«It was too dangerous to live there; we were bombed almost every day, and my brother died during a missile attack while he was working. His only fault? Being in the wrong place at the wrong time»
This is the reality of the war in Ukraine, and these are the words of Maria Boshenko*, a 30-year-old women from Zaporizhzhia. Due to its geographical location, only a few dozen kilometers from the frontline, the town is constantly under missile threat. Unfortunately, Zaporizhzhia has already experienced several attacks, especially at the beginning of the war, when battles took place to control the nuclear power plant south of the town. In one of these missile attacks, Maria’s brother, lost his life.
Hoping to find better security, Maria left for the north with her 9-year-old son, Ostap*. They moved to an Accommodation Centre in Kyiv, to be relocated shortly after to a IDPs camp in Vasylkiv, 30km away. Since February 24, 2022, the conflict in Ukraine has been experiencing continuous escalation, causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with the civilian population being the primary victim. Death, destruction, mass population movements within Ukraine and neighboring countries, and the socio-health system’s inability to meet essential needs have left about 18 million people in need of humanitarian assistance (Ukraine HRP 2023). The highest concentration of IDPs remains in the Kyiv region that hosts about 16.2% of IDPs, with the city of Kyiv itself accounting for more than 7%.
«I work occasionally as a cleaning woman – said Maria. – but we have little money and are struggling in making ends meet. We hardly have a meal per day».
Both in Ukraine and Moldova, the population, particularly the most vulnerable groups, struggles to meet basic needs such as food, essential hygiene supplies, and basic materials to withstand the harsh Ukrainian winter. Vulnerable categories, including women, children aged 0-3, the elderly, and persons with disabilities are those most hardly impacted and still depend on humanitarian aid.
CUAMM response
As part of the Emergency Call to Support, funded by AICS with 46.5 million, CUAMM, in collaboration with the local Organisation Vidchuij, distributes Food and Hygiene Kits to Internally Displaced Persons, refugees, host communities, and returnees in the areas of Chernivtsi and Kyiv. Beneficiaries identified are IDPs with vulnerabilities such as large families with young children, single-parent households, and those with elderly or persons with disabilities as dependents.
Being a single parent and in view of the difficulties she was going through together with her son, Maria was included in the distribution program implemented by CUAMM in Vasylkiv. As of October 2024, 662 single mothers like Maria received nutritional and essential items kits. In addition, 2,200 non-food kit and 2,200 food kit had been delivered benefiting an overall number of 3,711 people in need.
Daily goods can seem extraordinary when the war takes everything away from you. Providing people with essential items can indeed alleviate the suffering caused by the conflict. Our project is part of a 46.5 million euro initiative funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, reaching 900,000+ people affected by the Ukraine crisis and it is being implemented in collaboration with Caritas Italiana, Caritas Drohobych Sambir and Volonterskiy ruh Bukovyny (VRB).
«I’m deeply grateful to CUAMM; now we have food, and Ostap can eat as an ordinary child» said Maria who then added «Can you believe a child is just happy with toothbrush and toothpaste? That is how it is, we couldn’t afford them».
Doctors with Africa CUAMM has been working in Ukraine since March 2022, providing assistance to the most vulnerable populations. Since the onset of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, CUAMM has reached over 40,594 people and supported over 29 healthcare facilities with medicines, consumables, biomedical equipment and logistical support materials to ensure the continuity of life-saving care.
