19.11.24
Mondo supports 2729 Ukrainians with winterization aid
The 1,000th day of Ukraine’s full-scale war has arrived amidst intense shelling, constant air raids, and daily power outages. “Exhausted” is a word Ukrainians are using these days.
The arrival of the first snow in Estonia is a reminder that the winter cold is not far off. Subzero temperatures, dampness in old and war-damaged buildings, overcrowding in accommodation centers, no electricity, and no idea when it will return…
This is the reality for almost every Ukrainian in the coming winter, especially for nearly one hundred thousand of them who are currently living in internally displaced persons (IDP) collective sites in Ukraine. Mondo works in the oblasts Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk, located close to the frontline, which have taken in the largest number of IDPs in Ukraine, and Dnipropetrovsk hosts the most IDP centers. Many residents of these collective sites have fled the fighting but not too far from their homes.
Many of the IDPs belong to already vulnerable social groups—pensioners, people with disabilities (including mobility impairments), and families with children. Ongoing attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure and facilities only worsen these poor conditions during the winter months. Altogether, more than 2 million buildings have been damaged or destroyed during the war in Ukraine—these include homes, schools, hospitals, theaters, and other public buildings.
To survive their third winter of war, Ukrainians need warm and safe places to live. With the support of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UN Ukraine Humanitarian Fund and private donations, Mondo is equipping 40 collective sites with essential heating materials, systems, and equipment such as heaters and Bullerjan stoves. Four centers will be renovated. Altogether, 2792 people will receive warm living spaces.
Above all, Ukraine needs hope and the assurance that we will not abandon them in this war and their struggles. On the 1,000th day of the full-scale war, we at Mondo can promise that we will support and help them for as long as necessary!