The Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Vereshchuk, met with the new Head of the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations in Ukraine (ECHO), Marianna Franco.
The meeting focused mainly on the priorities of humanitarian response for the winter period. In particular, the parties discussed the situation in frontline and de-occupied communities and ways of meeting the basic humanitarian needs of people living there.
Iryna Vereshchuk expressed her particular gratitude for the assistance provided by the European Commission. ECHO representatives assured that they will continue supporting Ukraine.
The organization has been working in Ukraine since February 2014 and plays an important role in coordinating humanitarian issues. Only since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, EU countries have provided assistance worth almost EUR 108 billion. Humanitarian aid funded by the EU is channeled through UN agencies, NGOs and the International Committee of the Red Cross.