As the war in Ukraine enters its sixth month, over 6.65 million people have been displaced and over 6 million Ukrainian refugees are residing in other European countries. In Ukraine, Cordaid funds partner organisations through Caritas Internationalis, the global network of Catholic aid organisations. Since the beginning of the conflict, Caritas has supported over 3.5 million people.
Fierce fighting continues in Ukraine with relentless bombardments of the eastern and southern regions of the country. Critical infrastructure, including gas, electricity, and water, has been destroyed.
Caritas response
This makes the response of Caritas indispensable for the survival of many civilians. There are two national Caritas organisations in Ukraine: Caritas Spes, which originated from the country’s Roman Catholic constituency and Caritas Ukraine, which stems from the Greek Catholic church.
Staff and volunteers of both organisations are working day and night to support people who have fled their homes with sometimes nothing more than the clothes they had on.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Caritas Ukraine has supported no less than 1,450,000 people and Caritas Spes provided assistance to 2,156,813 people in need.
A community of warmth and kindness
At Caritas centres, people find answers not only to their basic needs but also a community of warmth and kindness that provides the first steps to recovery and healing.
The main target groups of the humanitarian response are internally displaced persons and those living in isolation due to continued fighting, with a lack of access to essential goods and services. There is special attention to large families, pregnant women, the elderly and people with disabilities.
In the first months of the war, all activities revolved around emergency measures. Currently, there is more room for long-term support, such as monthly assistance for food and hygiene products, advocacy, and permanent housing solutions.
The humanitarian assistance has been made possible by the generosity of local and international donors. Below you will find a brief overview of the achievements of the Caritas network in the past six months.
Shelter
297,816 people have been provided with a roof over their heads.
Food
There have been 2,811,132 food distributions.
Health care
104,508 healthcare services have been provided.
Water and hygiene
620,399 people have received safe and clean water and 417,922 hygiene kits have been distributed.
Cash assistance
31,239 people received money to cover their basic needs.
Protection
197,582 protective services have been provided, such as psychological and legal consultations, and organising child-friendly spaces.
Watch this video on the work of Caritas in Ukraine:
