Bombs fell into my garden and destroyed the roof, says Ukrainian Ljubov. People in Need helps with a repair of home
Published: Oct 22, 2014 Reading time: 4 minutes
Prague, Slavjansk (22. října 2014) - In the eastern Ukraine the humanitarian situation there is still tense. More than 842 000 people had to leave their homes because of the fighting and from 415 000 people did conflict refugees in their own country. The temperature in this region falls to zero at night, and the local people are trying to repair their houses damaged by bombing, to be there able to stay there during winter. More of that, people, who are already tired after months of fighting and unstability, do not often have enough money for basic food supplies and medicine.
People in Need, therefore, in addition to the regular distribution of food parcels and medicine to local hospitals has identified the most affected households and started them with the help of EU funds distribute essential for repairing damaged houses. Our workers help the elderly with basic house repairs. In adition, the Ukrainian team of People in Need equips nine refugee centers before winter, where resorted hundreds of refugees from conflict zones. Twelve more centers will be equiped together with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).
Team of People in Need (PIN) along with partners and local councils chose the first 105 most affected households. "The 24 of them last week arrived with asbestos to repair the roof. We have also already prepared glass that will be cut exactly according to the needs of individual families in the affected villages,” says program coordinator of PIN Kateřina Kodysová with the fact that such assistance will be donated to a total of more than 300 households in the Donetsk and Luhansk region.
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The first consignment of material headed to the village Semjonovka that lies between rival military bases of Ukrainian and separatists forces and due to severe figting most of the houses there are damaged. Among them also the house of 55 years-old Lyubov Voloshena. "When the fight began, it was horrible. Two bombs landed in the garden and two in the yard and shrapnel damaged the main roof and porch," says a woman who before the war worked as a cleaning lady at a local school.
Without help I would not be able to repair my house
But the school is now destroyed. "Luckily I managed to find another job, but it's only part-time," describes Voloshena, mother of three children, about her life-situation. Many of her neighbors have not yet returned to their damaged homes. "I came back because I have nowhere else to go," says Lyubov. She has only modest savings to repair the house and even Ukrainian state does not offer any help at this moment.
"In our village there is a group that got together to negotiate with the authorities to provide assistance to people. The leader of this group has prepared a list of people whose houses have been hit, and gave it to the authorities - because their own lists are not complete. Based on this list, I was contacted by People in Need,” explains Lyubov about how she was reached by Czech assistance.
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Team of People in Need examined the situation on the ground and only after that decided to whom to deliver the material. "Most people repair their houses themselves, but those who canot make it, will also receive the help of our experienced team," says Kateřina Kodysová. "Firstly, I will fix the roof and the house will be in sufficient condition to spend there the whole winter," plans Lyubov Voloshena. "Without the aid of People in Need I would not be able to repair my house. I am happy that someone is willing to help us,” she adds. Information about material aid of People in Need has spread quickly around the village and immediately after that, people has started to show their interest in receiving it. "Shipment of thousands asbestos´ pieces for the roof and hundreds of square meters of glass will be donated in the next few days to Debaltseve, whic is located directly on the frontline," says Kateřina Kodysová.
Thermal insulated windows and doors or stoves for refugees
However, hundreds of families still reside in dormitories, convalescent homes or children's summer camps. They came here because their houses are destroyed or because they were expelled from their homes due to the conflict and still can not return. The problem is that these centers are not designed for habitation during the winter months and therefore the team of People in Need, together with ECHO (the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection) equips them and prepares them for winter.
"In the centers, we insulate windows, doors, wells and water pipelines or provide electricity. We also equip centers with beds, blankets, bedding, heaters or stoves and sometimes even with the boilers,” explains Kateřina Kodysová. People in Need arranged the agreements with the owners and even local authorities that the refugees will be able to stay in the centers over the winter.
Meanwhile, People in Need continues with the distribution of food to the most affected people, as well as with the supply of medication to hospitals. Together with WFP (World Food Programme) PIN also began with a pilot distribution of food vouchers to local supermarkets for 10,000 people. Until today, we have gathered nearly 8.5 million on the account of SOS Ukraine. Another 1.5 million was donated by the donor members of the Club of Friends of People in Need.
For more information contact:
Marek Štys, Marek.Stys@clovekvtisni.cz, head of the humanitarian project, PIN, 777053522
Kateřina Kodysová, Katerina.Kodysova@clovekvtisni.cz, program coordinator PIN (Ukraine), +380664358241