Today marks six months since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The great and present Caritas The network made it possible to respond quickly with humanitarian aid and to mobilize aid workers.

In the weeks before the invasion, preparations Caritas in Ukraine, its staff and volunteers were at their worst, and equipped the humanitarian crew. With more than 30 years of experience in relief work across the country, and eight years of humanitarian efforts and development programs in Eastern Ukraine, they were able to provide extensive and immediate humanitarian assistance.

In parallel, they began to strengthen, adjust, and scale up their programs. This has resulted in the number of centers for distributing humanitarian aid increasing from 20 to 42 over the duration of the war.

500 calls a day

In addition, they have established 448 distribution hubs for emergency response and 129 shelters for those in need of shelter. There you can shower, eat hot meals and get the necessary hygiene equipment. There are also separate rooms where children can engage in various activities.

A helpline has also been set up that is open ten hours a day. At the beginning there were 150 calls a week. Now there are up to 500 calls a day from people who need help. In addition, hot food is distributed at Caritas its 17 soup kitchens.

Long-term help

Caritas in Ukraine has so far reached out with assistance to more than 3.5 million people. First and foremost to those who are internally displaced within the country, but also to the elderly, disabled, seriously ill and others living isolated in war-torn areas.

In addition to emergency emergency response hair Caritas has also begun providing more long-term humanitarian assistance to those in need, such as monthly supplies of food, hygiene and household items, case management and advocacy, and assisting people in moving from shelters to more permanent places to live.