Relief Supplies Sent from Bremen Headed to Odessa Region of Ukraine
🌟 With the backing of the Solidarity Ukraine Foundation, two much-needed aid packages were dispatched from Bremen to Odessa on December 13. These essential goods were previously acquired by the Senate via the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). 🛍️
Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte officially handed over the packages to the foundation: one contained a large school kitchen, while the other boasted a bus equipped with a wheelchair ramp, designed to serve those in need in the war-torn region.
💬 "The people of Ukraine are wrestling with their third winter of war, frequently without electricity and heating. Recent Russian attacks have escalated, decimating supply facilities and critical infrastructure. The war-stricken citizens urgently require our assistance," said Mayor Bovenschulte.
🤝 Bovenschulte gratefully acknowledged that Bremen continues to offer wide-ranging support in its partner region of Odessa. He particularly praised the Solidarity Ukraine Foundation for assisting in the transportation of the aid packages to Odessa once again.
💔 With over 220,000 displaced persons from Ukraine taking refuge in Odessa, Bovenschulte stressed the importance of lending a helping hand to the people in Odessa. He emphasized that these GIZ aid packages would directly reach those in need.
🔩 Bremen Steel Trader Guarantees Safe Delivery
Bremen has been dedicated to aiding Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict. Since early 2023, the Hanseatic city has maintained a partnership with the region of Odessa, officially sealed in June that year.
Per Ronald Speidel from the Solidarity Ukraine Foundation, numerous trucks loaded with medical supplies, food, winter essentials like heating tents and generators, mobile field kitchens, and ambulance vehicles have been transported to Ukraine using the logistics support of the Bremen company Buhlmann Rohr-Fittings-Stahlhandel.
🤝 "Thanks to this partnership, the GIZ aid packages will securely reach Odessa."
💰 Financial Support Secured for Aid Packages
Simultaneously, Borys Drogomyretskyi, Ukraine's Vice Consul in Hamburg, expressed gratitude that Bremen is providing both moral and tangible support to the region of Odessa. He highlighted that these humanitarian projects are more vital now than ever before. As a result, Bremen, the Solidarity Ukraine Foundation, and GIZ merit heartfelt appreciation.
For the procurement of these aid packages, the Bremen Senate secured a total of €180,000 through the "Improvement of Civil Protection and Reconstruction in Municipal Partnerships with Ukraine" project of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The large school kitchen will be handed over to the academic lyceum in the commune of Nerubaj. The bus with a wheelchair ramp is destined for the regional center for physical rehabilitation for the disabled. The third package, another minibus equipped with a wheelchair ramp, is set to arrive in spring 2025.
📸 Aid packages are packed and secured for transport to Odessa. Photo: Solidarity Ukraine Foundation.
📸 Credit: Solidarity Ukraine Foundation
"Mayor Bovenschulte commended the Bremen Steel Trader for their role in ensuring safe delivery of the GIZ aid packages to Odessa, stating, 'Thanks to this partnership, the GIZ aid packages will securely reach Odessa,'" and "Despite the ongoing conflict, Bremen's financial support for humanitarian projects in Ukraine remains vital. The large school kitchen and the bus with a wheelchair ramp, which are part of the GIZ aid packages, are expected to significantly help the academic lyceum and the regional center for physical rehabilitation for the disabled in Odessa."
