The Swedish government has announced that it will give 75 million Swedish kronas (approximately €6.5 million) to the UNESCO fund for the rebuilding of schools and kindergartens in Ukraine that have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion, with bomb shelters being the fund’s top priority.
The funds will be used to winter-proof shelters in schools and kindergartens and to ensure shelters have running water and toilets.
UNESCO also places emphasis on schools’ inclusiveness and wants to ensure that shelters are accessible to children with disabilities and that schoolchildren and preschoolers receive psychological support.
“It is crucial that children and pupils are able to continue their education without long interruptions and that schools and kindergartens are as safe as possible. This support to the UNESCO Crisis Fund for their work in Ukraine contributes to this,” Swedish Minister of Education Lotta Edholm said.
According to the Swedish government, more than 3,000 educational establishments have been damaged and 360 have been completely destroyed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden is not the only country helping to rebuild schools and kindergartens in Ukraine.
Last summer, Portugal said it would help rebuild schools damaged as a result of Russian attacks on the city of Zhytomyr.
In October, the Lithuanian government approved a €68,000 project to renovate a school in Snihurivka; the works will begin in six months.
Source: Yahoo News