United States European Command Donates Beds to Provide Support to Ukrainian Refugees in Latvia

RIGA – U.S. Ambassador to Latvia John Carwile presented a U.S. government donation of 176 single beds and mattresses that will be used to provide temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees in Latvia. State Fire and Rescue Service Deputy Chief General Intars Zitāns accepted the donation on behalf of the Latvian government on Tuesday, September 13.

The U.S. Embassy Office of Defense Cooperation worked with the Latvian State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), the lead governmental agency for coordinating support to Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, to implement the project. The donation, totaling $27,000, was funded by the U.S. European Command Civic Engagement Program. The beds will be distributed among nine Latvian municipalities – Liepāja, Saldus, Alūksne, Bauska, Talsi, Ogre, Valka, Ķekava, and Cēsis, - and will be used to provide temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees in Latvia.

Since 2007, the U.S. Embassy Office of Defense Cooperation has implemented over 50 individual Civic Engagement projects with total value of $11.5 million, working closely with Latvian governmental organizations such as SFRS, State Emergency Medical Service, regional municipalities, schools, senior citizen homes, and orphanages.