February 6, 2024
News
It has been two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and escalation of the war. During this time, the situation remains challenging both on the battlefield and in the living conditions of Ukrainians. Russian missiles and drones continue to target various settlements in Ukraine, while Ukrainians persist in fighting for their land or seeking refuge from the war. Caritas Czech Republic has been assisting affected Ukrainians since the beginning of the conflict, providing support both within Ukraine and abroad.
Immediate assistance at the beginning of invasion
The Russian attack on Ukraine forced people to flee abruptly, leaving behind their homes with minimal belongings and losing their sources of income. Caritas Czech Republic responded immediately, offering support to internally displaced people and Ukrainian refugees at the borders, who were mainly women with children and elderly people.
In the first days of the war, millions of helpless people gathered at the borders. Caritas provided them with hot tea, snacks, hygiene kits, and heated tents. At the same time, Caritas Czech Republic was sending humanitarian aid, including food and hygiene items, medical supplies and medicines, to the affected areas of Ukraine. When Russian militaries began shelling Ukraine's critical infrastructure, leading to power supply disruptions, we also sent backup electricity generators, which could ensure the operation of a hospital.
We offered cash assistance to the most vulnerable individuals, facilitated by the financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and partnering organisations. Also, we addressed the psychological support needs of affected Ukrainians by training local psychologists and social workers in crisis care.
As the war the war progressing, further challenges for Ukrainians took place, especially for those ones who were staying in Ukraine, but lost everything or had to restore their houses and everyday life after heavy bombing. Therefore, Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine focused on providing stable and decent living conditions for internally displaced persons and assisting communities in the affected southern regions.
Improved housing for internally displaced people residing in dormitories
Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine enhanced the living conditions of displaced people residing in collective sites in the Zakarpattia region. Throughout 2023, we undertook repairs of varying complexity in 8 dormitories, accommodating over 800 people. Specifically, we upgraded living spaces, kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. During the renovation process, the residents could participate in repair brigades as members of “Cash for work” activity. Many people gladly took this opportunity as finding a source of income in their new place of residence remains challenging.
We continue this support initiative and plan to expand it to other western regions of Ukraine, where a significant number of people have relocated since the escalation of the war.
Modular houses accommodated the most vulnerable families
To provide a secure shelter for those who have lost their homes because of the war, we started the construction of modular houses.
Over the last 2 years of the war, we have constructed 33 modular houses for the displaced people in the Zakarpattia region, namely in Svalyava, Mukachevo, and the village of Serednie. This western region is believed to be one of the safest in Ukraine, therefore a lot of people relocated here. In 2023, we started building another modular settlement in Zakarpattia, and soon, 10 additional modular houses will be inhabited. Many families appreciate the advantage of a modular house where they can live independently and have their own private kitchen and bathroom. Our modular houses are constructed according to high EU standards.
People in the frontline South met the winter well-prepared
Southern Ukraine's residents endured challenging times amid war actions and Russian occupation. While significant parts of Kherson and Mykolaiv regions have been liberated, the front line still remains close. Despite ongoing risks, people are rebuilding homes after destruction and looting. We helped them prepare their homes for winter, focusing on providing essential resources: solid fuel for heating, energy-efficient windows, winter clothing, footwear, and warm bedding.
In collaboration with the Charitable Foundation New Dawn, Caritas Czech Republic assisted households in meeting basic winter needs.This included providing coal to more than 640 vulnerable households for the entire heating season and helping over 200 households replace their windows with energy-efficient ones. Simultaneously, we distributed winter kits with warm clothing and bedding to residents in affected communities.
Emergency response to humanitarian needs after the Kakhovka Dam explosion
In the summer of 2023, the explosion of the Kakhovka Dam led to the flooding of entire settlements along the Dnipro river. The aftermath left people without drinking water, essential supplies, and with damaged homes. Caritas Czech Republic promptly delivered drinking water to these affected areas. In the initial days following the Kakhovka disaster, in collaboration with our partner, the charitable foundation New Dawn, we provided drinking water to 23,500 people. Additionally, we provided affected communities with water storage tanks, repair kits for water supply systems, and hygiene kits.
In collaboration with the Charitable Foundation New Dawn, we drilled 7 wells to secure reliable access to drinking water for over 10,000 residents in Southern Ukraine. Five of these wells are located in the Mykolaiv region, integrated into the city water supply system, completely meeting the local residents' needs. Furthermore, we drilled and equipped 2 wells in villages within the Kherson region. Responding to a request from a rural community in Kherson, we acquired 2 mini tractors to aid in clearing roads affected by mud.
Supporting refugees in neighbouring Moldova
More than 800,000 people have fled to Moldova since the escalation of the war in Ukraine. For most of them, it was a transit country, but over 100,000 refugees from Ukraine remain in Moldova today. The influx of refugees has been challenging for one the of Europe's poorest countries. Caritas Czech Republic has been supporting Moldova in helping the refugees. We have equipped 12 placement centres with necessities such as beds, blankets, washing machines and fridges to ensure dignified housing for the refugees.
We provided immediate cash support to the people who fled from Ukraine to Moldova and improved their access to healthcare, including psychological support to help them cope with the trauma of war. In total, we have supported 15,000 people in this way. We helped the war-affected people thanks to the support from the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and Caritas Luxembourg.
Caritas Czech Republic has also been supporting refugees from Ukraine in the Czech Republic. We provided basic necessities such as food packages, hygiene kits and clothes. Moreover, we run an assistance hotline in the Ukrainian language and organise language courses.
We support people affected by the war in Ukraine also thanks to donors who contributed to the Caritas for Ukraine collection. We have been supporting people affected by the war in Ukraine together with Caritas Ukraine and thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, Trocaire, Irish Aid and with the support of the Transcarpathian Regional Council.
