Peace and Reconciliation Ukraine Project #55607

Emergency aid for people in Ukraine

by Caritas Austria

Project Report | Feb 7, 2023
Support for more than 700,000 people in Ukraine

By Andreas Jagersberger | Philanthropy Officer

Support for internally displaced people

Caritas Austria's emergency response aims to support people affected by the conflict in Ukraine. The objective of the campaign is to provide immediate support through the provision of essential goods, such as food, shelter, and medical supplies, as well as psychological support and counseling services. In the previous months and in recognition of the harsh winter conditions in Ukraine, Caritas Austria is also providing winterization support to those in need, including warm clothing, blankets, and heaters.

The emergency response is being carried out in partnership with Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes Ukraine, ensuring efficient and effective delivery of aid to those in need. As of today, Caritas Austria’s emergency response has provided assistance to well over 700,000 individuals, 59 trucks with 500 tons of relief goods for internally displaces people and approx. 100 emergency power generators.

What does this support mean for individuals?

One individual who has benefited from Caritas Austria's emergency aid campaign is Daria (name changed to protect client’s privacy), a 43-year-old woman from eastern Ukraine. Daria’s home was destroyed in the conflict, and she was forced to flee with her two children. Upon arrival at a temporary shelter, Daria received food parcels, consisting of sugar, flour, tea, sunflower oil, butter and canned foods which provided her family with much-needed sustenance. In addition, the family received medical assistance and was able to access psychological support and counseling services to help them cope with the trauma of the conflict. Furthermore, Daria and her children were provided with warm clothing and blankets to help them weather the harsh winter conditions.

Caritas emergency response continues

We continue our aid in Ukraine wherever possible - even when aid in Ukraine finds the most difficult conditions. Humanitarian aid is continuously adapted to the needs.
Humanitarian aid in the east of the country is becoming increasingly challenging due to the ongoing shelling and lack of humanitarian corridors. Many of our colleagues and volunteers are risking their lives to help people in need.
We care for internally displaced people, especially in western Ukraine - for example in Kolomyja, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Volyn, Lviv and Lutsk. IDPs receive important information, food, drinking water and personal hygiene items, psychosocial support, cash and a safe place to sleep, eat and wash.
Women and children receive important support, for example through Child friendly spaces, where children can participate in sports and recreational activities to cope with psychological stress.
In towns under attack, emergency drop-in centres have been set up where - if possible - medicine and food are distributed. In hospitals, Caritas supports with hygiene products and food.
We are taking care of the supply and evacuation of particularly vulnerable groups: Orphans and people with disabilities and serious illnesses are being evacuated, our help in the children's and family centres and in home nursing remains in place - wherever possible.
We will remain on the ground: It is clear that the need for aid is constantly increasing massively with the acts of war and requires staying power.

Child-friendly Spaces by Caritas Ukraine

Provision of medication

Shelter and accommodation

Links:

Info of Caritas Austria support for Ukraine (GER)

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Oct 10, 2022
Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine

By Andreas Jagersberger | Philanthropy Officer

Since 24 February 2022, one-third of Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes. This is the largest human displacement crisis in the world today. Some 7 million people have been displaced internally within Ukraine and some 13 million people are estimated to be stranded in affected areas or unable to leave due to heightened security risks, destruction of bridges and roads, as well a lack of resources or information on where to find safety and accommodation. As of 15 August, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has verified over 13,000 civilian casualties (5,514 people killed and 7,698 injured) since the start of the war, with the actual number believed to be significantly higher.

The heaviest fighting continues to be centered in Eastern and Southern parts of Ukraine, though at the beginning of the war, the front line also spread across the north, causing heavy damage in areas like Chernihiv and Sumy, and almost reaching the capital city, Kyiv. During the 6 months of war evacuation of the civil population was constantly interrupted by hostilities. In many cities, especially in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine people who would like to flee still find it difficult to leave their cities.

The current situation is dramatic and confusing, and above all, it is not yet possible to predict how it will develop. The security situation is extremely volatile. Under these difficult conditions, Caritas and its partner organizations in Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova are doing their utmost to maintain ongoing support and alleviate the need for refugees and IDPs. Great flexibility is required to respond to humanitarian needs on the one hand and to guarantee the safety of the people on the other. The most urgent needs include protection, counseling, and the provision of food, drinking water, hygiene items, and blankets.

Due to inadequate living conditions, the upcoming winter season, and ongoing hostilities, more people will be evacuated soon. Therefore, local authorities in eastern and central Ukraine are expecting new incoming IDPs in the near future and are trying to prepare everything for that. Based on the latest analysis, the humanitarian situation in the country is likely to remain dire with the massive devastation, coupled with the unprecedented civilian displacement and the onset of the winter season. While vulnerable households in Ukraine usually have exacerbated needs during winter months, the war is likely to make the situation even more critical in the upcoming months.

Caritas Austria’s emergency response focuses on providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced Ukrainians, those who are forced to stay in besieged areas, and most vulnerable host communities with a time frame of 0-24 months. Currently, 24 emergency projects are implemented with a total overall budget need of Euro 17-20 million until the end of 2022.

