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“European” bicycles as a way to fight isolation of the old and vulnerable

11/02/2022

An elderly married couple is living in a house in the gardening community near the line of separation in Stanychno-Luhanskiy County, Luhansk Oblast. It was once a dacha, but now it is a home.

Their daughter does not live far, in the occupied Luhansk. It hadn’t been easy to visit the parents before, but then the pandemic made things even more difficult. The two-week quarantine requirement was introduced on both sides of the boundary line. Therefore, she can only visit once a month at best.

Actually, the old people are one-on-one with their problems. This is a real story and, unfortunately, a rather typical one.

3.4 million people continue to live in the populated areas located along the dividing line in the East of Ukraine, requiring humanitarian aid. A large number of them are elderly people that also require care. However, it is difficult to get to them not only for their relatives, but also for social workers.

The European Union in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are helping resolve the issue of mobility. With the financial support of the EU, 228 traditional and 35 electric bicycles were purchased.

“This is a huge help indeed. I was truly happy about it, as were the ‘gardeners’,” says Tetyana Vasyukova, Head of the Mriya gardening community. She also carries out the duties of a social worker. “We ride to the people and take their blood pressure, and then decide whether we need to call an ambulance or pills are enough. Even in winter, there are around a thousand people living here.”

Tetiana came to visit an elderly woman Yevdokiya Vasylivna to measure her blood pressure and bring her groceries.

“She cares about us, calls and asks questions,” says the woman. “What do I order? Ice-cream. I know at my age… but I still crave it.”

Natalia Badyuk, the head of Lisok gardening community, cares for the old and weak in the same way. She also had to learn to ride a three-wheel electric bike. It can go as fast as 40 km/h and is equipped with special baskets to carry things.

“At 50, I’ve never ridden a bicycle,” tells Natalia. “When they brought this transport, I was truly shocked. At first, for about a month, I only used mechanical running, but then I learned and now it’s easy, fast and convenient.”

The bicycles were delivered to the communities by Proliska NGO, which has over 100 volunteers. The organization provides help to the most vulnerable people living within the 20-km zone from the line of separation. It is a partner organization of the UNHCR.

“The situation became more difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, because many villages don’t have doctors, pharmacies or even stores,” confirms Yevhen Kaplin, the head of the organization. “90% of the offices of social services no longer operate in the zone, there is no public transportation and the populated areas are often isolated.”

Providing bicycles to improve the mobility of social workers in the front-line communities is only one of the many ways and cases of humanitarian aid provided by the EU to the local population. The EU continues to help the vulnerable people.

EU Special Representative For Human Rights Eamon Gilmore, during his visit in October 2021 to Kramatorsk, Donetsk oblast, announced an additional EUR 3.5 million in humanitarian aid. In 2014-2021, the EU provided EUR 194 million in such support, and its member states – another EUR 270 million.

“The European Union stands by the people of Ukraine, including the most vulnerable ones, in the face of the conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Humanitarian assistance is a key element of our support,” assured Gilmore.

The newly allocated EUR 3.5 million will help the most vulnerable people, including elderly and people with disabilities, meet their basic needs. It will also address access to health services, as well as psycho-social and mental health support. The aid will reach vulnerable people living on both sides of the contact line.

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