Our team on the ground
In addition to the delegation in Kyiv with currently 3 delegates there are 2 sub-delegations in the oblasts of Lviv and Zakarpattia with one delegate each. Currently, the team is strengthened by 5 short-term delegates for project management, pre-hospital care, information management, shelter, and logistics. More colleagues will join the team soon to support the Ukraine Red Cross as needs are still high.
Shelter for displaced people
With heavy damage to the infrastructure in the east, more people will be expected to come to the west of the country for the winter. Housing for these people is urgently needed. After supporting more than 110 shelters for internally displaced people with household and relief items, the Austrian Red Cross is supporting Ukraine Red Cross on winterization in Lviv, Zakarpattia, and Chernihiv Oblast. In the last months, 82 collective centers have been assessed out of which 15 were selected for rehabilitation works and 4 are in the preparation phase. This will serve more than 1.200 people with longer-term accommodation during the winter. More in the east in Chernihiv oblast, the repair of windows in 1.000 households is ongoing. They have been damaged in the fighting earlier this year. In addition, URCS branches in the oblasts are in the process of preparing Cash and Voucher Assistance for most affected people.
On the road: mobile health units
The Ukraine Red Cross is currently operating so-called “Mobile Health Units” all over Ukraine. At the moment 70 teams are going out every day to strengthen the fragile and overstretched health system. The Mobile Teams provide consultations, treatment, medication, and, if needed, patient transport, particularly in conflict-affected regions. Austrian Red Cross continues to support Ukraine Red Cross in ten Mobile Health Units (MHUs) in three oblasts (Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zakarpattia), with more than 6,000 people reached in the past three months. Also, the ambulance vehicles that have been provided by the Austrian Red Cross are used in this service – the last one has just been delivered by EMS specialist Christian Diemt.
Protection from the cold: relief items for the winter
The Ukraine Red Cross has established a list of items needed to help people fight the cold, and also to ensure the operation of the Ukraine Red Cross teams. The Austrian Red Cross is supporting this by procuring 20 generators, for Emergency Response Teams distributions, health activities, temporary shelters after shocks, assistance at sites where many internally displaced persons reside as well as for charging stations and backup for URCS warehouses and branches. The emergency teams are also supported with tents, heating devices, and fuel jerry cans to keep operations running. Further, 90,000 winter blankets will be sent and financial support is provided to URCS for buying 100,000 food parcels. Finally, so-called “Burjuyka” stoves are provided to households for emergency heating and cooking opportunity.
What we are facing now…
Assisting the people of Ukraine in the harsh winter will pose the most urgent challenge in the coming months. We will respond to this by providing further generators, blankets, stoves, cash, hygiene kits, and much more. But also, we will continue to support the sustainable further development of health services of the Ukraine Red Cross (mobile health units and home-based care) and entering livelihoods programming. Geographically, the area of projects supported by the Austrian Red Cross will expand to the southern and eastern Oblasts of Ukraine.
