Bringing normalcy to a war-torn Ukraine

“For a year, I felt homeless. I am so grateful to these people for repairing my roof and windows,” says Oksana, resident of the Obukhovychi village in Northern Ukraine.

In March 2022, Russian troops were stationed in her yard. When they retreated from the region, Oksana’s house was burned to the ground. When we visited her this spring, she was residing in a small garden house repaired with EU humanitarian funding as she recoverd and tried to rebuild her life.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II.

Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter, civilian infrastructure has been subjected to massive rocket attacks and artillery shelling, thousands of Ukrainians have lost access to quality medical care and basic social services. 

The Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts in northern Ukraine were affected by fierce fighting in March 2022. Today, local residents are trying to move forward with their lives and bring back a sense of normalcy to it.

With EU financial support, international humanitarian partners like the Czech NGO People in Need are supporting them on this journey.

People in Need is providing housing repairs, food and medical supplies, direct cash assistance, repairs to schools’ and kindergartens’ shelters, and other support.

Russian soldiers tried to extract information from Oksana about her grandson, who serves as a Ukrainian soldier. After they retreated, her house was destroyed by shelling.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

Oksana now lives in a garden house that was restored by ‘People in Need’ with EU humanitarian funding. Thanks to this assistance, the building received a new roof and windows.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

In nearby Demydiv, 430 children are now back at school. Damaged during the active fighting last year, it is now safe again and has a child-friendly shelter rehabilitated by UNICEF and the EU.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

Children's laughter is once again heard in the kindergarten “Zernyatko” in Dymer. 180 children study and play in a newly rehabilitated shelter that provides a sense of safety and comfort for children and their parents.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

Today, doctors and patients here and all-around Ukraine are supported by UNFPA and the EU with special C-section sets and dignity kits. This ensures that pregnant women and newborns receive the medical care they need.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

To support those most in need, the World Food Programme-led Logistics Cluster, co-funded by the EU, coordinates the humanitarian logistics response around Ukraine.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

In Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, humanitarian workers are packing food boxes with flour, pasta, canned meat, beans, oats, sunflower oil, salt & sugar. 1 box covers a person’s food needs for 30 days. They are then distributed in the front-line areas.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

To help Ukrainians meet their most urgent needs, our partner ACTED supports them with direct cash assistance. For Olena, this aid was life-changing, as it enabled her to pay for a hip replacement surgery and get back on her feet.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

We support the Danish Refugee Council’s mine risk education activities in Ukraine. The country is now considered one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, with 174,000 km² of territory affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Oleksandr Ratushnyak)

Story by Ivanna Bedei, Information and Communication Assistant in Ukraine, EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.
Publication date: 24/10/2023