August 1, 2025
News
After a year of joint hard work, on 28 July in the city of Berehovо in Zakarpattia, we officially opened a new settlement for the evacuated people with infrastructure for their integration into the local community. Currently, 100 residents from Donetsk, Dnipro and Kherson regions have already settled here. This project is the most significant for Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine, uniting the efforts of the authorities, partner charities, and businesses.
Strong cooperation became the key to success
Unfortunately, the war is still going on and leaving more and more Ukrainians homeless. Due to the fighting and constant danger, families with kids are moving to calmer areas, particularly to the west. In Zakarpattia Oblast alone, there are now over 124,000 officially registered internally displaced Ukrainians, and this number is growing daily. The main challenge remains housing and the local authorities' lack of resources to provide it themselves. In 2024, Caritas Czech Republic, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, got involved in setting up a new temporary accommodation facility in Zakarpattia.
In cooperation with the authorities of Zakarpattia Oblast and the city of Berehovo, a suitable location was found: a four-storey dormitory belonging to the Berehovo Lyceum of Services. This 2,000 square metre building had been empty for some time and needed major repairs.
Providing decent living conditions and integration for the most vulnerable categories of internally displaced Ukrainians, including people with disabilities, required significant resources. Therefore, the Caritas Czech Republic team in Ukraine secured the support of the authorities and partners.
"This is the most ambitious and multifaceted project we have ever undertaken. It became possible thanks to the successful synergy between the authorities, charity partners and businesses, as no single charity organisation would have been able to create such a facility on its own. It is a cozy, barrier-free temporary accommodation centre for 180 people. In addition to fully equipped housing, there are functional common areas – a children's room, rooms for studying and recreation, as well as an organized area with a sports playground nearby," said Nataly Mackova, director of the humanitarian development programme of Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine.
According to her, Caritas Czech Republic undertook the renovation work and pooled financial resources with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Proliska humanitarian mission, as well as the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration and the Zakarpattia Regional Council. As a result, the dormitory was refurbished to meet the needs of families with children and people with disabilities and was fully equipped with the necessary appliances and furniture.
Additionally, the surrounding area was improved, and a modern playground with an outdoor gym was constructed in the nearby park. It was provided by the SOS Children's Villages organisation and UNICEF Ukraine in cooperation with one of the relocated businesses and the local authorities.
The ‘Summer Together’ holiday helped displaced families get to know the locals
The first floor of the Centre is equipped for people with disabilities. The rooms here are more spacious, and the showers and sanitary facilities have special handrails. There are also recreation areas for adults and children on this floor. In addition, there is a separate room for studying and socialising, equipped with laptops and internet access.
One hundred internally displaced Ukrainians already live on the second floor. One of them is Natalia, a mother of four children. Her family lost their home twice. First in Donetsk, which was occupied by Russian troops in 2014, and now in the frontline village of Novopavlivka in the Dnipro region, which was almost destroyed by the enemy. Natalia fled to Berehove with her three youngest children. She says she was delighted to see photos of her new shelter.
"It has all the amenities and a well-equipped kitchen. That's a big advantage. The kitchen has new stoves and refrigerators. There are washing machines. The children have a playroom and a playground nearby, and our accommodation has new furniture for our family," she said.
Along with the evacuated families, displaced students and employees of relocated businesses who have integrated into the economic life of the community will also live on a separate floor of the Centre.
To help the new residents adapt better, the Caritas Czech Republic team held a ‘Summer Together’ celebration on the Centre’s opening day and invited locals. Together with our partners, we created a festive programme with free workshops, entertainment and a lucky draw. We are grateful to everyone who keeps helping with us!
Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine
Caritas Czech Republic has been helping Ukrainian families since the beginning of the war. In addition to providing much-needed humanitarian aid, we provide shelter to internally displaced people in modular houses in western Ukraine. We are also improving living conditions in dormitories. In addition to the temporary accommodation centre in Berehovo, our team has set up three more locations for war-affected Ukrainians this year: in the village of Kernitsa in Lviv Oblast, the village of Serednie in Zakarpattia Oblast, and in Ivano-Frankivsk. We keep on providing the most vulnerable people with decent living conditions.
In western Ukraine, we support Ukrainians who have decided to stand on their own feet after evacuating from the war zone. Through mini-grants, we assist the restoration of livelihoods for people in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and the Transcarpathian region.
In eastern Ukraine, we improve the accessibility and quality of rehabilitation and reproductive medicine by modernising hospitals and educating staff.
Since 2025, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, we have been involved in setting up a network of Mental Health Centres in 4 regions: Dnipro, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Transcarpathia. In addition, Caritas Czech Republic supports Ukrainian educational institutions near the frontline by creating safe educational spaces, providing equipment, and funding psychological consultations and additional classes to help children catch up on their educational gaps.
In southern Ukraine, we are now working with partners to restore the water supply in affected areas and set up mobile medical centres.
