March 30, 2022 News

Western Ukraine now: Caritas is helping people who have been forced to leave their homes

Ivano-Frankivsk is by Ukrainian standards a small city in the west of the country. Until recently, it had a population of around 230,000. Today it has officially 64 000 more, but the number could be three times higher. People from all over the country are fleeing to the west of Ukraine in large numbers. Caritas is helping people on the run who have taken refuge in western Ukraine and provides them with a roof over their heads, basic needs and psychological help.

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Poor and stressed people are arriving

Our colleague Evžen Diviš is on the spot in western Ukraine these days and updates us on the current situation: 'Most of the people who have arrived in the last week plan to stay. They often don't have the money to continue abroad, or relatives in Europe to go to," says Evžen Diviš, regional manager of Caritas Czech Republic.

"In this refugee wave, it is mainly poorer people who have been forced to flee by the fighting. At the same time, they are much more stressed, because they had to leave their homes through humanitarian corridors, and very often they were under direct shelling," Diviš adds.

The official number of Ukrainians arriving in Ivano-Frankivsk is 64,000. In reality, however, there may be up to three times more. They are mostly housed in schools, dormitories or other suitable buildings. This may cause problems in the near future, as schools closed because of the war are likely to reopen soon. It is not yet clear where the internally displaced people will move to.

The local Caritas Ivano-Frankivsk is providing the displaced people and those who care for them with food parcels and hot meals, hygiene supplies and is also providing much needed psychological support.

In addition to the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, Caritas also delivers food to nearby towns and villages where more people arrived. With the help of trucks and trains, the local Caritas distributes basic needs further east - to Kiev, Poltava or Kharkiv.

The entire local Caritas network is also helping in other places in western Ukraine, in towns and villages. Displaced people are provided with vital needs and the refugees themselves are involved in helping. As volunteers, they help local Caritas cope with the influx of new arrivals.

The Caritas network has already helped more than 430,000 people in Ukraine

The needs of people in Ukraine can be met thanks to the combined efforts of the entire Caritas network. Caritas has already supported over 430,000 people in the country. It has provided food for more than 300,000 people, hygiene kits for over 111,000 others, and medicines for around 20,000 people.

It is not only food prices in Ukraine that have risen drastically due to the war. Humanitarian aid is therefore still very much needed. Since the beginning of the conflict, the local Caritas Ukraine, Caritas SPES and their relevant branches have received over 1600 tonnes of humanitarian aid. Much of this has gone on to go directly to regions in the war zones.

Caritas Czech Republic sends direct humanitarian aid to the country thanks to the Caritas for Ukraine collection. We have already dispatched 5 trucks and one train car, which have headed, for example, to Zaporozhye in the south-east of the country, where the evacuated Caritas Mariupol is currently operating. Other aid has gone to the border town of Tyachiv or Volyn, from where it has been distributed to other places in need. In addition to non-perishable food, bottled water or baby food, we also sent powerful generators, incubators, medical supplies and facilitated the delivery of medicines to a psychiatric hospital.

Donors have already sent more than 115 million CZK to the Caritas for Ukraine appeal. Thank you to everyone who helps with us. You can still donate: