In the midst of a situation of increasing risk, Caritas Ukraine centers continue to serve the needy civilian population. Its 36 offices located throughout the country operate in coordination with the operational headquarters of the national Caritas, in Kyiv and Lviv.
Although some local offices have had to be evacuated for security reasons, especially in the east of the country and in some districts of Kyiv, the Caritas centers that remain safe are dealing with internally displaced persons and, in coordination with other local humanitarian organizations, work to identify the most urgent needs of people affected by the escalation of war.
Since the beginning of the invasion, Caritas Ukraine has maintained an emergency project to meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable people. Currently, 11 reception centers (Kramatorsk, Rubizhne, Zaporizhya, Volnovakha, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivk) are being equipped with humanitarian aid to join the emergency response plan.
Caritas Ukraine’s response is prioritizing the distribution of hot food, water, basic hygiene kits, temporary shelter for people who have fled their homes, laundry service and safe transportation for people trying to reunite with relatives in other parts of the country. . The contingency plan also includes attention to special cases (such as the elderly, minors and people with disabilities) and basic emotional support and recreational activities for children to help them maintain normality amid the highly stressful situation caused by the bombings .
Despite the precarious security conditions and difficulties, Caritas continues its humanitarian work in Ukraine. As he points out fr. Vyacheslav Grynevych, executive director of Caritas-Spes Ukraine, “our cities, homes and kindergartens have been destroyed. But no one will be able to destroy our aspirations for peace and freedom. “In this dramatic moment, we praise the commitment of the operators and volunteers, who continue to help those in need”, he adds. “And with God’s help, we will continue our service, leaving no one behind.”
“I am very proud of our teams, who are working hard to be attentive to the needs of the most vulnerable while managing their own personal circumstances. We are very grateful for the support of our sister Caritas and people of good will. Support our emergency response plan. The needs are growing every day,” she says for her part. Tetiana StawnychyPresident of Caritas Ukraine
RESPONSE OF CARITAS OF ROMANIA, POLAND, MOLDOVA AND BULGARIA
Even the Caritas of neighboring countries – Romania, Poland and Moldova – are activating national reception plans for the flows of Ukrainian refugees who are crossing the borders.
Romania, with over 600 km of border with Ukraine, has already received around 10,000 refugees and the number is expected to continue to rise in the coming days. The Caritas of Bucharest, Iasi, Maramures and Satu Mare have begun to assess the situation and set up first aid teams. The national emergency team visited the border and started designing intervention plans to define an emergency response program focused on reception and support to refugee reception centers (information, laundry, communication service, food kits and hygiene), specific programs for welcoming children, shelter and temporary accommodation in local parishes and the mobilization of volunteers for hospitality.
Caritas Poland is also preparing the reception, accommodation and safe transport of refugees, with emergency programs similar to those launched by Caritas in Romania.
For its part, Caritas Moldova, which shares an approximately 1,200 km border with Ukraine, has launched an emergency plan through its national headquarters, in Chisinau, and the six local Caritas offices of Grigorauca, Rascov, Ribnita, Stauceni, Stircea and Tiraspol. In total, it has about 200 field agents. In coordination with local authorities, 390 people located in official centers (Chisinau, Ocnita, Palanca) were supported with food, water, hygiene kits and social and emotional support. Furthermore, a center managed by Caritas is being set up in Chisinau, to offer dignified and safe accommodation to about 70 refugees, with particular attention to minors and women.
Along the same lines, and despite not being a neighboring country, Caritas Bulgaria is also preparing centers to respond to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, who arrive by land or by ferry from Odessa to the Varna station. As of February 28, it was estimated that more than 7,000 Ukrainians had arrived in the country and this number is expected to increase in the coming days.
All Cáritas in the region have trained their staff and volunteers on rapid emergency response plans, safeguarding protocols and codes of conduct.
RESPONSE OF SPANISH CARITAS
Cáritas Española has been working in Ukraine since 2010, supporting social actions and emergency projects. Although all these programs are at a standstill at the moment, while waiting for the situation to stabilise, Caritas Ukraine projects and the rest of the region are being financially supported to ensure the safe mobility of people forced to flee the war, with particular attention to people vulnerable.
Cáritas Española appreciates the countless messages of solidarity with Ukraine and the prayers that have been sent to us and that are transmitted to sister Caritas of Ukraine and neighboring countries. Likewise, Cáritas Española does not channel donations in kind to Ukraine, since for Cáritas it is an unapproachable management in the region.
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