Almost a week after the outbreak of the conflict, the lives of the Ukrainian population continue to be marked by the roar of explosions. Bombs are exploding incessantly, day and night, before the eyes of a world still in disbelief. Several towns and villages are now reduced to piles of rubble and the intense smoke from the fires permeates the nostrils of all those who have not yet managed to escape to the west.
The conflict does not spare even the youngest children
The fighting in the cities is intensifying, raising more and more alarm bells for the civilian population, who are increasingly caught in the crossfire. The numbers continue to grow rapidly and, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the number of civilian casualties has reached 550, including 142 deaths. The conflict does not spare even the youngest children: 16 children have lost their lives, while 26 are seriously injured.
A second shipment arriving in Kyiv with medical kits for hospitals
Humanitarian conditions are increasingly precarious. As the bombings and attacks continue, we are stepping up our efforts: after the first convoy sent to L’viv, another shipment is arriving in Kyiv containing basic necessities and medical kits for hospitals that are in extreme difficulty due to the lack of power and the bombings.
Waiting days to cross the border
The number of displaced people at the borders and the kilometres of queues to cross them are intensifying: queues of up to 60 hours to reach Poland, 20 to enter Romania and Moldova. “The queues to leave the conflict hot spots and enter neighbouring countries are tens of kilometres long, forcing people to wait for days in their cars. Some decide to leave their cars behind and finish the journey on foot, taking few personal belongings with them. Petrol is hard to find throughout the country, it is very cold outside, there is no water, there are no toilets along the road. Women, children and the elderly are in the majority. People need urgent assistance to protect themselves from the cold, to get hot food and water during the journey,” staff on the ground report.
Intensifying our aid
Our Emergency team is on the ground and is working with all our partners to intensify aid in this emergency phase and to start planning medium- and long-term projects to meet all the needs of the Ukrainian population in the coming weeks. Unfortunately, we know that the consequences of a war last for a long time and it is important to stand by the affected population for as long as necessary.
The situation in Ukraine is truly dramatic.