colleagues to call for a similar initiative establishment in your country.

If you are ready to start acting please express your interest by writing to kateryna.musiienko@europarl.europa.eu and we will share with you documents on the need of cities in Ukraine.

In the meantime, you can follow this campaign on social media via the #DesLumièresPourLHiver.

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