Ukraine: Signs of hope in the war zone

Nothing is as it was. For Ukrainians, the world has changed since February 24, 2022. The war has left its mark – on the country, but also on the people themselves. According to the UN Refugee Agency, 14.6 million people are now dependent on humanitarian aid. arche noVa has been supporting those affected with relief supplies and reconstruction since the start of the war.

The psychological strain to which people in the war zones are exposed is enormous. Many of them have lost relatives and live in constant fear of the next bomb alert. We provide psychosocial counseling services to help them deal with their fears and overcome their trauma. To this end, we work closely with the AWO International team, which has many years of experience in strengthening social structures in crisis areas.

3.7 million people are currently on the run within Ukraine. Those who cannot flee or fear the exhausting and uncertain escape are left behind.

For them, the elderly or sick, people with disabilities, widows and their children, life becomes more difficult every day. Many of them are traumatized by their experiences in the war zone and have to live in undignified conditions. We therefore pay particular attention to them when organizing the humanitarian aid we provide on the ground.

People’s homes are in ruins

During the winter months, temperatures in north-eastern Ukraine drop well below freezing point. Heated accommodation is a lifesaver during this time. In many regions of Ukraine, however, existing heating systems have been destroyed and even electric heaters do not provide reliable protection from the cold due to the unstable power supply. To ensure that people in the affected areas are not exposed to the cold, we distribute stoves for cooking and heating, including fuel.

However, this is often not enough. In the north of Ukraine in particular, many houses were severely damaged in the rocket attacks and have become uninhabitable. We are therefore actively providing reconstruction aid in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts. This includes repairing heating systems and lighting as well as roofing and replacing windows. People who are able to repair their house themselves receive tools and building materials from us – including 38-year-old Volodymyr Novytska, who lives with his family in Staryi Saltiv, a village in the embattled east of Ukraine.

After the war began, the family had to leave their home and fled to Vinnytsia in central Ukraine. While they were away, their house was damaged by air raids. Now, after the liberation of the region, Volodymyr and Nadiia have returned to Staryi Saltiv with their two sons to rebuild their home. Nadiia talks about her impression on returning to her home town:

"Of the 32 houses in our street, 12 were completely destroyed when we returned and 20 were badly damaged. Where there had previously been houses, there were only burnt areas or the remains of walls. Despite this sad situation, we decided to return to Staryj Saltiv. We wanted to do something in our house, in our village. Because who else, if not us?"

There is a great need for repairs and renovations in and around the family home. Volodymyr and his wife can do a lot of the work themselves. However, they do not have the money for tools and building materials, as they have not been able to pursue their professions since the start of the war. arche noVa is therefore providing the family with the materials and tools they need.

In addition to Nadiia and Volodymyr's home, arche noVa's support has rehabilitated more than 450 houses since fall 2022. Social facilities such as schools, kindergartens and social centers were also renovated. Two of the rebuilt kindergartens now have a bomb shelter to provide protection in the event of another attack.

Toilets and safe drinking water: anything but a given in a war zone

Nadiia Novytska explains that the water supply in her village collapsed some time ago – a problem that affects many communities in war-affected regions.

Local suppliers often lack the materials and technical equipment to restore the destroyed water and wastewater infrastructure.

arche noVa provides local utilities with the necessary technology and helps with repair work, drilling, installing water storage tanks and monitoring water quality.

The war does not stop at social institutions either. Many of them have fallen victim to the massive bombing raids since the beginning of the war. One of the facilities that has been severely damaged is the “Kazka” daycare center in Okhtyrka, a small town in northeastern Ukraine.

“The damage caused by the rocket attack has made our daily work very difficult and restricted it,” says Olena Gorobets, head of the kindergarten in Okhtyrka. Even before the shelling, the facilities were outdated, but after the attack it was hardly possible to meet the hygiene requirements for preschool facilities. The damage had created additional barriers, especially for the 21 children with special needs.

By rehabilitating some of the washrooms and toilets, arche noVa has created an age- and needs-appropriate environment that enables the children to have a hygienic day at the nursery.

Many years of experience in the Ukraine project country

arche noVa has been active in Ukraine since 2015. We greatly expanded our activities after the start of the war. As part of our current emergency and reconstruction aid measures, we support vulnerable groups in particular, such as the elderly and sick, people with disabilities, widows, women-headed households and children.