The war in Ukraine has left many Ukrainian veterans with physical and psychological injuries that also affect their families and their ability to return to everyday life.
Today, more than 1.5 million people are officially recognised as veterans in Ukraine. By the end of the war, an estimated five to six million veterans and family members are expected to be directly affected by the consequences of military service.
DIGNITY is therefore joining a new project aimed at strengthening support for Ukrainian veterans and their families.
The new initiative will improve veterans’ access to mental health and psychosocial support, as well as physical rehabilitation.
The need is significant: 71 per cent of veterans report physical injuries, while approximately 100,000 Ukrainians are living with amputations that require rehabilitation and prosthetic support.
The initiative will strengthen veterans’ opportunities to participate in local communities and build a life after serving on the front line.
»DIGNITY has extensive experience in helping people who live with severe trauma caused by war and violence. We will use this expertise to strengthen support for Ukrainian veterans and their families, giving them better opportunities to rebuild safe and meaningful lives,« says Rasmus Grue Christensen, Executive Director of DIGNITY.
DIGNITY will contribute particular expertise in mental health, rehabilitation and trauma-informed approaches.
Among other things, the project will strengthen support for Ukrainians who have been held in Russian captivity. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, more than 9,700 Ukrainians have returned from Russian captivity. According to the UN, 95 per cent of the former prisoners of war interviewed reported having been subjected to torture or other forms of ill-treatment.
The project is being implemented in partnership with the Danish Red Cross, the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and the Ukrainian civil society organisations Coalition of Veteran Spaces, Blue Bird and Forpost.
The initiative will run for 24 months and is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Peace and Stabilisation Fund. It forms part of a broader Danish initiative for veterans with a total budget of DKK 45 million.
