Aiding war-weary Ukrainians at home and abroad
As Russian attacks on Ukraine continue, Peace Winds is supporting civilians whose lives have been upended by the war, both inside and outside the country. Recently, Peace Winds has been running a cash distribution program in Zaporizhzhia, distributing supplies for hospital patients in Kyiv, and repairing schools for refugee children in Moldova.
About 80% of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, located in southeast Ukraine, remains under control of Russian forces. While many people have evacuated, about one million others who remain are in need of assistance as they continue to live in difficult conditions under occupation. With our local partner organization, Right to Protection (R2P), Peace Winds is providing regular cash assistance to 900 of Zaporizhzhia’s most vulnerable residents to help them meet their most pressing needs.
Beginning in August, Peace Winds’ cash assistance program provides 3,600 Ukrainian hryvnia (approx. US$87) per person each month for three months to households with more than three children, people with disabilities, senior citizens, single-parent families, and other vulnerable residents. The flexibility of the multi-purpose cash assistance means that recipients can choose how to spend the money, and most use it for groceries, medications, and rent or mortgage payments.
Life for residents in the capital city of Kyiv is difficult as well, and Peace Winds is working to support those who have been displaced by airstrikes. Early in July, one of the largest Russian missile attacks struck the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, the country’s largest hospital for children. It killed two adults and wounded 16 others, including seven children, and severely damaged the hospital. Hundreds of these children were evacuated from the hospital, many still connected to IVs and other lifesaving equipment.
In the weeks after the attack, Peace Winds provided much-needed supplies for more than 130 children who have been transferred to other hospitals in Kyiv. Items included food and hot meals, feeding formula, drinking water, medications, and baby supplies. Peace Winds also distributed appliances such as refrigerators, microwaves, fans, and boilers that were requested by the hospital.
In addition to damaging the hospital, the attack on Kyiv destroyed a number of nearby homes. One five-story apartment building was damaged in the blast, leaving many residents homeless. Peace Winds partnered with the Ukrainian Red Cross to deliver hygiene kits and emergency relief supplies to 150 of those families.
Approximately 120,000 Ukrainians have also fled to neighboring Moldova. About 40% of these refugees are children under the age of 17. The living conditions in Moldova are difficult as well, and many of the schools that have accepted Ukrainian refugee children are old and dilapidated. Many of the classrooms where children spend most of their day have not been repaired since Moldova’s Soviet Union days 30 years ago. In August, Peace Winds helped renovate one of these schools by replacing old and broken windows with sturdy, insulated ones. Our teams also replaced the ceiling lights, many of which were broken, with LED lights.
Ms. Angela, the principal of the school, said that she was doubtful whether these repairs would get done when Peace Winds first conducted the pre-construction assessment last year. She said she has been disappointed by broken promises in the past. However, now that the repair work is complete, she expects further support from other organizations such as UNICEF, including a long-awaited renovation of the school gym. With all of the repairs, the school is expected to welcome more new students when its new term starts in September. Ms. Angela is grateful to Peace Winds’ donors who made this project possible.
Peace Winds’ activities in Ukraine and Moldova are made possible by individual donations as well as grants from the Japan Platform. To contribute to these programs, please visit our donation page here and choose “Ukraine” in the dropdown menu. We are grateful for your continued support.
