Press Release
February 24, 2025 • 4 min read
GOAL, in partnership with Ukrainian NGO, Right to Protection, work to strengthen local humanitarian capacity.
Today, February 24, marks three years since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The humanitarian toll remains staggering. According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, over 12,000 civilians have lost their lives, including more than 600 children. Critical infrastructure – including schools, hospitals, and water supplies – has been decimated, especially in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv and Chernihiv regions – leaving millions in dire need of assistance.
Since the beginning of the war, the Irish Government has consistently supported Ukraine by providing humanitarian aid, assisting with reconstruction efforts, and backing its reform programmes and path towards membership in the European Union. So far, our country has contributed €130 million to humanitarian efforts, with GOAL being one of the dedicated implementing partners of part of this funding.
GOAL’S UKRAINE RESPONSE
GOAL has been a key player in Ireland’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. At the start of the conflict, GOAL initiated emergency humanitarian response activities, focusing on delivering life-saving aid to address people’s urgent needs, including the provision of food and non-food items (NFIs), such as blankets, waterproof plastic sheeting, hygiene, and sanitary products.
Following its initial emergency response, GOAL, with support from Irish Aid, focused on building strong partnerships for a more effective long-term approach. Among these, Right to Protection—one of Ukraine’s leading human rights organisations dedicated to supporting IDPs, war-affected communities, and refugees—emerged as a key collaborator. However, as the conflict escalated, Right to Protection faced immense challenges in adapting its operations to meet the rapidly evolving and growing humanitarian needs.
To address these challenges, GOAL and Right to Protection launched the ‘Building Bricks for Humanitarian Excellence’ project in January 2024, funded by Irish Aid and underpinned by GOAL’s Crisis to Resilience Strategy 2025. The project launched in January 2024 aimed to strengthen Right to Protection operational effectiveness and long-term impact through targeted capacity-building efforts.
KEY AREAS OF INTERVENTION
Together, GOAL and Right to Protection identified five critical areas to enhance organisational capacity:
- Internal Audit Function – Strengthening internal governance and risk management.
- Investigations and Response to Serious Complaints – Improving accountability and safeguarding mechanisms.
- Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) – Enhancing data-driven decision-making.
- Accountability to Affected Populations – Ensuring affected communities have a voice in humanitarian responses.
- Management/Leadership Training – Equipping leaders with the skills to navigate crisis environments effectively.
CAPACITY BUILDING IMPACT
The project’s activities have focused on strengthening Right to Protection capacity at two levels:
Micro-Level:
- External training for middle management to enhance technical and leadership skills.
- Ongoing mentorship of Right to Protection senior executives by GOAL’s leadership.
- Establishment of focal points for each intervention area to drive continuous improvement.
Meso-Level:
- Development and implementation of new organisational processes.
- Design and delivery of enhanced systems to support long-term resilience.
- Structural improvements to sustain transformation beyond the project lifecycle.
GOAL pictured with Right to Protection team on capacity building visit in Kyiv, Ukraine, thanks to Irish Aid funding.
Dr Enida Friel, GOAL’s Head of MEAL (Monitoring Evaluation, Accountability and Learning), emphasized the importance of capacity-building initiatives in strengthening local humanitarian responses in Ukraine, stating:
“For humanitarian response to be truly effective, it must be both impactful and sustainable, tailored to the unique challenges of each context. At GOAL, we recognise that local actors are at the heart of recovery and resilience. Through our capacity-building partnership with Right to Protection, we are not just providing immediate support, we are strengthening systems and expertise that will endure beyond the current crisis. A key part of this has been MEAL on-the-job training for the Right to Protection team, equipping them with the tools to make data-driven decisions in times of crisis, ensuring accountability, adaptability, and long-term impact.”
Acknowledging the achievements of the GOAL – Right to Protection partnership, which now comes to an end, and the ongoing humanitarian needs in Ukraine Colin Lee, GOAL’s Director of Programmes and Operations, stated:
“As Ukraine endures its third winter under the shadow of war, GOAL recognises the ongoing needs of vulnerable communities throughout the region. With the year-long partnership between GOAL and Right to Protection drawing to a close, we welcome the opportunity to build upon the achievements made possible through Irish Aid’s generous funding. The ongoing humanitarian crisis necessitates sustained, localised, and targeted assistance, ensuring communities can recover, rebuild, and prepare for the future. GOAL remains vigilant and ready to respond, working alongside local and international partners to support those most affected by this devastating conflict.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin also recently underscored the importance of continued global solidarity, stating:
“Although peace might seem a distant prospect today, we must continue to work with our EU and international partners to build global support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
ENDS
