Since Russia's full-scale invasion on Ukraine, blood demand has increased by over 40%, with multiple facilities damaged and destroyed.

On November 19 2025, Enabel signed a €2 million grant agreement with Red Cross-Flanders to facilitate the modernisation of Ukraine's blood transfusion network.
Red Cross Flanders’ expertise will be used to align the Ukrainian blood system with European quality and safety standards. The organisation will contribute to strengthening quality control, traceability and modernisation of blood processing in Ukraine. They will also use their expertise to scale up recruitment of voluntary donations.

The grant support will cover the alignment of the Chernihiv Blood Centre with the EU standards, including the procurement of modern equipment and the training of Ukrainian specialists. The Centre, which serves the Chernihiv region and the neighbouring Sumy region, is crucial for the entire northeast of the country.

Yaroslav Melnyk, Ambassador of Ukraine to Belgium: "The contribution of our Belgian partners saves lives and lays the foundation for a more modern and secure healthcare system."

Jean Van Wetter, Enabel CEO: "This knowledge exchange is incredibly important for all parties as long as the war lasts, but I am convinced that our cooperation will also be useful in the future and in other contexts."

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