Not even shelling can stop ADRA Slovakia’s distribution of aid
The escalation of the war in Ukraine on the 10th of October has also affected the distribution of humanitarian aid. Despite the shelling of Ukrainian cities that has paralyzed the entire country, the aid is reaching those in need.
Monday morning ADRA Slovakia loaded five tons of humanitarian aid at the ADRA warehouse in Ukraine. The loaded bus headed off toward Kiev, but after only an hour they had to withdraw to Mukachevo, near the Slovak border, due to the rapidly worsening security situation.
Despite the fatigue and sleepless nights, ADRA Slovakia continued with the distribution of food and hygiene packages. 280 families from Mariupol received it with gratitude.
Thousands of refugees from the Donbas, Mariupol, and Kherson regions found their temporary refuge in the city of Chust. ADRA has delivered aid to over 240 families just this week.
“Mostly women, seniors, and mothers with children came for help. Such a crowd of tired and justifiably nervous people was difficult to coordinate. Monday’s rocket attacks on the entire territory of Ukraine only increased tensions between people. However, despite the heated situation, they were extremely disciplined, considerate and grateful,” ADRA Slovakia’s representative explains.
The aid packages are designed so that the whole family, or household with several members, can benefit from them. Each contains 11 kilograms of non-perishable food and 2 kilograms of hygiene items, including food for children and feminine hygiene products.
The representative of the social department of the local association, who organized the entire distribution, expressed gratitude for the long-term help they receive from ADRA. “We also sent a truckload of packages to Chust in the past, many of which were written with words of support, personal greetings, and wishes for an early end to the war. That’s how we found out who received our aid packages, prepared by the participants of the Pohoda Festival,” the representative adds.
It is not only food that people in Ukraine need. The effects of war are affecting the mental health of the residents. “One elderly lady, moving with the help of barrels, carried her package home and then came back again to thank us. After escaping from Mariupol, she remained physically and mentally at the bottom. Fortunately, our colleagues from ADRA Ukraine provided her with psychological help and support. She spared no words of thanks and gave each of us a handmade doll as a souvenir.”
ADRA Slovakia team, headed by director Stano Bielik, is in Ukraine distributing humanitarian aid and monitoring the ongoing project. Despite the intense shelling, the team is fine and uninjured. ADRA Ukraine, the partner in those activities, is already prepared for similar situations and follows strict security protocols, as human lives protection is of primary importance.
The project “Strengthening access to basic food and hygiene needs for the most vulnerable part of the population in Ukraine,” lasting until April 2023, is funded by SlovakAid.
