(Chris Palusky, Response Director, Ukraine Crisis Response.) I am in Ukraine and it’s cold. And often dark. Power is very intermittent, fuel hard to come by. I have been leading World Vision’s Ukraine Crisis Response for just two months, but I am quickly grasping the sheer scale of challenge here.
It is 300-plus days since the war started, and 17.7 million people are in need, 6.5 million are internally displaced and 7.89 million are refugees in European countries. Around two-thirds of those who fled or are internally displaced are children.
With more than 5,500 documented attacks on vital civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, the conflict has damaged crucial supply chains and restricted access to services and goods. Within Ukraine, critical infrastructure has been affected, damaged, or destroyed, including approximately 1,900 educational facilities and nearly 300 health facilities.
Many pharmacies are closed, and stocks of medicines are low, leaving people without access to health care and life-saving medicines. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without access to basic services, such as water, food, and electricity.
In November 2022, Ukraine saw the season’s first snow, and attacks on energy infrastructure means that children may struggle to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures. Hence, while planning our work for the 18 months from September 2022 to January 2024, across Ukraine and hosting countries including Romania, Moldova and Georgia, we have come up with the following four priorities.
Four overarching programming objectives that aim to reach more than 900,000 people. Most of our work will be undertaken through partners; we continue our commitment to localisation efforts by building partner capacity - especially in Ukraine - and empowering them to take the lead in their own community development and social protection.
We won’t turn our backs on Ukraine’s children.
It is 300-plus days since the war started, and 17.7 million people are in need, 6.5 million are internally displaced and 7.89 million are refugees in European countries. Around two-thirds of those who fled or are internally displaced are children.
With more than 5,500 documented attacks on vital civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, the conflict has damaged crucial supply chains and restricted access to services and goods. Within Ukraine, critical infrastructure has been affected, damaged, or destroyed, including approximately 1,900 educational facilities and nearly 300 health facilities.
Many pharmacies are closed, and stocks of medicines are low, leaving people without access to health care and life-saving medicines. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without access to basic services, such as water, food, and electricity.
In November 2022, Ukraine saw the season’s first snow, and attacks on energy infrastructure means that children may struggle to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures. Hence, while planning our work for the 18 months from September 2022 to January 2024, across Ukraine and hosting countries including Romania, Moldova and Georgia, we have come up with the following four priorities.
- Deliver life-saving in-kind and cash assistance to meet basic food, shelter and WASH needs this winter and beyond.
- Support affected women and children, with child protection, mental health and psychosocial support services and prevent and protect against sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Contribute to the provision of inclusive, equitable and quality education for children.
- Support equitable, dignified and empowering local partnerships to respond effectively and efficiently to needs.
Four overarching programming objectives that aim to reach more than 900,000 people. Most of our work will be undertaken through partners; we continue our commitment to localisation efforts by building partner capacity - especially in Ukraine - and empowering them to take the lead in their own community development and social protection.
We won’t turn our backs on Ukraine’s children.
