We continue to analyze assistance for Ukrainian cities from their foreign partners. In the first part of the study, we talked about the assistance to the top 25 cities in the Transparency Ranking. This material deals with assistance to the cities of Ukraine ranked 26-50. 

Brief conclusions of the study: 

• Since the beginning of the large-scale offensive, the investigated 25 to 50 cities received humanitarian assistance from their sister cities/partners 82 times.
• Cities of Poland, Germany, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, and Romania send the most aid.
• Traditionally, the largest share in assistance is food (almost 23%), medicines, and medical equipment (18.5%), as well as hygiene products and household cleaning goods (19.5%).

How we conducted the research 

The second part of the study was conducted between May 23-27, 2022. Based on the analysis, we used data from open sources (official sites of city councils, Facebook pages, and telegram channels of local self-government bodies, mayors, media) on the 25 cities of the second part of the Ranking according to the results of the 2021 Ranking. Among the studied 25 cities are 9 oblast centers, and the cities themselves represent 18 oblasts.

Khmelnytskyi oblast (Dunaivtsi, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Netishyn), Kharkiv oblast (Kharkiv, Lozova), Odesa oblast (Odesa, Chornomorsk), Zaporizhzhia oblast (Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia), Donetsk oblast (Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk), and Dnipropetrovsk oblast (Kryvyi Rih, Pavlohrad) are the most represented in this study.

We could not find information regarding humanitarian aid received or sister cities with 9 out of 25 municipalities. The lack of information on twinning ties made it impossible to identify whether the assistance was provided from a sister or partner city.

Key results of the study

The second part of the study has shown that the country whose cities send most humanitarian aid is Poland. There were 27 cases of assistance from the sister and partner cities of Poland — 39% of all cases of assistance provided. 

The foreign city that sent the most aid was Marseille, having delivered aid to Odessa 4 times. Bydgoszcz, Darmstadt, Košice, Krosno, Regensburg send humanitarian aid three times to their sister cities: Cherkasy, Uzhhorod, Kharkiv, and Odesa. Among the 25 Ukrainian municipalities studied, the following cities received the most significant amount of assistance from their foreign sister cities: Kharkiv — 19 times, Uzhhorod — 16, Odesa — 11, Chernivtsi — 8, Kalush — 5, Kamianets-Podilskyi — 3.

Among the assistance provided, food, hygiene products and household cleaning goods, as well as medicines and medical equipment, are predominant. Interestingly, the 25 cities of the second part of the Ranking are characteristic of such types of humanitarian aid as financial assistance, stationery, and animal goods.

Aid without limits 

Twin cities not only send humanitarian goods to their Ukrainian partners, but also help Ukrainian refugees abroad. Thus, a Center for Assistance to Ukrainian citizens was opened in the sister city of Odesa, Varna, and a centralized transfer and free accommodation on the territory of the Bulgarian city for large families and families with children were organized.

Cities that do not have the twinning or partner status are ready to help with the post-war reconstruction of Ukrainian cities. For example, Kharkiv, which was significantly damaged by the war and in which about 30% of the housing stock was destroyed, plans to conclude a partnership agreement with New York. The mayor of Boston also stated that the city would participate in the restoration of Kharkiv and become its permanent partner.

Tips for the cities

Having analyzed a total of 50 Ukrainian cities, we should note that cities not always publish information about the assistance provided or its tonnage, nor about financial assistance from sister cities or partners. This is important, both for those cities that have already helped Ukraine, and for those that are only going to do it. We wrote about tips for Ukrainian cities that will reduce corruption risks and form an image of responsible partners among sister cities in the first part of the analytics. 

We continue to strongly encourage cities to develop a network of partnerships with cities abroad. The war is still going on, we need support more than ever and with the beginning of reconstruction, this need will not disappear. Here are some tips from our team on how to establish twinning ties or partnerships with cities abroad.