Ukraine: Aid at the front
72 villages near the front line in southeastern Ukraine are receiving urgently needed aid in the form of food, hygiene items and generators.
In the Ukrainian oblast of Mykolayiv, just 60 kilometres from Kherson, currently the most heavily fought-over region in southeastern Ukraine, the population also continues to struggle for survival. Their homes have been destroyed, there is no electricity, food, clean water or medical care. With its new partner "New Dawn", Johanniter wants to start here and alleviate the suffering of the affected population.
Help for 72 villages
Especially the villages in the so-called gray and 0 zones, i.e. the zones 15 kilometres from or directly at the front, have a hard time. They can hardly be reached because communication with the official administrations has been cut off. For the remaining population, especially the elderly or people with disabilities, there is no way to get any kind of basic services because of the constant crossfire. Many villages are cut off from the electricity grid and have no way to cook a hot meal. Even the usual agricultural activities cannot continue due to the danger of artillery fire.
The new project now aims to support the affected villages by distributing relief goods. "In this way, we want to ensure the survival of the people in the villages and provide the remaining inhabitants with improved access to food, hygiene and water," says Florian Beck, programme officer for Ukraine at Johanniter International Assistance. The villages cut off from the power grid will also receive a generator.
New partner organization: New Dawn
Johanniter is implementing the project with its new partner, New Dawn. The Ukrainian NGO has been providing humanitarian assistance to the population since the beginning of the war. In their centre in Odessa, they welcome and care for more than 250 IDPs every day. "Working just outside the front lines of the war is very dangerous. However, the New Dawn staff knows the region very well and checks daily where they can go to transport relief goods to those in need," Beck continued.