Ukraine: Surviving in Times of War
2nd anniversary of Russia's attack on Ukraine: The support must continue
Bonn/Berlin, 2024-02-18. Welthungerhilfe appeals to the German federal government and the international community to continue to support the people of Ukraine with assistance measures after two years of war. The situation is dramatic, as more than 14 million Ukrainians need humanitarian assistance, and around 3.7 million are internally displaced.
Children in particular, old people, and women are fighting a daily battle to survive, and the psychological effects of the constant bombing, the loss of relatives, and the destruction of houses are devastating.
“During my visits to Ukraine, I have been especially moved by the situation faced by children. A generation is growing up with massive trauma. They are very frightened and often isolated, because they are missing out on school and normal social contact. Our support packages, which children take with them into the bunkers, contain not just tea, biscuits and torches, but also fluorescent colouring books for the dark”, says Elke Gottschalk, Regional Director for Welthungerhilfe.
During the war, Welthungerhilfe has kept adapting its projects to meet people's needs. In remote rural areas, food and hygiene products were distributed; during the winter months, ovens and wood were provided, and windows and doors were repaired. At the same time, families in need have received cash payments, to enable them to pay for everyday items or urgent repairs. It is also important to provide loans, to help small family businesses to rebuild or start again. This does not just enable them to earn an income, but also to provide jobs.
Financial support has also been provided to community centres, which work with volunteers to take care of people in need in remote villages. Thanks to the German public's willingness to help, Welthungerhilfe has received more than 12 million euros in donations and around 21 million euros in public grants (particularly from the Federal Foreign Office) to use in Ukraine and Moldova, and it will continue to support people in Ukraine this year.
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Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany; politically independent and non-denominational. It is fighting for “Zero Hunger by 2030”. Since it was founded in 1962, more than 11,498 overseas projects in 72 countries have been supported with 4.75 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe works on the principle of help for self-help: from fast disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.
