Since the Russian invasion, Caritas Ukraine reached 1.2 million people with aid.

The fact that they have 70 regional offices across the country and many volunteers has made it possible to respond quickly.

According to the UN, the war has triggered an enormous humanitarian need for 15.7 million people. With its locally rooted network, Caritas start relief work immediately after the start of the war – with a focus on reaching people who were in the war zone or on the run.

The need to mobilize more people to help was great, a task that more or less went by itself. Ever since the war began, volunteers have been pouring in, many of them internally displaced people who have had to leave their homes and jobs. The community, the solidarity and the warmth they encounter at Caritas is welcome, and a stark contrast to the violent acts that characterize parts of the country.

One of those who volunteered at Caritas Ivano-Frankivsk, is Artem. He has fled the destroyed city of Chernihiv, and is quoted as such in the latest humanitarian situation report from Caritas Ukraine:

– The word “war”. It changed the lives of millions of Ukrainians. We want shelter, we want to be where it is safe, we want to live. Caritas Ivano-Frankivsk has become a special place for me and my family, where it is possible to get not only psychological and material help, but also spiritual help. Thanks to Caritas I remembered again what I like about being myself, breathing deeply, smiling and understanding that you are not alone. Caritas are not just people, it's a family.