Mariupol, Ukraine, used to be a dynamic, lively city, with a population of over 400,000 people. When the war broke out, everything changed. The city was besieged by Russian forces for almost three months, and 25,000 people were killed. Around 90% of its residential buildings were damaged or destroyed.
About 300,000 people were forced to flee, and now face an uncertain future in cities like Dnipro and Zaporijia. These families have lost nearly everything. They have no jobs, no belongings, and oftentimes, no family to support them.
Action Against Hunger helps displaced people from Mariupol by partnering with a civil society organization called “I Am Mariupol.” It was set up at the initiative of the town’s municipal council and helps empower prior residents. Action Against Hunger staff members provide hygiene kits and financial assistance to thousands of people in need.
Violetta Dmitriyevna, originally from Mariupol, is a lawyer at the “I Am Mariupol” center. The center provides recruitment, legal, and psychological services. With support from Action Against Hunger and other partners, it also distributes humanitarian assistance, hygiene kits, and educational courses for children.
“Humanitarian aid for internally displaced people remains relevant, even after a year and a half of war,” she says. “The situation of many people remains unchanged, both materially and psychologically. Only Mariupol residents work in the association, as they are the best placed to understand the terrible events that people have been through.”
Nadezhda Gubanova has been displaced twice. In 2018, she fled the city of Yenakievo for Mariupol. Then, when the conflict escalated, she gathered her family, including a nine- and six-year-old, and headed to Zaporijia.
“The fighting was approaching our house when we left, and we had no more food,” she says. “The children were hungry. On March 17, we boiled the last packet of pasta. Then, miraculously, on the morning of March 18, we managed to catch a bus. We left everything behind. We just took a backpack with documents and a small bag of baby stuff.”
The “I Am Mariupol” center opened in Zaporijia in May 2022. Since then, Nadezhda has received support from humanitarian organizations like Action Against Hunger. “My husband is the only one working for the four of us,” she says. “I don’t work because I have nowhere to leave the children. The aerial alarms are constant, the schools and kindergartens are closed. We stay at home and that’s it.”
It’s been two years since war broke out in Ukraine, and millions are still affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Families across the country are facing unprecedented poverty, rising food prices, and widespread disease—not to mention daily barrages of missiles and drone attacks.
Critical water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure—which includes things like water storage, pipes, and sewer systems – has been damaged throughout the war. Around 9.6 million people are in urgent need of WASH assistance.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, has been regularly hit by Russian attacks since the war began, and the walls and buildings are marred by artillery fire. The water supply infrastructure has been severely damaged. Action Against Hunger works with Ukraine’s water management agency, Vodokanals, to provide 250,000 people in Kharkiv and Dnipro with improved access to clean water.
“We didn’t stop working a single day to provide our services to the people of Kharkiv,” says Hrushchak Taras, Commercial Director of Vodokanals in Kharkiv. “During the hostilities, our employees worked to repair the extensive damage. Some even worked close to the front line and were injured.”
Hrushchak helps people prepare for the winter by replacing the most damaged sections of infrastructure. He must ensure that Vodokanals can still operate, even during possible power cuts and attacks on energy infrastructure. “Without the help of our partners, including Action Against Hunger, we really don’t know how we could have continued to deliver our services.”
Nearly 30,000 people in the Dnipro region have already received hygiene kits from Action Against Hunger. “Hygiene kits are very important in humanitarian aid, as they contribute to a community’s physical and mental health,” says Daria Aleksandrova, an Action Against Hunger WASH Officer. “By offering hygiene kits, we help them to save money to continue living.”
Daria typically works with people over sixty, families with young children, or people with disabilities. “We distribute several types of kits adapted to individual needs,” she says, adding that some are designed for people in transit and some are for families who have already settled. “We also give kits designed for young children, with diapers and items for personal hygiene.”
A quarter of Ukraine’s population—about 10 million people—have been exposed to risks and experiences that could negatively impact their mental health. People who live and work on the frontlines of the conflict, including humanitarian workers, health workers, and community members are particularly at risk.
