The Association of German Cities and GIZ have initiated a municipal aid programme, funded by the German government, to support Ukrainian municipalities more efficiently through existing municipal partnerships.
Working together with thirty German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships, the German government has recently started the second phase of its KomDirekt programme. Through aid packages, preselected by the GIZ, German municipalities have been offered the opportunity to aid their Ukrainian partners by acquiring a package and arranging its transport to the Ukraine.
GIZ provides five standard aid packages that German municipalities can choose from: construction yard equipment, such as cranes and trucks; tents and catering (mobile kitchens and groceries), protection of children and young people (equipping schools with tables, chairs, tablets, play equipment); municipal vehicles (e.g. minibuses and ambulances); and lighting. In an innovative use of existing municipal partnerships to ease the flow of humanitarian aid, the German municipalities discuss with their Ukrainian partners which aid packages are required. The Ukrainian cities can choose a package, with a value of approximately €150.000,-, and their German partners take care of the transport and handover of the goods to their destinations in the Ukraine.
With the German government doubling its commitment to €7,5 million this year, the Association of German Cities is enthusiastically looking to expand this unique, uncomplicated and innovative programme. Making use of existing partnerships, the German government and the Association of German Cities provide a new perspective on multilevel cooperation through international networks of municipalities!