Ukraine: DRC aids evacuees in war-torn regions

The Russian Federation’s relentless use of guided aerial bombs (GBUs) is devastating the Sumy Oblast, targeting both administrative and residential buildings. Fearing for their lives, residents are flocking to the relative safety of Sumy, the regional centre.

Among those displaced is Larysa, 51, who works as an accountant in an agriculture company with an office in her native Khrapivshchyna village. The village, which was once known for its agricultural exports, is now a target of intense shelling. On August 6th, three GBUs struck the village demolishing a local shop and nearby homes.

“A fragment flew just a few meters from me, shattering a windowpane. We were terrified and had to leave. There is one ruined street, and the school has been bombed to smithereens,” Larysa recalls, her voice heavy with the weight of loss. “Our office still stands, but we fear it’s only a matter of time before it’s destroyed like everything else.”

Larysa now shares a cramped apartment with her niece, where three families are trying to rebuild their lives. Her son, too, has fled to Sumy, renting an apartment, while her husband remains behind in Khrapivshchyna, working as a security guard. "I beg him not to go outside; I'm terrified he'll come under fire,” she says.

In Sumy, Larysa found some relief when she was met by DRC staff and provided with cash assistance through a project funded by the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. This support will help cover the cost of rent and utilities.

"We do not spend much on food, we use the vegetables harvested in the village. But I want to find another housing and I plan to do it thanks to your assistance," she shares.

As the mass evacuation from border areas intensifies, evacuees are being transported to safety in Sumy, where DRC specialists are on hand to provide various forms of support, including financial aid. Grant registration occurs in the special centres for evacuees and at the city’s Department of Social Protection where individuals are formally registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs).

“The Department of Social Protection closes during air raids which are increasingly frequent in Sumy, with alarms lasting for hours. That is why we’re working across multiple locations to ensure aid is as accessible as possible,” explains Anna, a Cash and Voucher Assistance Officer at DRC.

Nearly 700 people are set to receive this crucial financial support, amounting to 10,800 UAH (€235) per person.

Among the recipients is Olha, 62, whose house and animal outbuildings in the Khotyn community were severely damaged by shelling.

“Thank God the house still stands, but the windows in the corridor were blown out. Plastic windows might withstand a distant rocket, but nothing can survive a close hit,” Olha says with the strain of her experience evident in her voice.

Olha wants to use the DRC assistance to rent an apartment and begin modest repairs on her home.

“Serious repairs of the animal outbuildings are impossible on my pension of 3,400 UAH (€75), and the village council only helps with residential buildings,” she explains.

Despite the horrific shelling, Olha still visits her home to tend to her garden and animals. "During the attacks, I spent hours in the basement. When a bomb explodes nearby, the ground shakes, and the cans in the basement rattle. It feels like the house is lifting off the ground. It’s terrifying," she says, her voice trembling. The ongoing stress has taken a toll on her health, leading to hospitalisation and surgery.

As the hostilities in Ukraine intensify, new waves of displacement ripple across the country, with the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Sumy Oblasts hit particularly hard. DRC remains on the ground, providing essential humanitarian aid to both those displaced and those who remain in areas increasingly difficult to reach.