These are the latest updates we have received from Mira, a Slovenian Focolarina who lives in Ukraine and has been collaborating for some time with Caritas-Spes Ukraine. The numbers refer to the first months of 2023.
Since 24 February 2022, the day that marked the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded 22.209 civilian casualties in the country: 8,317 dead and 13,892 injured. The OHCHR itself believes, however, that the real figures are higher, especially in some areas such as, for example, Mariupol (Donetsk region), Lysychansk, Popasna and Sievierodonetsk (Luhansk region), where there are allegedly a very high number of civilian casualties.
IIn this context, AMU and AFN, representing the Emergency Coordination of the Focolare Movement, continue to collaborate with Caritas-Spes Ukraine to guarantee constant support to the population that has begun to face the second year of war.
Caritas-Spes Ukraine, together with its partners, is assisting 23 regions of the country, including the front-line areas.
THE NUMBERS OF INTERVENTIONS SINCE THE START OF 2023
Housing and shelters
Since the beginning of the year Caritas-Spes has delivered 42,354 accommodation services to provide safe shelter (in short and long term) to 908 beneficiaries.
In November, 50 families received assistance in the form of targeted reconstruction of damaged residential buildings (building materials and work of master builders). A total of 167 people live in these buildings.
Food and non-food items
• 38.934 people received a hot meal;
• 164.753 food kits;
• 5.001 food items for self-catering
• 31.207 people received non-food items.
Psychosocial protection and support
6.238 people received psychosocial support, protection and counselling services.
Hygiene
• 70.022 persons were provided with water, hygiene items, detergents;
• 11.536 beverage services provided (such as drinking water, juices, and others);
• 51.872 personal hygiene and household items;
• 6.614 kits with children’s clothes and hygiene items.
Health care
18.700 medical examinations were carried out and 6,900 diagnoses were made; 6,400 people received medicines.
Financial assistance
Since the beginning of the year, families have received monthly financial assistance under the Family to Family project Under another project another 250 families receive monthly assistance financial assistance.
PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING MONTHS
Among the priorities of Caritas-Spes Ukraine for the coming months are: support for the rehabilitation psychological and physical rehabilitation of the most vulnerable people; renovation of destroyed houses and construction of modular houses in the Odessa-Simferopolis diocese (at the moment renovations and constructions are carried out only in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions).
You too can support the reconstruction of destroyed houses in Ukraine. Contribute to the fundraising of the Emergency Coordination of the Focolare Movement – AMU – AFN