In order to cover multiple needs of beneficiaries, most of the projects are designed in a multi-sectoral way which includes at least protection and/ or psycho-social support services as well as cross-cutting topics! Besides new upcoming humanitarian projects, Caritas Austria benefits from the longstanding experience of the implementing partners. Existing projects in the sphere of home and palliative care, children and youth work and work with people with disabilities are ongoing and scaling up their activities according to the changing needs:

widening the target group to IDPs and other conflict-affected without leaving out the most vulnerable from before
benefiting from access in communities to the most vulnerable
covering target groups that are running the risk of being left behind because they cannot independently seek assistance
teams increase their expertise in the field of providing immediate, humanitarian assistance

How Caritas helps in Ukraine?

The total number of beneficiaries already reached by Caritas Ukraine and Caritas Spes Ukraine is at least 3.92 million. Within the framework of Caritas Austria programs (incl. aid transports), the total number of 435,009 beneficiaries has been reached (including 496 tons of relief goods and 11 vehicles (minivans/ cars) already delivered, supporting additional 223.932 persons.

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Jun 27, 2022
Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine

By Andreas Jagersberger | Communication

Support made possible by your donation

Emergency food and hygiene assistance in the South of Ukraine

The military hostilities in Ukraine have a dramatic impact on the vulnerable population. Caritas-Spes Odesa, a long-standing project partner of Caritas Austria, had been reporting the urgent need for food and hygiene items in the city of Odesa and the Odesa region in the South of Ukraine. Though supplies were still available locally, people were facing difficulties accessing them due to the security situation and their own vulnerability (elderly people, people with disabilities, HIV-positive persons). Many people have lost their jobs and growing prices make it impossible for them to sustain their nutritional status. In the framework of this project, Caritas-Spes Odesa staff procured food and hygiene items packaged the kits, distributed them via project distribution hubs, as well as delivered them by vehicle to the most vulnerable beneficiaries (1 food/hygiene kit per person per two weeks). As another modality vouchers to purchase food and hygiene items were used.

In total close to 2,040 people were reached by that support:

1025 food kits have been distributed to more than 510 vulnerable beneficiaries
1025 hygiene kits were distributed to a minimum of 510 vulnerable beneficiaries
1025 food vouchers were distributed to a minimum of 510 vulnerable beneficiaries
1025 hygiene vouchers were distributed to a minimum of 510 vulnerable beneficiaries

Emergency food assistance in Kharkiv

The war in Ukraine is hitting regions in the east particularly hard. The organization SSA, a long-standing project partner of Caritas Austria, has been reporting the urgent need for food for the region for several weeks. In the meantime, food was available again in local markets, but many people in the city of Kharkiv didn’t have access to it because they were not physically mobile due to age or disabilities. There are also people who have lost their homes and had to relocate within the city, as well as families with children. During the implementation, SSA staff bought food, assembled packages, and delivered them to the beneficiaries by car (1 package per person per month). Where the drinking water supply is interrupted, water was added to the parcel.

In total, close to 1080 people were supported with food packages over two months.

Situation Overview in Ukraine

Nearly four months since the start of the war, the humanitarian situation across Ukraine - particularly in eastern Donbas - is highly alarming and continues to deteriorate rapidly. Active hostilities continued to escalate, especially in Luhanska and Donetska oblasts in eastern Ukraine, taking an enormous toll on civilians, including aid workers. The situation is particularly worrying in and around Sievierodonetsk, eastern Luhanska region, with diminishing access to clean water, food, sanitation, and electricity. Across the country, residential areas and civilian infrastructure continue to be impacted, resulting in more civilians being killed and injured. The Ukrainian Ministry of Health estimates that around 15 million people need psychological support and treatment for stress and war-related trauma, with 3 to 4 million possibly requiring medication-assisted treatment. According to OHCHR, there have been at least 9,444 civilian casualties since 24 February, including 5,178 injured and 4,266 dead. According to UN OCHA, there are almost 8.0 million internally displaced persons (>18% of the population) in Ukraine as of 24 February.

Caritas Austria Emergency Response in Ukraine

Overall response

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February, Caritas Ukraine and Caritas Spes reached close to 1,516,000 people, thanks to support from the Caritas network, private as well as corporate and institutional funding. Caritas Austria has already allocated funding totaling more than 13 million Euros to support the emergency response from our Caritas partners on-site. 20 projects are currently implemented with Caritas Austria support, reaching around 400,000 people in need in Ukraine. The projects implemented to cover the entire range of humanitarian aid, from the provision of emergency shelters for internally displaced persons, the supply of food and medical needs, support for elderly and dependent persons, psychological support for traumatized children and adults, WASH measures (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Cash-Assistance to the provision of child-friendly spaces. Another 12 projects are planned to start within the next weeks and months.

Additionally Caritas Austria supported the transportation of in-kind donations from Austria to Ukraine. 11 trucks with in total of 150 tons have already been delivered to Western Ukraine and are being delivered further to the east by our partners on-site, reaching more than 188,000 people. Ten more fully loaded in-kind donation trucks are also currently on their way to Ukraine and/or are planned for the upcoming weeks.

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