War and climate change are reshaping cities faster than governments can rebuild them, delegates at the World Urban Forum in Azerbaijan's capital warned on Wednesday, as a Ukrainian official said his region alone had restored nearly 30,000 damaged or destroyed structures since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
"When it comes to the Kyiv region, we have been leading the way in reconstruction," Mykola Kalashnik, head of the Kyiv Regional Administration, told Euronews in Baku.
"Thanks to our president, government, parliament, and international partners, we have managed to rebuild 80% of them. The total number of restored facilities now stands at 24,000."
Kalashnik said Azerbaijan had become a direct partner in that effort. "Azerbaijan is helping us rebuild the Kyiv region. Two projects have already been completed: a school in Irpin, as well as a hospital and a shelter, because our area is dangerous and we need safe underground spaces, which our partners helped us build."
Azerbaijan, with SOCAR among the partners, is involved in delivering a further four projects, he said, including a multi-unit residential building, an arts centre, a sports school for children and youth, and a social infrastructure project.
