Emergency Response for Ukrainians

While Viktoriya was on a ski vacation, the war broke out in the area where she lives. Since her mother and siblings remained in the war zone, her husband left them in the safe zone and went to their relatives. However, the war lasted longer than Viktoriya and her family had expected. Viktoriya and her children had to migrate with their only belongings, ski set. After Romania, they went to Bulgaria, then they came to Turkey by entering from Edirne by bus ride.

Having no idea when the war would end, Victoria planned to return safely to her country as soon as possible, however, the process didn’t go as she hoped. After spending 6 months in Turkey, she turned back to Ukraine. She states that the reason for her return was missing and uncertainty. She tells ‘We didn’t know when the war would end, thus, we waited with expectancy, I missed my family and my country a lot.’.

Viktoriya emphasizes the difficulties women and children faced in migration routes by saying ‘The journey was very tough notably for the women. We did not want to leave our country. We have already remained our husbands, families and our previous lives behind. When we were leaving Ukraine, waiting long hours at the Romania border particularly made us very tired. Everybody was there for their children to seek safety and save their lives. We had ta walk and what we experienced was quite painful.’.

Although Victoriya and her family planned to return to Ukraine in a short time, their staying in Turkey lasted longer than they thought.  Viktoriya said that they received support by contacting with Association for Solidarity With Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM) during this period. She added  ‘I got the information about ASAM through one of my friends. I contacted ASAM. They provided us with food and cash assistance in order to meet our basic needs, the day after our call.

Viktoriya expressed her gratitude to everyone who supports Ukraine. Despite the fact that she returned to Ukraine, she couldn’t see her relatives and friends living in the region where she used to live. Viktoriya says ‘My relatives are still in the occupied territory and don’t have any access to basic items. In that region, it is impossible to find any equipment to survive. Supporting and helping in that region is challenging, besides, no one knows when the occupation would end. Since the winter conditions of the region are quite difficult, the need for basic needs of the people who have to live there will increase even more, especially in the winter season.’.

Note: The real name of the beneficiary has been changed.

Larissa and Vitali have been married for 27 years. While they were enjoying their retirement days, they had to fled from their homes and came to Turkey.

Having arrived in Turkey through highway upon neighboring countries Romania and Bulgaria,  they settled down in the house of their daughter moving to Turkey many years ago and they are safe now. The Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM), operating services in the field of migration for 27 years, has provided Larissa and Vitali services ranging from food, health, identity transaction, access to social rights and consultancy. Larissa and Vitali dream about returning to their countries and hope the end of the war is as soon as possible.

Larissa is 69 and Vitali is 71. One day, while they were living in a small city Kremnia in the Luhansk region, bombs exploded and their windows were shattered.  While struggling to protect themselves from the bombs, they were trying not to get sick due to the minus 10 degrees temperature. At the beginning of the war, they were accommodated in shelters. They had been waiting for bread or medicine for many hours in such cold weather with a fear of death. Larissa says ‘We tried to make bread when the gas came, however, we could only succeed in making a couple of bread. Besides, being outside was horrible and we could see the missiles. At the first days, the electricity constantly cut off, thus we couldn’t charge our mobile phones and heat, then the electricity had gone permanently.’.

The couple was hoping the war would end, thereby they had resisted not to leave their home and city in the beginning of the war. However, living conditions during the war forced them to migrate Lviv region in Ukraine.  After a long journey, they stayed at their daughter’s friend's home there, and then they took the road to Turkey. The couple arrived first in Romania, then Bulgaria, and finally in Istanbul by bus.

Larissa and Vitali are safe in their daughter’s home and spending their days watching the news pertaining to the Ukrainian war and praying. According to Larissa, support for Ukrainians needs to be increasing. Furthermore, she draws attention to financial aid. She says ‘Any of kind of support is quite vital for Ukrainians. We couldn’t take luggage with us. Thus, clothes, shoes and financial aid would be beneficial for Ukrainians. Every Ukrainian fleding from their home is in the need of support.

(Note: Real names of beneficiaries have been changed.)