What is the situation in Ukraine?

Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine faces enormous challenges. The war with Russia and internal conflicts are paralyzing the economic development of the Eastern European country. The population is deeply divided: one part hopes for rapprochement with NATO and the European Union, the other advocates closer ties with Russia. test

Tensions between East and West are largely resolved in the east of the country, with more than 13,000 people killed in fighting around Luhansk and Donetsk since the war began in 2014, a quarter of them civilians.

After the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022 and subsequent attacks, the situation in eastern Ukraine and throughout the country continues to deteriorate. In particular, the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson were badly affected by the hostilities. Several thousand Ukrainians, including civilians, have already become victims of hostilities.

The number of people fleeing violence is increasing every hour. Currently, more than 7.7 million people have found refuge outside Ukraine, including many women and children. A large part of them seek asylum in neighboring countries, such as Poland, Moldova, Hungary or Romania. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 7 million Ukrainians have become internally displaced persons within the country. Humanitarian aid is urgently needed.

More than 7 million people are internally displaced.

How does Help provide support in Ukraine?

A humanitarian catastrophe is taking place in the middle of Europe. Aid is supporting people in Ukraine during this serious crisis. Through local partner organizations, we are currently distributing food kits, water, hygiene products and hot meals to refugees and other people affected by the war.

In the spirit of helping people help themselves, we support families with financial assistance, such as transportation or accommodation. We also offer psychological support through our partners and provide information on safe places, evacuation and general protection measures. In addition, we provide medical and social assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.

Help has been working in eastern Ukraine since 2021 to create new perspectives and better living conditions for displaced people and other vulnerable population groups and their families. In light of the Russian attacks, we are currently focusing our attention on emergency relief across the country.

We help displaced families by, for example, distributing hygiene items and food.