UKRAINE. FAMILIES IN WAR ZONE NEED URGENT HELP.

Two years ago, our nation went through the most terrible period since the Second World War. Two years ago, many people did not believe that Ukraine would survive for even a few days. But we survived and continue to fight... at the cost of thousands of lives, at the cost of millions of destroyed homes. And even after losing everything, we do not lose our dignity and freedom. And we are infinitely grateful to you because you helped us to survive.

This second year was difficult. In the first year of the war, the circumstances demanded extraordinary efforts from everyone, demanded super-hard work without stopping, because people's lives and safety depended on it. No one thought about themselves, their peace and well-being. We hid the horror and sadness inside ourselves. As a result, many people felt exhausted and burned out this year.

That is why we pay a lot of attention to psychosocial support for those affected by the war and for those who work with them. It is especially important to support the mental health and development of children, to compensate for gaps in the educational process caused by the war and migration. Our psychologists and educators work with children of all ages both individually and in a group format. 317 adults and 454 children took part in the psychosocial support program over the year.

The enemy's pressure on Ukrainians and terror does not diminish. In 2023, the Russian occupation forces launched 2,405 missile strikes against Ukraine. Right before the New Year, on December 29, 2023, the Russians launched a massive attack on Ukraine. The enemy used almost all available types of missiles and drones. That attack claimed the lives of dozens of civilians. And on January 2 this year, the enemy attacked Ukraine again with missiles. Odesa also regularly suffers from drone and missile attacks. A week ago, four people were killed in the city when a Russian drone hit a house. In the fall, a missile landed on the street  just 70 meters from our headquarters. Fortunately, no one was injured, only a few windows were damaged.

We continue to accept migrants from the war zones in the transit center and provide them with accommodation, food, medical care, legal assistance and other necessary services and items. For those who have decided to stay in Odesa for a long time, the needs of organizing education for children and employment are urgent. Since the beginning of the year, we have launched a project to train young people and women in vocational courses. Over the year, 360 people became residents of the transit center, and about 2,500 people received humanitarian aid. Medical care was provided to 485 people.

It is hard to express how important your support is. Together with you, we hope that this year our country will finally enjoy peace and Ukrainian children will be able to sleep peacefully, enjoy life and be happy.