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European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
  • News article
  • 1 February 2024
  • Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)
  • 1 min read

Over 140,000 tonnes of life-saving and critical supplies sent to Ukraine via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism

A crane unloading salt from a cargo ship (in the background) into a truck.
© Hollemann, 2024

Today, the Commission reached a new milestone as the amount of in-kind assistance delivered to Ukraine now stands at over 140,000 tonnes, making this the largest ever operation supported by the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre.

This assistance has been donated by 32 countries since the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on 15 February 2022 and channelled via EU logistics hubs in Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The donations cover a wide diversity of items and sectors, including ambulances, fire engines, power generators, transformers, de-mining equipment, shelter supplies, medicines, and much more. The overall financial value of the assistance is estimated at around €796 million.

The latest substantial delivery via the Mechanism was 45,000 tonnes of road salt donated by the Netherlands. Delivered over the past 8 months, and equivalent to around 1,800 trucks, this salt is crucial for keeping Ukrainian road infrastructure functional during harsh winter months, also to ensure that emergency relief reaches people in need across the country.

Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said: “Two years into this atrocious war, the EU has stayed true to its promise of standing with Ukraine, for as long as it takes. Since the beginning of the war, we have delivered 140,000 tonnes of life-saving supplies, ranging from emergency vehicles to mobile hospitals, to Ukraine. Today I extend my gratitude to the Netherlands for their generous offer of much-needed road salt and their close cooperation with the ERCC to ensure its successful delivery. This crucial contribution, delivered to Ukraine via the Mechanism, is helping to keep critical road infrastructure open. It ensures that humanitarian aid reaches the Ukrainians most in need, safely and on time. This is a prime example of EU solidarity with Ukraine. And we will not stop here.”