Ukraine: A dignified life 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, 17.6 million of them – around 40 percent of the population – are now in need of humanitarian aid. arche noVa has been supporting those affected with relief supplies and the reconstruction of destroyed buildings since the start of the war. This aid is urgently needed, especially during the cold season.

Five million people are currently fleeing from war 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. This is why we pay particular attention to them when organizing the humanitarian aid we provide.

Together with our partner organizations, we have reached a total of 14,000 people in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts with aid distributions since the start of the war (as of 10/2023). Among them...

• 6,300 food parcels for families
• 4,350 food parcels for single people
• 4,840 hygiene kits for families
• 4,350 hygiene kits for single people
• 1,300 blankets and pillows
• 1,160 packs of incontinence material for people in need of care
• 2,150 kitchen sets
• 255 household appliances, including fridges, electric heaters, washing machines and ovens

People’s homes are in ruins – and winter is just around the corner

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 prepared for low temperatures, we began distributing stoves for cooking and heating, including fuel, as early as 2022.
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, 211 other buildings have been repaired with the support of arche noVa since the start of the war, including 7 social institutions such as schools, kindergartens and social centers. Two of the rebuilt kindergartens now also have a bomb shelter to provide protection in the event of another attack.

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.