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Dr Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Foundation has committed to provide a $5 million support package for local-led recovery in Ukraine.
The Australian charity organisation, established by the Fortescue Metals Group founder, will deliver the assistance for demining, projects to enhance food and energy security as well as the protection and development of the children of Ukraine.
The funding will build on Minderoo's existing commitments ($20 million) through a multifaceted package focused on Ukraine communities, including Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Odessa.
“The invasion of one country by another is wholly offensive to civilisation. Ukraine has every right to protect its borders, and the international community will be extremely shortsighted if it does not stand with Ukraine,” according to Dr Andrew Forrest AO.
Minderoo’s new support package includes funding for the expansion of demining efforts in agricultural areas, with a focus on rural land near schools and early childhood centres.
As well as support for households most impacted by war, including microfinance, agricultural inputs, and entrepreneurship support.
And finally, peace building and community cohesion activities in partnership with civil society.
These measures are intended to recognise Ukraine’s territorial integrity, strengthen civil resilience and reflects our commitment to Ukrainian leadership in the peace-making process.
Speaking on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Dr Forrest said he stood resolutely with the Ukrainian people and their President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“President Zelenskyy is the democratically elected leader of his people and a man of great character and resilience. As I have told the President before, we unequivocally support Ukraine to recover from this atrocious war on the terms acceptable to him and his people,” he said.
“While philanthropy can play a crucial role, governments across Europe should redouble their efforts to make Russian assets and elite interests pay for the war of aggression they have waged on Ukraine.
“Looking forward, Ukraine has the capability to draw on her deep pools of talent, vast natural resources and remarkable resilience to drive a powerful economic recovery. I look forward to working with President Zelenskyy and his team to recover Ukraine’s peaceful growth.”
Nicola Forrest AO said almost a quarter of Ukraine’s most productive agricultural land remained contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordinance, representing a US$11bn annual GDP impact on the Ukrainian economy.
“Demining is a humanitarian and economic imperative. Recovery, growth and global food security depends on it,” she said.
“Minderoo will scale our demining support to release contaminated land for agricultural productivity, focusing on women-headed families left widowed in frontline communities, and make schools safe for children to return to.
“We will work with agricultural communities to support long-term resiliency in their agricultural practices and lay the foundations for a Ukraine-led economic recovery.”
