Delivering aid to refugees from Ukraine

A massive population displacement

Following Russia’s aggression of Ukraine, 5 million refugees now live outside the country. As an immediate response to this massive population displacement, the CEB has allocated € 10 million for assistance to refugees from Ukraine. These funds will serve to provide transport, shelter, medical care, counselling to the refugees from Ukraine.

Migrant and Refugee Fund (MRF)

The grants are being channelled through the Migrant and Refugee Fund, a trust fund established by the CEB in 2015 in response to a surge in arrivals of migrants and refugees. Initially, the Bank used the MRF mainly to help member countries located along the so-called “Balkan route” build up their short-term reception capacity. Until the start of the war in Ukraine, it had increasingly used the MRF to help its member states throughout Europe integrate migrants and refugees in their host communities. 

Strong Donor support

The MRF enjoys strong support from the international Donor community. It has received €39 million in contributions from 22 CEB member states, as well as the CEB and the European Investment Bank. Since 2015, the CEB has approved €33 million in grants from the MRF in favour of projects benefitting migrants and refugees.

Ukraine Solidarity Fund (USF)

In response to the war in Ukraine, the Bank established in 2022 a new trust fund: the Ukraine Solidarity Fund. The Fund will address the various social needs created by the war, such as emergency assistance, resettlement and integration of refugees and internally displaced persons as well as reconstruction of critical social infrastructure. It will support projects in Ukraine, which is expected to become a CEB member state at the beginning of 2023, but also in CEB member states hosting refugees from Ukraine, given the high number of refugees from Ukraine who have fled their country and may remain abroad for long periods of time or even indefinitely. Ireland, which championed the creation of this trust fund, endowed it with €1 million in seed financing.