With temperatures set to fall as low as -20°C, Ukraine is bracing itself for a harsh winter.
There is significant movement both in and out of cities and towns as people seek temporary shelter to see them through the winter. Regardless of where they find shelter it will need work to support additional numbers, whether that is via basic repairs or the provision of heating and running water. Every Ukrainian citizen wants only the freedom to return home, and yet the outlook for many is bleak.
An estimated 15.7 million Ukrainians need humanitarian assistance, including 7.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Recent Government estimates identify over 950,000 of these IDPs living in a public building or other temporary accommodation, as sources claim over 140,000 residential buildings have been destroyed.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Old heating systems that serve multiple housing blocks, water pumps and power grids are very susceptible to Russian attack, meaning that a single strike can expose thousands to a winter of freezing cold and misery, without even the most basic facilities. And what might be fixed in warmer climates becomes impossible during the winter months, with underground pipes frozen solid and irreplaceable until the spring.
Crown Agents has supported the people of Ukraine since the outbreak of the war. Our long-established presence in the country meant we were ideally placed to procure and deliver life-saving medicines, food, and supplies and work in collaboration with local partners to refurbish healthcare facilities. This support has helped to save thousands of lives and has only been possible thanks to the donations of our supporters.
Crown Agents is now working with the Government specifically to help the people survive the winter. There is an urgent need for supplies such as winter clothing, blankets, cooking stoves, generators and fuels. Another need is to refurbish health centres and refit public buildings that will be used to provide warm shelters for thousands of internally displaced persons.
SUPPORTING THE WINTERISATION AGENDA
We are in communication with Ministries and Local Authorities to select locations and complement existing projects that are being delivered across the country, with a focus on providing warm shelter, catering to people’s basic needs and ensuring that their mental and physical health are protected.
Crown Agents are:
- Providing shelter for internally displaced people through rehabilitating healthcare facilities
- Retrofitting public buildings for the same purpose
- Insulating and repairing damaged homes in isolated rural areas
- Providing financial support to farmers to protect harvests
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Through our registered charity, Crown Agents International Development (CAID) (charity number: 1192249), we are working to raise £10 million towards helping those in desperate need of warmth and care this winter. Our partners have already contributed £2 million towards this target and due to the onset of winter we need to raise the balance by the end of November.
Additional funding will enable us to procure and supply:
- Generators, cooking stoves and fuel
- Winter clothing – including fleeces for emergency crews and paramedics
- Rescue equipment – for fire crews attending power stations that have been attacked.
We can only continue to send vitally needed equipment before the temperature plummets, and Russia continues their attacks, though partnership with you.