During a Russian attack on the night of September 19, one of the relief warehouses was destroyed. Caritas in Ukraine hit. No lives were lost, but 300 tons of emergency response went up in flames.

The warehouse in Lviv burned to the ground. Efforts are underway to assess the extent of the damage, but according to local employees, 33 pallets of food boxes, 10 pallets of hygiene products, canned goods, generators and clothing were lost in the fire.

Caritas now mapping the situation further.

– 300 tons emergency response has gone up in smoke instead of reaching people affected by the war. It is completely unacceptable and a clear violation of humanitarian law. A lot of work will now go into clean-up, but our humanitarian aid to war-affected people in Ukraine continues unabated, says Tale Hungnes, Head of International Affairs at Caritas Norway.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, also condemned the attack in a press release . They write that attacks on relief supplies have escalated throughout the year, affecting those suffering from the horrific consequences of the war.

“Aid workers, facilities and assets are protected under international humanitarian law. Direct attacks or indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited. International humanitarian law is not an option, it is an obligation and must be upheld,” Brown said.