Resilience in the face of the attack on Kyiv
Since the very first days after the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, IsraAID has been working to support Ukrainian communities build resilience in the face of ongoing war. Over three years later, humanitarian needs remain incredibly high in the face of increasing attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Overnight Wednesday, a Russian drone and missile attack struck civilian areas across Ukraine, including the capital city of Kyiv, killing at least eight people, including two children. Over 80 people were injured across the country, affecting eight regions across the center of Ukraine. This attack comes less than a month after a devastating attack on a residential neighborhood in Kryvyi Rih, which killed 19 people, including 9 children.
In the face of each new attack, Ukrainians face new challenges – from destroyed infrastructure to the mounting toll on mental health for communities, first responders, doctors, and aid workers. This includes our own team, who are living through the war themselves as they find ways to support others in the community.
“Unfortunately, air raid sirens are commonplace in Kyiv. But that night I didn’t even hear the siren; I woke from a powerful explosion that shook the entire apartment building. On instinct, my hand flew to my belly” said Iryna Kaliuzhna, Protection Program Manager with IsraAID Ukraine, who is seven months pregnant. “After I had checked in on my loved ones, I spent the night following the news and thinking of all of the children who are hiding in shelters, scared, just like me.”
Iryna, like many other members of our team, finds solace in her work. “After a sleepless night, morning came with the headache and desperation of all the unfairness. What helped me through was the idea that I will go back to work and be helpful,” she said. “We just launched two new projects that support education professionals and school psychologists, which provides an additional resource to school children living through war.”
Mariia Svitlychna, Head of Programs at IsraAID Ukraine, explained that part of our mission is continuing to adapt in the face of these attacks. “Ukraine is a country amidst an ongoing war. As some needs get satisfied – new ones emerge. After every attack, we face yet another emergency within an emergency. Our goal as humanitarians is to plan interventions that are as relevant and impactful as possible – both for the immediate needs and in the long term. We must also pivot and adapt to new challenges as they arise.”
In the face of each new attack, we see how critical our work is for Ukrainian communities. IsraAID-trained psychologists are working in hospitals across Ukraine, ensuring that doctors, patients, and their families have access to mental health support in the wake of attacks like these. Another flagship IsraAID program provides first aid training and mental health support to the Ukrainian Railway Workers Union. “In this most recent attack, the railway infrastructure took a major hit,” Mariia said. Two railway workers were injured in the attack. “The next morning, we set to work, scheduling additional first aid trainings for railway workers – giving them the tools they need to respond if such an attack happens again,” Mariia added.
More than three years after the full-scale invasion, IsraAID’s work in Ukraine is more important than ever. We remain committed to affected and displaced communities coping with the daily realities of this war. Each new “crisis within a crisis” shows us the impact of our work, and our staff’s resilience stands as a strong reminder of what we are working for.
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