“The needs are growing by the hour. Our staff contacts all families – foster families and families from the family strengthening programmes. They give psychological first aid to families over the phone. Our staff to needs psychological help. We are in daily contact with everyone for updates and to support each other. We must stay in contact – connection is the key for mental stability.”
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Here is a summary of how events in Ukraine unfolded over the weekend
Sunday
It was announced that the foster families from SOS Children’s Village Brovary, Kyiv region and from Luhansk region, who were staying in a health resort in western Ukraine, would be moving to Poland on Sunday and Monday. They will be met at the Ukrainian-Polish border by colleagues from SOS Children’s Villages Poland and accommodated in the Polish programmes.
The foster families will move to Poland in two groups. The first group of 47 people (40 children, 5 foster parents and 2 staff) already departed. The second group of 27 people (21 children, 4 foster parents and 2 staff) is scheduled to depart on Monday. More details will follow once the families arrive at their destinations and it is confirmed safe to do so.
Though sporadic alerts and incidents were reported, the regions in western Ukraine remained the safest part of the country. The decision to move the families to Poland came after the overall situation in the country worsened and the western regions became overcrowded with internally displaced people who had fled their homes elsewhere in the country.
The foster families who remained in SOS Children’s Village Brovary, Kyiv region are safe. It is not possible to move them at present due to the curfew in the region.
The foster families who remained in their homes in Luhansk region are safe and unharmed. Their homes are located in rural areas where there is no active fighting.
The town of Popasna, at the contact line in Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, is under siege. Residents are reported to be safe and unharmed, however no supplies can be moved into the town. Prior to the siege, 15 persons (children and foster parents) managed to leave Popasna and found accommodation in Sievierodonetsk. They’ve reached out to SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine who immediately began providing them with supplies and psychological help. These foster families were not part of any programme of SOS Children’s Villages until now.
All other children and families, as well as staff of SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine are safe and unharmed. The staff in some areas of Kyiv are almost constantly staying in bomb shelters.
The staff of SOS Children’s Villages who are presently in western regions of Ukraine have succeeded in identifying four local qualified partner organisations with whom SOS Children’s Villages will implement an emergency programme to support children living in residential institutions and internally displaced people in western Ukraine. The organisations are located in four different regions, as follows: Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zakarpattya. SOS Children’s Villages and the partner organisations are now making the plans for purchases and distribution of supplies and for offering psychosocial services to children in residential institutions and to internally displaced people.
“We are constantly being approached by many foster families from all over the country for support. We will first offer support to the displaced foster families in the four regions where we will work with partners, and then expand to other regions where that would be possible. The support to internally displaced people is usually provided at train stations, centres for supports and at checkpoints. At the moment, there are enough supplies, but what is lacking is psychosocial support. We foresee that soon there will be need for accommodation and hygienic items.”
On Saturday evening, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Ukraine is closing its borders with Belarus and the Russian Federation. Only Ukrainian citizens will be allowed to cross these borders entering Ukraine. The general mobilisation decree issued on Thursday has banned all men age 18 to 60 from leaving Ukraine
Saturday
On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Klitschko announced that Kyiv subway would no longer run trains and only serve as bomb shelter. Citizens were advised to stay to stay at home or in shelters. A curfew from 5 pm to 8 am is in effect until Monday, 28-February.
More than 120,000 refugees have fled to neighbouring countries since Thursday. All borders to neighbouring countries remain open.
Eastern Ukraine
- The town of Stanytsia Luhanska in east Ukraine was seized by Russian forces. The social centre of SOS Children’s Villages in Stanytsia Luhanska closed on 17-February, with most staff relocated to Sievierodonetsk. One staff member remained in Stanytsia Luhanska and is safe.
- In Sievierodonetsk, defence preparations are ongoing. All staff of SOS Children’s Villages are safe.
- In Starobilsk civilians are advised to stay in shelters. All staff of SOS Children’s Villages are safe.
- The staff of SOS Children’s Villages continues to be in contact with families who remained in eastern Ukraine and is giving them psychological support.
All children, foster families and staff currently residing in the other parts of Ukraine are safe. Psychological support is given continuously.
On Friday, Serhii Lukashov, national director of SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine warned of the urgent needs of children who live in residential institutions. “Many residential institutions for children are cut off from any support. They have no supplies and no money. We are finding ways to support them with their immediate needs.”
Staff of SOS Children’s Villages who are presently in the western regions of Ukraine are making connections with local volunteer groups and organisations to start joint efforts for supporting thousands of children living in residential institutions in those regions. More information will be released as it becomes available.
Friday
During the second day of the advance of Russian troops throughout Ukraine, the capital Kyiv was at the centre of the offensive. On Thursday evening, Ukrainian President Zelensky announced general mobilisation.
Millions of people are expected to flee the war scene in the next weeks, according to a projection by the European Commission’s department for overseas humanitarian aid and civil protection, DG ECHO.
According to the latest estimations by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 18 m people are affected by the combat and there will be 7.5 m Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and 12 m people are expected to have urgent health needs or be in need of shelter.
The number of refugees to leave Ukraine is estimated to reach up to 1.7 million according to the International Organisation of Migration (IOM).
So far, 15,000 people coming from Ukraine have been reported to have crossed the border to Poland, with the line of cars entering the neighbouring country reaching up to 12 kilometres at some border crossings. An estimated 100,000 more are waiting in rain and cold to cross the border. 16,000 have crossed the border into Moldova, they are expected to move on to Romania.
Foster families from the Brovary and Luhansk regions, who were relocated to the Lviv region last week, had to temporarily take shelter after air raid sirens were heard. They are unharmed.
Kyiv was bombed with battles being led on the streets in some parts of the city. The families and staff who are in Brovary and Kyiv are safe for the moment. Many had to spend hours in bomb shelters.
In eastern Ukraine, the town of Stanytsia Luhanska is reported to be under siege. The town of Starobilsk sustained heavy damage and staff there had to remain in bomb shelters almost continuously due to uninterrupted shelling. The foster families who remained are in hibernation.
With massive influx of internally displaced people in western Ukraine, it is likely that programmes are to be established there.
“Some of our staff are now in western Ukraine. We check possibilities to offer ad hoc services to vulnerable children and families in those regions. Many residential institutions for children are cut off from any support. They have no supplies and no money. We are finding ways to support them with their immediate needs.”
The situation is rapidly changing and we will provide updates as often as we can. Thank you so much for your continued support.
