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Jersey financial support and twinning plans for Ukraine

MAT Kosovo/ FoU-EOD FOU-EOD recruits undertaking their training which has been funded by JOAMAT Kosovo/ FoU-EOD
Jersey Overseas Aid funds are continuing to help aid those affected by the Ukrainian invasion

A Jersey charity has continued its humanitarian support to Ukraine by donating £400,000.

It would help a "worsening humanitarian situation in the war-torn country", Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA) said.

It added that the money would go towards "critical energy needs" for health facilities and the provision of medical supplies.

St Helier Town Hall said it was also considering the potential twinning of the parish with a town in Ukraine.

Minister for International Development Carolyn Labey said the humanitarian situation was "worsening and the need for assistance only continues to rise".

"Jersey is continuing to provide targeted, life-saving assistance that can be delivered quickly and effectively to those facing hugely challenging conditions," she said.

'MAT Kosovo/ FoU-EOD' Woman undertaking bomb disposal training'MAT Kosovo/ FoU-EOD'
Funds have also gone towards training Ukrainian nationals about bomb disposal

Funds from the charity are also provide training for Ukrainian nationals on how to dispose of bombs.

Ben Remfrey, founder of Friends of Ukraine Explosive Ordnance Disposal (FOU-EOD), said its work was making a "significant difference".

He said: "The beneficiaries of this training ... will be upskilled, enabling the survey and area reduction of the land contaminated by the explosive remnants of war.

"Those trained will continue to be best prepared for combatting the effects of the war in Ukraine for years to come."

About £3.1m has been provided to Ukraine from Jersey, from a combination of JOA funding, £1m from the Government of Jersey and donations to the Bailiff's Ukraine Appeal.

A vote is due to take place on Wednesday in St Helier to decide if it will twin with the town of Mykolaiv.

The town is a major shipbuilding port in southern Ukraine which a pre-war population of 470,000 and a "flourishing" digital sector before the invasion, officials said.

St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft said that, if the twinning was approved, it would "symbolise our ongoing connection and commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine".

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