Protecting and helping children a new step in Sweden’s support to Ukraine

Just like other children in vulnerable situations, Ukrainian children have a considerable need for fundamental public services. The ministries of health and social affairs in Sweden and Ukraine have entered into a cooperation agreement to provide Ukraine with continued social support. The agreement will focus on the reconstruction of Ukraine’s social services and support measures aimed at children and their families. This need will be considerable in Ukraine for the foreseeable future due to Russia’s aggression.

- Strengthening children’s rights and helping children in vulnerable situations is important both to me as Minister for Social Services and to the Government as a whole. One of the most important priorities of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU is supporting Ukraine, and I am very pleased that the agreement is in place, says Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall. 

The cooperation agreement will immediately be put into concrete action. It is important that the support responds to actual needs in Ukraine, and a close dialogue is necessary to analyse possible areas of development and create a plan for the implementation of support measures. It is also important to learn from existing support measures funded by Sweden through development assistance organisations, for example. Concrete support focusing on specifically children and young people is already being prepared. 

- For a long time, Sweden has provided support in the form of military supplies, health care measures and other humanitarian assistance. This cooperation agreement focuses on exchanging knowledge and experience to support children and young people, and is the start of another important step in Sweden’s support to Ukraine. It is a hopeful initiative that looks to the future, says Ms Waltersson Grönvall.