How Peace Winds is Supporting Displaced Ukrainians in Lviv
In November 2022, Peace Winds began a program to support internally displaced persons living in Lviv, western Ukraine. Along with our local partner, Right to Protection, a Ukraine-based NGO, Peace Winds is providing food kits, hygiene kits, mental health counseling, legal advice, and basic medical supplies to shelters and the evacuees living there.
We recently spoke with Yulia, a resident of one of these shelters who was forced to flee her home with her young daughter in the wake of the war.
“I fled from Mariupol (southeast Ukraine) with my young daughter,” she told us. “At the time, there was no water, food, heat, or electricity in Mariupol, so it was impossible to live. Trying to evacuate was a nightmare, and no matter which method I chose, there was a risk of being sniped by Russian forces. It was really scary. I still hold my breath when I think about it.”
The only evacuation route Russia afforded led to Russian-controlled territory, so Yulia hid out in an industrial area just outside of Mariupol until she was able to escape in mid-April.
“After a while, it became possible to evacuate further, so I paid someone who had a car to drive my daughter and me to Zaporizhia, and from there we caught the train [to Lviv]. What surprised me when I arrived at Lviv station was that there were many volunteers there who helped us find somewhere to stay.”
Yulia and her daughter lived in a dormitory for a short time, which she says was less than ideal. Eventually, the local government helped her move from place to place in temporary shelters, and now Yulia lives at a center where Peace Winds is supporting evacuees.
“I was really relieved to be able to move here,” she told us. Yulia receives mental health support and prescription medications from Right to Protection. “Talking to a counselor in particular has been a great comfort,” Yulia said.
Yulia still worries about her family in eastern Ukraine. Her father, who lives in Mariupol, has chronic heart disease, and since she can’t contact him or send him medication, she says she worries if he still has medication.
“My husband is in the army, and my daughter always says, ‘I want to talk to Daddy.’ I don’t know how to explain it to her,” Yulia said. “I tell her that Daddy’s cell phone is broken, so we can’t talk to him right now.”
Because Yulia is from eastern Ukraine, her native language is Russian, and her knowledge of the Ukrainian language is limited. Western Ukrainians often look down upon Russian-speaking Ukrainians, and it makes it difficult to find work.
Unfortunately, due to donor fatigue and decreasing news coverage of the situation in Ukraine, Yulia says that the shelter where she lives has received fewer volunteer visits and relief supplies compared to when she first arrived. “But we are still receiving support,” she said, “and I am filled with gratitude.”
Peace Winds is currently working with Right to Protection to visit shelters in Lviv, assess their needs, and procure the necessary supplies to continue supporting evacuees like Yulia. We look forward to bringing more updates as we are able, and we thank you for your continued support.