Assistance and solidarity

Account dated 27.02.22

The Russian army is committing war crimes against humanity in Ukraine, shelling residential districts, orphanages, hospitals etc. As of yesterday, 26.02.22, the casualties among civilians accounted for 198 people (including children) and over a thousand people were wounded, including the badly wounded. The Hague Tribunal will be holding hearings on these war crimes. Whereas our mission as ‘Caritas-Spes’ is to give a hand to civilians who have suffered from war, which is as follows:

provide a shelter;
provide food, medicine and all necessary stuff;
provide psychological support.
At present, we’re housing mothers with kids and are engaged in the partnership support by Caritas group. We’re also working on supplies and humanitarian logistics.

Zakarpattia Oblast.
The region is housing refugees, which account for around 50,000 people. ‘Caritas St. Augustine’ (Caritas-Spes Zakarpattia) in Vynogradovo organised a warehouse for stocking various goods from the local people and entrepreneurs. They sheltered 50 IDPs (mostly women with kids).
On the border, hundreds of women holding their kids have been standing in queues for hours. Everybody is running out of their water and food supplies. Hot water for preparing baby formula and nappies are of utmost importance for them. Caritas’s workers along with a dozen of volunteers were on duty until 2am, giving out food, drinks, nappies for babies and other necessary things. Over 400 people received help.

Lviv
In the first 3 days since the Russian invasion Lviv Oblast has housed over 30,000 refugees from other oblasts. Over 100,000 people crossed the border into Poland. It’s impossible to drive up to the border because people are walking dozens of kilometres before it. A 40km queue is lining up to the border. Even in case of necessity, It’s difficult for emergency services to reach the place. Dozens of thousands of people on the border are waiting without any food and water. ‘Caritas-Spes Lviv’ provided their help for refugees holding their kids and fleeing the war. Over 500 food packages have been handed out in the last 24 hours. At present, the workers are trying to organise warm meals.

Odesa
Fierce battles have been taking place in the outskirts of Odesa for the last 3 days. During the day, explosions and skirmishes are heard going off in different parts of the city. Both yesterday and today, ’Caritas-Spes Odesa’ and volunteers prepared a shelter beneath the Cathedral, equipping a warehouse with foods for those in need. Yesterday, they stocked up with foods, plaids, and blankets. Today, they began equipping another 160m2 shelter.

Berdyans’k
Every night, ’Caritas-Spes Berdyans’k’ houses 40-50 people in their shelter and provides them with foods. The town suffers from continual attacks. The workers along with people in need have been staying in the shelter almost round the clock.

Vinnytsia
‘Caritas-Spes Vinnytsia’ houses refugees from Kharkiv and other regions although Vinnytsia cannot be named a safe place for the time being. Caritas continues to help those in need, having delivered 25 food packages today. A psychologist is working online, having held a psychological support session on how to deal with stressful situations (over 120 people took part in it + reposts). Another session is due tomorrow. The group is already packed.

Zhytomyr
Provides families and refugees from Kyiv with foods. At present, they account for 40 people.

Lutsk
Volunteers’ work at ‘Caritas-Spes Lutsk, St Peter and Paul Parish’ is in full swing. Around 50 volunteers prepared 70 warm meals for those in need, gave some lectures in first aid, made 1000 dumplings themselves and 2 camouflage nets. The Father and the volunteers have urgently left their work 5 times and have been to the shelter beneath the Cathedral because of air-raid warning.

Kamianets-Podilskyi
‘Caritas-Spes Kamianets-Podilskyi’ provided 5 families with a shelter and is now caring of them. ‘Caritas-Spes Khmelnytskyi’ is now preparing a shelter in the lower temple, which can house up to 200 people. (Natalya 067 740 57 55).

Kharkiv
The workers at ‘Caritas-Spes Kharkiv’ had to stay in the shelter the whole day, not being able to leave it because of active combats. For now, they’re picking up various needs and housing families. They’re also providing single mothers and their kids with houses, in which there are now 18 mums, 28 kids, and 2 nuns.

Kyiv
2 shelters were organised in the basements of Kyiv Social Centre and St Lucas Centre. Last night they housed 50 people. The people are staying in the lower shelter during shelling, sometimes going to the upper shelter to the toilets and to have some meals and a rest. The upper shelter even has its own mini zoo, which was given refuge by the request of a local pet shop. So the people feel comfortable in there as much as they can, given the circumstances.

Ukraine is holding out!