October 12, 2023
56,503 people evacuated from danger to date
189 people evacuated from danger this week
37 trips into the deoccupied and frontline territories
Last week was marked by some of the worst terrorist acts of this war. We were shaken by news of a rocket attack in Hroza, a hospital destruction in Berislav, and an attack on an apartment building in Kharkiv all within two days at the end of the week, claiming many innocent lives.
Then, on Saturday along with the rest of the world, we learned about the terrorist attacks in Israel. We are overwhelmed with grief over the loss of lives to violence, and anxious about the future of the world. We remain steadfast in our resolve to provide humanitarian aid and help as best we can. All of us are committed to standing by the people we support in Ukraine. We hope and pray that the global escalation in violence does not continue to spread.
Stories
Providing Help to the Village of Hroza
Ukrainian volunteers arrived at the sites of Russia’s terrorist attacks right after the first responders. In many cases, volunteers we work with happen to have close connections with the communities attacked by Russia. On October 5th, Russian missiles hit Hroza, a small village in Kharkiv region, when a large portion of the village had gathered for a funeral. This horrible act of terrorism killed 55 people, one sixth of the village population. Timur has delivered aid to the village on multiple occasions since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He was there again the next day after the attack, and the devastation was unimaginable. After delivering aid for 25 families, the team helped survivors by driving them to the morgue and back to identify bodies of their friends and relatives.
Operations in the Occupied Territories
Our teams continue to operate in the occupied areas rescuing people with dementia and serious disabilities who lost homes or had to move due to Kahovka dam flooding. Twenty two people were evacuated last week. Although these evacuations are difficult to manage, they provide help to people who find themselves in truly desperate situations.
We receive a few profiles each week, and wanted to share a sample story: “NN, 86 years old. Dementia, walks with difficulty. Her town is often shelled. She can’t get to the basement. Lived with her son in-law who drinks. Grandma forgets where she is sometimes and where she is going. At night she often calls for somebody. She recognizes her daughter and grandkids, though. On her way, she needs to be accompanied by someone at all times. She is about to reach her daughter living in Western Ukraine.”
In addition to evacuations, 300 packages were distributed to families in 4 occupied towns in southeastern Ukraine.
Help to Berislav
Just as rockets hit the Kharkiv region, we learned about the destruction of the hospital in Berislav - a semi-destroyed town on the banks of Dnipro that we’ve been supporting ever since its deoccupation in November 2022. The rocket attack shattered the roof and the entire fourth floor of the four-story campus. Thanks to Inna’s long-established connection with the hospital, we were one of the first groups for which the hospital asked for urgent help. The road into Berislav is dangerous and highly regulated, and as there are only a few groups that are able to go to Berislav in response to a distress call. The army stationed in the area is too busy fighting the enemy to be able to provide sufficient support. We were honored by the opportunity to help. Within 24 hours Inna’s volunteers were on their way to deliver essential medicine as well as medical supplies to help rescue the wounded and those hospitalized from this horrendous attack.
Continued Flood Relief Operations in Kherson
Four months after the flood caused by Kahovka Dam destruction, Oleksandr U and his crew continue cleaning out flooded basements and disinfecting mildew-covered walls. Thanks to our support they were able to expand their operation in another neighborhood of Kherson called Shumensky. This neighborhood sits by a small Dnipro tributary that rose three feet up during the flood. One of the basements happened to be infested with biblical numbers of frogs. Some of the streets in the neighborhood continue to be shelled. Volunteers themselves comment on the irony of doing this work addressing health risks to Kherson residents, while they live under the constant threat of enemy fire. However, our volunteers’ assessment is that the residents are dead-set on defying the enemy and are not going to move out. Their work is very much appreciated as it provides long-term positive effects and prepares people’s homes for the winter.
Team summaries
Ihor NGO Sprava (“Good Cause”)
167 people evacuated during 16 trips to the frontline areas of Svyatogirsk, Slovyansk, Karmatorsk, Druzhkivka, Kostyantynivka, Mykolaiv, Pokrivsk, and Kherson.
Inna’s Team
25.2 tons of aid delivered to 8,320 people in 40 towns and cities, including Nikopol, Balakleia and others
9,500 people received bread.
Flood relief in Kherson:
Installed 2 dehumidifiers
Disinfected 5 buildings (3 of them are large highrise basements)
Performed 19 generator maintenance tasks
Delivered medical supplies to Berislav hospital that was hit by Russian rockets on Thursday.
Delivered and distributed warm coats in Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.
