10 million people have been provided with humanitarian aid, but the need is much bigger
The situation in Ukraine is now rapidly deteriorating as a result of the war and the continued missile attacks.
Every day, we have to solve an extremely difficult task: how to work even more effectively in conditions of war and aid the growing number of affected people. The significant complexity of the situation in Ukraine is compounded by regular power outages, against the backdrop of a winter drop in the average daily temperature. The need for evacuation, for heating in people’s homes, for restoration of infrastructure, and provision of additional power sources to the population is increasing.
Since 24 February 2022, more than 10 million people have been provided with assistance from the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS), including beneficiaries who have received inkind or cash support; beneficiaries of household reconstruction/shelter; people evacuated from the location of active military hostilities; people trained in first aid and mine danger; and those who have received psychosocial support.
The cash and voucher assistance is always the primary demand and allows us to cover the most urgent needs quickly. However, it doesn’t solve long-term issues concerning destroyed houses and critical infrastructure. Therefore, the URCS plays an essential role in response to this challenge and has constructed around 8 000 square metres of modular housing.
Together with the Ukrainian authorities and in cooperation with the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, we have already started the process of building temporary houses for internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia and Kyiv regions.
Thus, tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have suffered from the war will be able to settle in temporary shelters and start adjusting their lives.
We are also supporting repairs to hospitals, especially for children, and mental and physical rehabilitation.
Currently, we are also paying special attention to healthcare needs coverage through a developed network of Mobile Health Units. These units operate across 20 (out of 24) regions in Ukraine, providing home-based care and mental health programmes.
The URCS has provided psychological assistance to more than 250 000 people. In addition, we are constantly providing first aid training to the population, with almost 100 000 people being trained to date.
Our home-based care programme operates all over the country. This involves more than 627 employees of the URCS, who help the elderly in their homes. These are usually people who are bedridden and do not have relatives who can take care of them, for example by bringing food or helping with hygiene procedures. And the URCS takes care of such people – there are currently more than 4 000 of them.
The scope of the Red Cross’s work speaks for itself; a lot of assistance has already been provided, but we understand that the need is much bigger than that and the consequences of the crises will continue for years. And although the country is still in the immediate response phase, we as a humanitarian community already have to think about the next steps to recovery and reconstruction and rehabilitation in a coordinated manner.
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The Ukrainian Red Cross Society was recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on 29 September 1993, helps vulnerable groups of population, and develops community’s capability to prevent and overcome humanitarian and social crises.