When war broke out in Ukraine more than one year ago, the TWINT community reacted quickly to ensure that large donations could be made to numerous aid organisations within a short period of time. In this blog article, the Swiss Red Cross and UNICEF now tell us how they were able to use these donations to help those affected by the war.
UNICEF increased assistance directly after the outbreak of war
The war between Russia and Ukraine escalated on 24 February 2022. UNICEF was already active in the region and was thus able to increase the humanitarian aid it was providing right away.
More than two million Ukrainians fled the country in the first two weeks after the outbreak of war alone. Thanks to the large amount of donations made, assistance was provided in the areas of health, protection and education in no time at all.
What assistance has UNICEF provided?
- By the end of December 2022, a total of CHF 129 million in aid packages had been supplied to Ukraine
- This ensured that 4.9 million women and children were provided with basic medical care.
- More than 4.6 million people were given access to clean drinking water.
- Some 1.5 million people received sanitary and hygiene products
- Psychosocial support was provided to 2.9 million traumatised children and young people
UNICEF distributes relief supplies on site
In terms of child welfare, UNICEF has set up Blue Dot Hubs in the border regions and in the Spilno Centre in Ukraine itself. These spots offer children and families protection and warmth. In total, aid has been provided to approximately 1.2 million children. Preventative campaigns helped to raise awareness on the topic of violence within families, reaching 352,103 people. Continuing on the topic of education, UNICEF ensured that 1.8 million children have had access to formal and informal teaching and learning formats.
The Swiss Red Cross (SRC) reacted immediately
The Swiss Red Cross has been providing assistance to those affected by the war in Ukraine since its escalation more than one year ago. Uncertainty, violence and destruction have driven millions of people there to leave their homes. The Swiss Red Cross is committed to helping precisely these people. The SRC has been active in Ukraine since 2017 and was thus able to respond quickly.
What assistance has the SRC provided in the Ukraine conflict?
- Supplied 5 million people with food, clothes and hygiene kits
- Provided 8 million people with access to clean water
- Provided cash assistance to 13,000 people
- 25 collective housing centres have been improved to enable better living conditions
- Approximately 8200 refugees were provided with 44 offerings such as language courses and psychosocial support in Switzerland
Despite the dangerous conditions, numerous volunteers and employees have administered first aid and distributed food and hygiene products. In addition, the SRC has also made a financial contribution and has also dispatched 38 specialists, established supply chains and helped to set up supporting measures. As a result, five million people have been provided with food, clothes and hygiene kits, while eight million people have been given access to clean water thanks to the Red Cross.
The SRC has helped more than 13,000 people with straightforward cash assistance and has improved the living conditions in 25 collective housing centres in western and central Ukraine.
Oleksandr and his daughter Michelle in Saltivka, Ukraine
Sonja Gambon, Content Manager at the SRC, describes what she experienced in Ukraine
“When I went to visit one of the projects in December, I was able to see with my own eyes how our assistance is helping on location. This is only possible thanks to the generous donations made. We very much appreciate each and every one of these.”
How the SRC is helping in Switzerland
With 64 offerings such as language courses and psychosocial support, the SRC has helped at least 20,000 refugees from Ukraine and relieved the burden placed on 800 guest families. The SRC also provides reliable information, which is key to ensuring that new arrivals in Switzerland can find their feet and a sense of stability.
An additional threat: extreme cold weather in Ukraine
Thanks to the large amount of donations provided by the TWINT community, the SRC, UNICEF and many more aid organisations have already been able to help a multitude of people affected by the war.
The war, however, is not over yet and many people are still reliant on support. The winter in Ukraine is hard and power outages are exposing children and their families to the extreme cold. At the same time, the length of the war is causing a rise in socioeconomic suffering. At the end of 2022, some 400,000 children were impacted by poverty.
Zhenya, 7, stands outside his flat in Irpin, Ukraine. The roof of his flat was damaged by shells and the glass on the windows was blown out.
Would you like to make another donation? You can do so via the “Donate” function in your TWINT app or via the following link:
TWINT would like to thank everyone who actively helped aid organisations to relieve the distress in Ukraine in 2022 by making donations.
