DRC in Ukraine: Safe spaces and hot meals - shelters in Dnipro

The former concert hall in Dnipro city has now become one of three shelters for internally displaced persons organised by the local NGO KUST. In total, up to 350 people live in these shelters — the majority are from Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. They were fleeing hostilities and urgently seeking refuge and help in Dnipro, known as an infrastructure hub in the heart of the country.  

The shelter soon required additional equipment. KUST approached DRC with a request for financial assistance to respond to the immense need for a safe place to stay and meals to feed the displaced. The DRC assistance allowed KUST to improve the living conditions and expand space in the shelters. They spent some of the funds on buying kitchen equipment to serve the newly displaced people turning up at their doorstep with tasty hot meals.  

“We are now able to at least offer people a place to live for now and we hope that our efforts can help them feel a bit like back home,” says Natalia, Head of the International Communications Department in KUST.