Today, on September 11, the Director of the UNDP Crisis Bureau, Ms. Shoko Noda, arrived in Mykolaiv on a working visit. The delegation visited the Vasyl Sukhomlynsky National University, which had been severely damaged by enemy missiles, and held working meetings at the Office of Reconstruction and the Tourist Information Center.
The oldest university in the Mykolaiv region has been hit by missile strikes four times, two of which directly targeted its premises. Five missiles significantly damaged the main building, destroying the upper floors and hitting the foundation of the second building. As a result, half of the building had to be completely dismantled, a process in which UNDP is assisting.
Today, we are hosting Ms. Shoko Noda, who is reviewing the progress of our cooperation with UNDP. Thanks to our joint efforts, we are not only working on soft projects related to personal development and supporting our schools and social institutions but also on a more challenging project, like dismantling destroyed buildings. To restore damaged structures, we first need to dismantle them, which is quite expensive. We can't afford to do it with the city's budget, so we turned to UNDP for assistance, and now we are working together on this.
Oleksander Siynkevych, Mykolaiv City Mayor
After the dismantling of damaged or destroyed objects, the construction debris will be recycled into building materials for future use. Additionally, the mayor noted that the city is working with the Government of Japan, JICA, and UNDP to establish a waste recycling plant for construction debris. It will process the debris into secondary building materials to be used in the reconstruction of Mykolaiv.
We are not only removing and dismantling debris but also paying significant attention to its recycling. We sort all the debris into what can be reused and what is simply waste to be disposed of. Furthermore, we supported the construction of the first waste processing center in the Kyiv region. We believe that the waste recycling program is just the first phase of Ukraine's recovery. In other words, UNDP remains with you on the path to recovery.
Ms. Shoko Noda, the Director of the UNDP Crisis Bureau
At the Office of Reconstruction and Development of the Mykolaiv community, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych and Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Kim briefed the delegation on Mykolaiv's contribution and that of its brave residents in halting the southern offensive of Ukraine. They also highlighted the current problems facing the city and region, expressed gratitude for the support provided to Mykolaiv residents during difficult times, and invited further cooperation.
Finally, at the Tourist Information Center, the UNDP leadership was presented with an overview of joint projects that have already been implemented, as well as those currently underway.