2 years of help from Austria
Vienna (OTS) – There has been a war in Ukraine since February 24, 2022 and it is causing great humanitarian suffering. The Austrian member organization “Neighbor in Need” International Aid Organization has been there since the start of the war and provides humanitarian aid from east to west of the country. The type of help needed changes, but the need itself remains great. Hilfewerk International Managing Director Stefan Fritz takes stock of the past two years.
Focus: Help for children
In war and crisis situations, children are among the most vulnerable groups. Along the front line in southeastern and eastern Ukraine, a million children have been unable to go to school for years. While the corona pandemic was to blame for school closures starting in 2020, it has been war for the past two years. Children along the frontline suffer from increasing isolation, in addition to the enormous psychological pressure that war puts on them and their families. Regular exchanges with peers are lacking and no longer exist to compensate for the often dark and tense situation within families.
The managing director of Hilfewerk International, Stefan Fritzhas been to Ukraine several times in recent years to visit the projects and participate in personal exchanges with the local team and the population:
“Seeing children suffering on the front lines is one of the hardest things to watch. Parents report that their children no longer speak, withdraw and isolate themselves and are far from the carefree childhood they deserve,” says Fritz.
In three calls “Children's rooms“from Hilfewerk International (along the front line in Pokrov/Nikopol and in Valky/Kharkiv, as well as in the west in Ivano-Frankivsk) children have the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other, play with each other, make crafts, laugh – and also talk about your worries and fears. Trained educators and psychologists care for children – and this has an effect:
“During my visits, I spoke to many parents whose children had finally started to flourish again since regularly visiting the children's rooms. This is a great motivation for me and our team”, says Fritz happily.
2 years, 700,000 people
Relief Organization International's current focus is helping children at war. But the organization has also managed to help people in Ukraine on different levels:
- Since February 2022 they have achieved 40,000 Refugee women and children are housed in the western parts of Ukraine and receive food, hot meals and winter packages.
- 50,000 Sick and injured children at the Ivano-Frankivsk Children's Hospital were treated with urgently needed medicines and medical equipment.
- 100 The orphans received food, medicine and clothing in the first months of the war.
- Received along the front line 70,000 Civilians receive emergency aid packages with food, hygiene products and winter equipment.
- More than 70 power generators, which were provided across the country by the International Relief Organization, now guarantee a sustained supply of electricity and water to more than 100,000 people. 400,000 People.
- When the Kakhovka dam failed in the summer of 2023 and the population suddenly no longer had drinking water, the International Aid Agency was able to provide more than 20 million liters of drinking water, which exceeded 20 million liters. 100,000 people to reach.
- At three International Help Points, which serve as meeting places, Ukrainians receive various advice, emergency aid packages and psychological support.
- 40,000 Ukrainians received quick, unbureaucratic and effective help at service stations and in children's rooms.
Stefan Fritz is proud of the help that has been provided so far with the help of donations from Austria: “The International Emergency Relief organization is the help that arrives from Austria. We continue to support the people of Ukraine to see them through this challenging time.”
Aid to Ukraine 2024: Perseverance required
Over the past two years, the need for help has changed. Initially, mass movements of refugees from east to west were the focus of aid. War is slowly becoming a sad everyday occurrence. Therefore, the objective today is to support people in their daily lives, whether through psychosocial assistance, humanitarian aid activities or the provision of necessary infrastructure.
“The most important thing now is to show perseverance and ensure that local structures remain strong. This is the only way for Ukrainians to be effectively supported”, summarizes Fritz.
The International Relief Organization continues to ask for donations for its emergency relief in Ukraine:
International Aid Organization
AT71 6000 0000 9000 1002
“Emergency Aid to Ukraine”
About the International Relief Organization
Hilfewerk International is an Austrian and global aid organization based in Vienna. It was founded in 1978 with the aim of carrying out emergency aid projects and sustainable development projects in Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and Southeast Europe. With a total of more than 124 employees in 18 countries, projects in the areas of health, education, social affairs and agriculture are initiated in close cooperation with local teams and local civil society organizations. The focus is on reducing structural poverty by promoting economic and social development. The focus of the International Aid Organization's work is to support population groups most at risk of poverty and exclusion, such as women, children, the elderly and ethnic minorities.
The non-profit, non-partisan and non-denominational organization operates independently under the umbrella of the Austrian family of humanitarian organizations. Projects are financed by national and international project funds for development cooperation and humanitarian aid, as well as by private donations, corporate social responsibility partnerships and sponsorships. More information can be found at: https://www.hilfswerk.at/international/
Questions and contact:
International Aid Organization
Mag.Bianca Weissel
Head of Communications
+43 1 405 75 00 112, +43 676 87 87 60 110
[email protected]
http://www.hilfswerk.at/international