War in Ukraine
24 February 25
On 24 February 2022, Russian troops started invading and bombarding Ukraine.
This invasion caused a wave of displacement in Europe, with millions of persons internally displaced in Ukraine and many others fleeing the country into neighbouring Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia and Hungary.
The humanitarian needs are growing daily. In Ukraine, Caritas has local centres across the country that continue providing support in the form of food and non-food distributions, such as blankets and hygiene items. The needs also include generators, mattresses and medicine.
The war is currently destroying infrastructure, and it is likely that assistance will need to be scaled up in the coming weeks. In western Ukraine, the shops still have their stocks, but that is changing in some cities.
Click on “reaction” to read more about where Caritas is active in Ukraine and in the neighbouring countries.Reaction
Caritas’ response
In Ukraine, Caritas Europa has two member organisations, Caritas Ukraine and Caritas Spes. Together, they are one of the largest NGO networks in Ukraine with offices providing support to vulnerable children and adults across the country. Despite the war, the staff and volunteers of both organisations continue operating and helping people in need.
From providing shelter in houses and tents to distributing food, water and blankets, Caritas workers do their best to face an unprecedent situation. Only two days after the start of the invasion, Caritas Ukraine launched an “Emergency Appeal”, an emergency relief project, to its sister organisations in Europe that was fully funded within days.
In parallel, the Caritas organisations in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova have prepared to welcome and aid Ukrainians and Ukrainian residents fleeing the fighting.
Read more in the updates below about the work of each organisation.
As we enter the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, the largest war in Europe since World War II, the aerial attacks throughout the country and the attacks along the front line continue to escalate and the humanitarian crisis remains dire.
According to the Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (UN OCHA), 12.7 million Ukrainians will still be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025. The scale and severity of the crisis continues to require long-term external support to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Europe and to help Ukraine survive and recover. The decrease of humanitarian assistance clearly stated by the international humanitarian actors in Ukraine and the announcement by the US authorities in January 2025 of the 90-day partial suspension of assistance to international programmes raise concerns about the country’s ability to manage the crisis and long-term assistance.
As of October 2024, 3.6 million people are still displaced within Ukraine, with 82% of them having been displaced for over a year, many with no prospects of returning home. The ongoing conflict has caused severe trauma, with 63% of households reporting mental health challenges. Additionally, the destruction of critical infrastructure, such as power grids, water supplies, hospitals and schools, has further deepened the needs of the population. Poverty levels have increased by at least 1.8 million, leaving over 9 million people struggling to meet basic needs.
Caritas’ response
Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes Ukraine continued their efforts in 2024, integrating humanitarian response and recovery initiatives to ensure better resilience for war-affected people and communities of Ukraine.
The solidarity of partners, especially Caritas confederation member organisations and local Caritas groups, has enabled both organisations to deliver vital assistance through humanitarian, early recovery and development activities, tailoring their programmes to address the unique needs of each local community.
The two national Caritas organisations has assisted more than 4.8 million people since the beginning of the war, thanks to their dedicated staff and over 2.600 volunteers. Their aid includes food and non-food items, shelter, health and hygiene items, cash assistance, health and psychosocial support services, protection and education programmes.
Caritas-Spes Ukraine operates 54 aid centres in 23 regions, including frontline areas, and has reached 111.265 people through humanitarian projects since the beginning of 2024. Its activities are supported by more than 100 partners.
Caritas Ukraine’s network, made up of 47 local organisations and 300 parish hubs, continues to deliver essential services across the country with the support of over 2.388 active volunteers. As in previous years, Caritas Ukraine reaches both densely populated cities and rural communities, where the most vulnerable live and where access to social services is limited. Caritas Ukraine is able to reach these hard-to-access areas through its parish hubs, mobile teams and strong local community connections.
As we move into 2025, the focus will be on addressing immediate humanitarian needs while advancing long-term recovery and community stabilisation. This includes building staff capacity, improving operational efficiency and continuing to support local organisations for sustainable impact.
Read the joint press release from Caritas Ukraine, Caritas-Spes Ukraine and the Caritas confederation.
No comments:
Post a Comment