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Tenders are invited for Consultancy Services for a Needs Assessment on Inclusive Agricultural Livelihood Opportunities for Explosive Ordnance Survivors Closing Date: 22 Jun 2026 Type: Consultancy 1.Who is the Danish Refugee Council? Founded in 1956, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading international NGO and one of the few with a specific expertise in forced displacement. Active in 40 countries with 9,000 employees and supported by 7,500 volunteers, DRC protects, advocates, and builds sustainable futures for refugees and other displacement affected people and communities. DRC works during displacement at all stages: In the acute crisis, in displacement, when settling and integrating in a new place, or upon return. DRC provides protection and life-saving humanitarian assistance; supports displaced persons in becoming self-reliant and included into hosting societies; and works with civil society and responsible authorities to promote protection of rights and peaceful coexistence. DRC has had an uninterrupted presence in Ukraine since 2014 supporting the humanitarian response to the conflict from 2014 in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, eastern Ukraine. Since 2022, DRC is active across four of its core sectors in Ukraine Protection (including PSS, case management, legal aid and GBV), Shelter and Settlements, Economic Recovery (including multi-purpose cash assistance and distribution of non-food items), as well as Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (HDP). Within its HDP portfolio, DRC is the only organisation in Ukraine implementing four humanitarian mine action (HMA) pillars: Humanitarian Demining, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), Victim Assistance (VA), and Advocacy. DRC also founded the Victim Assistance Technical Working Group (VA WG) and has been co-chairing it since 2023. The overall objective of the VA WG is to improve policies, structures and opportunities for survivors of explosive ordnance (EO) accidents in Ukraine. It also contributes to a comprehensive and standardized response, while coordinating respective activities through collaboration with other relevant ministries and actors, including EO victims representatives, survivor organizations and organizations of people with disabilities. Currently, DRC has six offices in eastern, northern, and southern Ukraine (Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Donetsk oblasts and Country Office in Kyiv) that cover eight oblasts (including Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk) with 763 staff and scaling up activities across all sectors and areas of operations. 2.Purpose of the consultancy The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Ukraine is seeking a consultant to conduct an assessment that will inform the design of an integrated Victim Assistance (VA) and Economic Recovery (EcRec) programme supporting agricultural livelihoods for mine/ERW survivors with physical and/or visual impairments. The consultancy will generate evidence on how injury-related factors affect survivors participation in economic activities, identify required adaptation measures and support services, and assess the availability and affordability of relevant solutions within the Ukrainian market. The findings will be used to develop practical, evidence-based recommendations for inclusive livelihood interventions, including feasible pathways for restoring or adapting agricultural income-generating activities. 3.Background Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the latest report from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (UNHR) as of January 2026 reveals the devastating toll on civilians. In January 2026 alone, 161 civilians were killed and 757 injured. The number of casualties was similar to January 2025. Since February 24, 2022, the total number of civilian casualties from explosive weapons has reached 56,550, including 15,172 deaths and 41,378 injuries. According to the Secretariat of the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA), 1,409 civilian casualties from mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) have been recorded since February 24, 2022, including 397 deaths and 1014 injuries. However, these figures only scratch the surface of the true human cost. Many incidents remain unverified, especially in regions experiencing ongoing hostilities. The actual numbers are likely much higher, emphasizing the urgent need for international attention and assistance. Even if the war were to end tomorrow, explosive ordnance (EO) would remain a significant threat, continuing to endanger lives and limbs. With the increasing contamination of territories by EO, the number of people with disabilitiescaused by accidents, bombings, and shelling related to explosive ordnance or the war in generalis expected to keep growing. The full-scale invasion has caused unprecedented losses to Ukraines agricultural sector, directly affecting both the national economy and global food security. According to the Fifth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, as of December 2025 the total damage to the agriculture sector is estimated at USD 12.1 billion. The destruction includes agricultural machinery and equipment, storage and logistics infrastructure, livestock, and perennial crops. The most affected areas are the frontline and near frontline regions Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Cumulative economic losses to agricultural production over the course of the war have reached USD 78 billion, reflecting decreases in output, increased production costs, and deteriorating farmgate sales conditions. One of the key drivers of reduced production and abandoned land is largescale mine contamination. According to the report From Economic Recovery to Global Food Security: The Urgent Need to Demine Ukraine by Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, approximately 28,000 km of agricultural land has been abandoned due to mine hazards. These areas cannot be compensated by intensifying production elsewhere, creating substantial risks for meeting both domestic and international food security needs. Mine contamination poses not only economic losses but also significant humanitarian risks, particularly for agricultural workers. According to the Ukraine Thematic Report (24 January 2024), between September 2022 and August 2023, 19% of all casualties from mines and explosive remnants of war were injured while performing fieldwork on contaminated land. This makes agricultural workers one of the groups at highest risk, as they are routinely exposed to dangerous areas while operating machinery, accessing fields, and attempting to restore production. Consequently, this population will require strengthened support in the futureboth to reduce the risk of explosive-related injuries and to rebuild their livelihoods should minerelated trauma occur. At the same time, part of the population including persons with disabilities continues to view the agricultural sector as a potential source of livelihood. As reported in the study The needs of persons with disabilities for livelihoods and access to the labor market in the context of war in Ukraine by League of the Strong, more than 20**%** of respondents would like to start a business specifically in agriculture. This highlights the importance of creating safe, accessible, and wellsupported opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship during postwar recovery. Agriculture is one of the primary sources of income for populations in conflict-affected regions of Ukraine, particularly in rural areas. A significant number of individuals affected by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) were engaged in agricultural activities prior to their injury or continue to be involved in agriculture after sustaining injuries. However, the physical, psychological, and mental consequences of injuries often significantly limit their ability to perform agricultural work, which typically requires physical endurance, the use of specialized tools, and access to appropriate equipment. In such cases, affected individuals may require adaptation or replacement of tools, procurement of adapted equipment, removal of physical accessibility barriers, or transition to different types of agricultural activities. At the same time, there is currently limited understanding of the specific types of support required by such households, as well as the availability of adaptive solutions and services on the Ukrainian market and their associated costs. Given the scale of destruction, the longterm danger posed by explosive remnants of war, the significant humanitarian risks, and the populations continued interest in returning to agricultural activity, there is a pressing need to conduct a comprehensive study. 4.Objective of the consultancy The purpose of the assessment is to generate a robust, evidence based understanding of the agricultural livelihood opportunities, barriers, and support needs of mine/ERW survivors with physical and/or visual impairments in selected regions of Ukraine. The findings will inform the design of an integrated Victim Assistance (VA) and Economic Recovery (EcRec) programme, including potential cash or in kind support for the procurement or adaptation of agricultural tools, equipment, work environments, and the development of new or alternative agriculture related income generating activities. In particular, the consultancy firm will: Map priority agricultural value chains. Conduct a rapid mapping of agricultural value chains in Sumy, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv Oblasts to identify sectors with the highest relevance, growth potential, and engagement of local households, including mine/ERW survivors. DRC does not require an in-depth value chain analysis for every agricultural sub-sector. Instead, DRC is looking for a mapping exercise that identifies potential value chains with high growth potential and opportunities for the inclusion of People with disabilities and Explosive Ordnance (EO) vic Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4216382/consultancy-services-needs-assessment-inclusive-agricultural-livelihood-opportunities-explosive-ordnance-survivors
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