Story by Pau A.
We arrive at the church in Rivne. The sun is going down, but just a little over thirty beds within the big worship hall are already occupied.
One of the pastors tells us the place will be full by midnight. People are still on the run. They usually arrive by 7pm or 8pm, and surely before the 10pm curfew. The next morning, all will be empty again, families will get back on track towards the border, and the church will get ready to host the next group.
Among the few guests who arrived earlier than usual is Artem and his grandparents. He is 19 years old. They were living in Hostomel, one of the towns in Kyiv’s outskirts that is being fought day after day by the Russian army, coveted especially because of its aerodrome.
“We left Hostomel two days ago,” Artem recounts. “Our country evacuated us because in Hostomel there is a lot of bombing and fire, so they evacuated us to Kyiv, and from Kyiv we came here with a bus.”
Artem was living with his grandparents because he was studying for a degree at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. “Now our study is stopped, we pray that we can continue to study.” Fortunately, he still managed to escape with his grandparents, but unfortunately not his parents and sister. They are living in Kherson. “This is where the war is hitting very bad,” he explains. “We want to evacuate them too.”
That will not be easy as Kherson is one of the cities hardest hit by the war from day one. “We speak with them by phone, messages, Viber, [and] Telegram. They cry because of us, because of our situation, but they feel better for us now [since we could be evacuated]. We pray that they will be good.”
The look in his eyes, as with most of the Ukrainians we met so far, spoke on his behalf before he even pronounced any words. “It’s hard to understand,” he paused. “My friends, my family… We are under big stress. We don’t feel good, but we stay positive.”
Tomorrow will be another long day for Artem. They plan to arrive in another city closer to the border, and from there maybe to Poland. But for now, probably the most urgent need for him is to stop thinking about tomorrow, at least for a little while. “We just need to sleep now, eat some food, have some fun because we have a lot of stress.”
As soon as Artem’s grandfather finds out we are here to help them, he leans in slightly – an honest sign of gratitude. I tell them this is the least we could do. After I pray for them, we wave goodbye and I wish them all the best, especially thinking of Artem’s parents and sister. We still have a long drive back to Poland ahead of us, but they have a much longer drive back to hope, joy, goals, dreams, and peace of heart.
“The missile hit. Everything was on fire. I heard gunshots. It had hit my neighbours. Blood everywhere. You won’t find an answer. There is no answer. There is nothing left.” – Igor* described what he witnessed.
UN aid agencies estimate that millions of people could be displaced following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. 6.5 million people have been displaced within the country, and over 3.6 million people who have left the country urgently fleeing to neighbouring countries as they seek safety.
The terrifying sound of air raid sirens blaring throughout Kyiv, and images of locals taking shelter in underground places like subway stations, only show a glimpse of the horrific reality that many families and individuals are currently experiencing.
Many who have already left the country – mostly women and children – have been forced to separate from their husbands, fathers and brothers, as men aged 18-60 have been restricted from leaving the country for possible conscription.
“There are no winners in war, but countless lives will be torn apart.”– Filippo Grandi, head of UN refugee agency UNHCR.
There is great fear and uncertainty for the Ukrainian people. Those who have left everything behind to flee to other countries for safety are in dire need of essentials.
Will you join us as we work to provide emergency relief Ukrainians who are displaced?
Global Aid Network (GAiN), through its offices in Germany and the Netherlands are packing and procuring essential items such as food, medicines, tents, sleeping bags and blankets to ship to their local frontline partners. These much-needed items will be provided to refugees arriving in Poland, Hungary, Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
Refugees are desperately in need of hope, peace, provision and protection. The need for aid is critical. As of April 1st, we have sent 82 shipments via truck. As the number of people affected continues to rapidly increase daily in this complex situation, we continue to help even more people during this critical time and are committed to supporting people in this time of desperation.
“The missile hit. Everything was on fire. I heard gunshots. It had hit my neighbours. Blood everywhere. You won’t find an answer. There is no answer. There is nothing left.” – Igor* described what he witnessed.
UN aid agencies estimate that millions of people could be displaced following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. 6.5 million people have been displaced within the country, and over 3.6 million people who have left the country urgently fleeing to neighbouring countries as they seek safety.
The terrifying sound of air raid sirens blaring throughout Kyiv, and images of locals taking shelter in underground places like subway stations, only show a glimpse of the horrific reality that many families and individuals are currently experiencing.
Many who have already left the country – mostly women and children – have been forced to separate from their husbands, fathers and brothers, as men aged 18-60 have been restricted from leaving the country for possible conscription.
“There are no winners in war, but countless lives will be torn apart.”– Filippo Grandi, head of UN refugee agency UNHCR.
There is great fear and uncertainty for the Ukrainian people. Those who have left everything behind to flee to other countries for safety are in dire need of essentials.
Will you join us as we work to provide emergency relief to those who are displaced?
Global Aid Network (GAiN), through its offices in Germany and the Netherlands are packing and procuring essential items such as food, medicines, tents, sleeping bags and blankets to ship to their local frontline partners. These much-needed items will be provided to refugees arriving in Poland, Hungary, Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
Refugees are desperately in need of hope, peace, provision and protection. The need for aid is critical. As of April 1st, we have sent 82 shipments via truck. As the number of people affected continues to rapidly increase daily in this complex situation, we continue to help even more people during this critical time and are committed to supporting people in this time of desperation.