The escalation of the war and winter weather have severely impacted the most vulnerable Ukrainians. The average winter temperature in Ukraine is -3°C, while energy infrastructure and housing had been heavily damaged.
As a result, people living in areas close to the front line suffered from a lack of heating, electricity and water during winter, as it was impossible to restore supplies due to the ongoing hostilities.
Destroyed building in Barvinkove
From October to May 2023, Acted addressed the essential winter needs of the most vulnerable war-affected people in Ukraine. To ensure safe and dignified living conditions, keep families warm and give them access to water and electricity, Acted supported collective centers for internally displaced people by repairing windows and doors and providing fuel generators. Acted also rehabilitated wastewater management systems and provided cash assistance, electric generators with emergency fuel, stoves and heaters to people living in war-affected areas.
A stove installed in Barvinkove village
We stayed in the house with my mother when the military action took place here. My mother is 85 years old. We are retirees.
Mrs. Svitlana and her family come from Barvinkove village in Kharkiv oblast, 14 km from the front line.
“My mother can’t hear and can barely walk, so we decided not to leave. But it was scary to live there. The sky was red because of the explosions, we could hear shooting and rockets fall nearby almost every day. Once, a rocket flew over our garden, went through the neighbour’s house, and hit the barn. Fortunately, it did not explode.”
Until June, there was no gas or light, in our village. Nor was there anywhere to get gas.
“We put bricks on the fire and cooked on them. Acted provided us with a stove and glass to repair the damaged windows. It’s a great stove. We can cook on it and it’s warm in the house now. We really needed it !”
Mrs Svitlana showing where the frontline was
Acted interviewing Mrs Svtilana
Thanks to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’s support, Acted provided 220 stoves and 600 heaters to the most vulnerable people affected by the war, including families with children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Acted also distributed 11 generators with fuel for “Points of Unbreakability”, safe spaces organized by the government which provide electricity, internet, heat and water to Ukrainians in case of long power cuts. The generators were provided to support the towns and communities most affected by the disruption of energy supplies in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