120 more families received help in the village of Yurchenkove and Hrakove. Yurchenkove has had no electricity for 18 months.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Pavlo V (Dnipro): delivered 750 kg of grocery kits to refugees in the area of Kryvyi Rih, held a Thanksgiving Holiday celebration for 40 refugees from Donetsk, and distributed 600 loaves of bread in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Oleksandr S (Boyarka): delivered 4 tons of humanitarian aid to the Chernihiv Region and the Orikhiv and Vilniansk Districts of the Zaporizhzhia Region.
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): transported 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv and 7 tons of water from Mykolaiv to Kherson.
Sandra S (Odesa): kitchen fed more than 1,600 people.
Yuri S (Vinnytsia): Distributed 1,750 kg of grains and 400 kg of clothes to poor and displaced persons (IDPs) in Vinnytsia, Berezyna and Bruslyniv (both in the Vinnytsia Region) and a rehabilitation center in the Vinnytsia countryside. Also distributed canned goods and clothes to 215 IDPs in Vinnytsia and served 120 prepared meals in Vinnytsia and Ternopil.
NGO “We Are at Home” (Hostomel): delivered 1,200 kg of humanitarian aid to Zaporizhzhia, Obshche (Zaporizhzhia Region), Druzhkivka (Donetsk Region), and Kharkiv.
Oleksandr D (Lutsk): received 1 ton of energy bars, muesli, sweets and clothes delivered from Germany to the foundation's warehouse for further distribution.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): held 2 art therapy sessions for 17 IDP children and children with disabilities. Provided diapers and pads to 25 bedridden patients in Pishcha (Volyn Region), held events for 42 children from large or military families and organized a fair for 36 children.
At a fundraising event in France
NGO Angelia
NGO Angelia brought 1,800 kg of humanitarian aid (food products, bed linens, clothes and walkers) from Poland and Germany to Kyiv for later distribution in Kherson.
Kseniia’s Team - NGO Livyj Bereh
Distributed 18 stoves provided by German sponsors in Kharkiv region
Completed 2 roof repairs in Slatyne and Prudianka
Delivered help to 24 people in an oncological hospice in Kharkiv
The Kherson team distributed aid in Daryivka and Kherson. Last week we didn’t have the numbers but over the last two weeks 221 packages were distributed.
Karina - We Save Dnipro
72 people in the shelter
Delivered a generator and 10 tons of water to Nikopol
Tetiana’s Team - Dopomoha Poruch
Distributed 200 aid packages in Synove, Volyn’ region
Timur’s Team-Timur and Team
Delivered 250 packages to Kivsharivka and 100 to Shevchenkovo.
Visited Hroza after the attack and brough aid to 25 families.
Distributed 150 aid packages in Saltivka, Kharkiv.
Pavel and Olena - Touch of Heart and Dawn of Hope
2,639 residents received help through the Mykolaiv office.
6 tons of water were delivered to Kobzartzi and Novopavlivske.
Delivered clothing for kids living in the village of Prybuzke.
Andriy - BF Pomahaem
Delivered 10 tons of water to Marhanets
Provided 480 hygienic packages to the deoccupied villages of Vasylivka and Tamaryne in Kherson/Mykolaiv region.
Marina – Good Give Ukraine
135 packages of adult diapers were given to a hospital in Piatykhatky for patients in palliative care.
150 food and hygiene aid sets were distributed among people who suffered from war.
Dina - Vilni Liudy – Vilna Krayina
380 aid packages distributed.
200 aid packages mailed to small towns.
Sergey T traveled to Oskolsk region and visited 3 villages there, delivering 180 packages of food and 2 packages of school supplies.
Bogdan - Vse robymo sami
44 aid packages distributed for displaced people in Zhytomyr.
US Team
During the last week we had a very special visit from Kseniia, NGO Livyj Bereh. It was beyond exciting to meet Kseniia in person after working together virtually for almost 18 months! This past Sunday, Kseniia and Daniil were invited to speak about UTC and Livyj Bereh in front of the members of the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago. https://ethicalhumanistsociety.org/.
Kseniia shared personal and often emotional stories of her work supported by UTC since the spring of 2022, and Daniil highlighted how a few friends came together shortly after the full-scale invasion to help friends in Ukraine, and this effort grew into an official 501(c)3 organization supporting nearly 1,000 volunteers organized into about 20 teams. You can watch the Sunday presentation, followed by a lively Q&A at this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdZCSVnWXO4
We thank EHS and Svetlana Bekman who introduced us to the Society and moderated the event.
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