Refugee Rights Ukraine Project #55733

Emergency Relief for the Crisis in Ukraine

by Terra Renaissance

Project Report | Oct 26, 2023
Firewood distribution started again this year

By Balint Kosa | Project Manager of Ukraine Project

Carrying firewood inside the house

Thanks to your generous support, we are continuing our relief efforts in Ukraine and Hungary.

Following last year, this year we are again providing firewood support to displaced people and the host communities that are hosting them in Zakarpattia Oblast, western Ukraine. This year we plan to distribute 32 tons of firewood in total, and this time we have finished distributing 2 tons of firewood for 20 households, mainly in villages in the central part of the area. In Ukraine, the use of firewood is essential for daily life due to high gas prices and frequent power outages.

When providing firewood support, we go from door to door to distribute firewood. The areas where we provide support have been living in hardship since before the war, but the prolonged war and inflation have made their living conditions even more difficult. We distribute firewood especially to the elderly, low-income people, and those who cannot afford to buy firewood.

As we go the houses, even though they may look the same from the outside as the houses around them, when we actually go inside, we often see broken walls and windows, dirty dishes and clothes, and other conditions that make it impossible for people to live even a minimum standard of living. Some families cannot afford a washing machine or even detergent. There are also people who are bedridden or crippled who cannot go directly to receive relief supplies or go shopping. Therefore, it is very important to deliver relief supplies to the homes of these people, even if it takes time. By visiting and talking to the recipients in person, we are able to understand their actual living environment and what they need. In this way, we provide support that is tailored to the needs of each individual.

We will continue to support firewood to help people overcome the harsh winter cold, and we also plan to collect and distribute winter clothing, blankets, stoves, and other items. We are able to continue these support activities thanks to those who give their hearts and minds to us every day. We will continue our activities with the aim of "supporting those in need so that no one is left behind," and we hope that you will continue to support us in the future.

Inside the house

Building a fire with distributed firewood

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Aug 17, 2023
Refugees still increasing and decreasing

By Balint Kosa | Project Manager of Ukraine Project

Children playing on the facility's playground

Thanks to your generous support, we are continuing our relief efforts in Ukraine and Hungary.

Máriapócs village in eastern Hungary, near the border with Ukraine, we have been supporting a refugee accommodation with food and daily necessities. As a major change in June, the number of people staying at the facility decreased all at once from 30 to 15, half of the total.

Refugees who take refuge in Hungary often move to the west side of Europe, and the number of refugees staying at the facility changes frequently. The reasons for moving to the west include the fact that there are many countries where they can receive generous assistance. We have been providing support to this facility since March of last year, and only a few refugees have stayed there since the beginning of the project.

So the fact that the number of people has been cut in half was something I took as a normal occurrence, but what surprised me was that these 15 people were a family. When I asked them for more details, they told me that they were a grandmother, her children, and her grandchildren, three generations living in refugee accommodation. While I was concerned that it would be difficult for 15 people to move around, I was relieved that the family was staying together, as many refugees live far away from each other.

There are also refugees who return to Ukraine for family, work, or other reasons. When we asked a mother and child who returned to Ukraine from this facility in the spring how they are doing these days in a message, they told us that they are happy to be reunited with their families for the first time in over a year, despite their concerns about air raids and other problems. I felt that the circumstances and wishes of refugees vary, that there is no right answer to where and how they should live, and that each person has his or her own life choices.

On the other hand, the number of refugees can increase. At this facility, the number increased from a dozen to 30 in March. At that time, the change in the war situation seemed to be a factor. As such, the number of people staying at the facility increases and decreases every month, so when procuring relief supplies, we ask for the latest information at that time before considering what to buy and how much to buy.

Refugees at the facility spend peaceful moments smiling, making video calls with family members living in Ukraine and other countries and reading books. Even so, one can imagine that the feelings that refugees are carrying deep in their hearts are not peaceful. I can only hope that all of them, no matter where or how they are moving or staying in Ukraine, will have a good day.

Food delivered in late June

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Jul 7, 2023
The impact of soaring food prices on kitchen points

By Balint Kosa | Project Manager of Ukraine Project

Cooking at kitchen point

Thanks to your generous support, we are continuing our relief efforts in Ukraine and Hungary. This report looks at the challenges kitchen points are facing. Since there are many people who rely on our kitchens to secure their meals, we are going through trial and error to overcome the challenges and continue to provide support.

Impact of rising prices and increase / decrease in internally displaced persons

In Zakarpattia Oblast, western Ukraine, we have been running kitchen points in five villages since last year. A total of more than 200 meals are provided to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities 2 times a week.

Recently, the price of vegetables has been soaring, and I think the price has increased by about 20 percent. Potatoes, in particular, cost twice as much as they did at the start of the project. It's a blow because potatoes are an essential ingredient frequently used in Ukrainian home cooking. In addition, the price of meat has also increased, so we have been forced to take actions such as reducing the portion a little.

We have also expanded the number of eligible people by a dozen in response to the increasing number of IDPs. As the number of IDPs continues to rise and fall, adjustments need to be made to suit the situation at the time. We are constantly investigating which villages have seen a change in the number of IDPs.

While the cost of running kitchen points has increased, donations collected in Ukraine have decreased. The kitchen points also uses money and food donated to the Greek Catholic Church, a cooperative organization. But donations have been hampered by the large number of refugees living outside Ukraine and the continuing economic hardship caused by the war.

Future prospects

When we try to provide assistance to Ukraine under wartime conditions, we are exposed to a variety of repercussions, and we often find ourselves in trouble as there are many things it doesn't work. What keeps coming to mind at such times is that the people who actually live in Ukraine are the ones really in trouble. I wish we could support even part of that burden.

Kitchen point is now being prepared in another village. Although the completion is behind schedule, construction and interior preparation are almost complete and assistance is expected to begin soon. Although the situation is difficult due to the soaring prices of foodstuffs, we will continue to make improvements, such as expanding the coverage area and stabilizing support.

Delivering meal

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