PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROJECTS IN THE POST-CRISIS PERIOD IN THE CONTEXT OF POST-CONFLICT RECOVERY

Abstract

The question of how international assistance can effectively support post-conflict recovery and development in crisis-affected countries has become increasingly urgent in the contemporary global context. While international donors and multilateral organizations commit unprecedented financial resources to aid programs, the paradox persists that many countries receiving substantial assistance still fail to achieve meaningful sustainable development outcomes. This phenomenon raises critical questions about the fundamental mechanisms through which aid is delivered, coordinated, absorbed, and ultimately transformed into tangible improvements in governance, economic stability, and social resilience. The complexity of post-conflict contexts (where infrastructure lies in ruins, institutional capacity has been severely diminished, populations are displaced, and immediate humanitarian needs compete with long-term development imperatives) creates unique challenges that distinguish these situations from ordinary development work. The goal of this article is to systematise the main categories of challenges in the implementation of international assistance projects in countries in post-crisis and post-conflict contexts, and in particular to identify the problems of implementing international assistance projects for displaced communities. The paper defines the essence of each category of problems and the degree of their impact on the absorption of international assistance by communities, and also notes the systematic nature and interconnection of these problems. Taking into account foreign experience in implementing international assistance projects, the categories of challenges in implementation of international assistance projects in countries in the post-crisis period have been systematised. In particular, for each category of challenge, the key problems that lie within the scope of each challenge, and the impact on the development of the recipient communities themselves are identified. Overcoming deep structural, institutional and political obstacles will lead to sustainable development in the context of international assistance. For Ukraine, in the context of post-crisis and post-conflict recovery, it is important to comprehensively rethink coordination mechanisms, strengthen the absorption capacities of national institutions and develop a long-term strategy for the autonomisation of development.