CNEWA’s entire staff had an incredibly unifying solidarity meeting with Caritas Ukraine’s president Tetiana Stawnychy today, March 31st presenting situation updates for 2024-2025 in Ukraine, mentioning specifics on drone attacks and Caritas response.
Caritas Ukraine is one of CNEWA’s main partners in Ukraine, we work closely with and support many of their projects and have common values as they work through the Ukrainian greek Catholic Church.
In partnership with the local churches, Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church), Patriarchal Foundation Mudra Sprava, Knights of Columbus do incredible work to provide many basic needs such as food, water and shelter for those who are internally displaced. Caritas picks up where there is need further than that.
We heard updates on what is happening on the frontlines:
- Frontline: over 1870 miles long, intense hostilities along 1/3 of the front line
- Heightened risk to 25 miles deep from the frontline (aviation, artillery, small range personal drones)
- Continued drone and missile
strikes throughout the country - Targeted attacks on schools, hospitals, apartment buildings
Caritas informed us that one out of every 2 people (16.3 million people) are chronically affected by this war, 12.7M are in need – Children – 12%, Older people 30%, With disability 14%. UN coordinated humanitarian response plan for 2025, originally targeted 6,5 m people in need, with ongoing world wide reprioritization and the target will be further reduced.
For the internally displaced: Caritas Ukraine is doing everything they can to provide housing, protection services, access to healthcare, education, employment, community integration, ongoing case management for the most vulnerable, long term shelter and care solutions for the sick and elderly. The risk of IDPs returning to frontline areas is high when they do not find the support they need.
The 4 goals for Caritas in 2025:
- Continue humanitarian action where needed (temporary shelters and light repairs, winterization, food security and hygiene water access, MPCA – Multipurpose Cash Assistance, access to medical services, evacuations, PPS -Personalized support and stabilization)
- Transition to stabilization/recovery/ development (PSS, mental health & case management, durable solutions housing and water, livelihood, access to medical care)
– Special focus: crisis centers & resilience centers, PSS work in schools, child-friendly spaces, inclusion programs)
– Special focus: 10 Medical clinics providing access to medical care, rehabilitation, innovating the entrance of the NGO sector in healthcare. Integrate with home care services.
– Special focus: work with veterans and their families, rehabilitation
3. Community activation and building social cohesion community development, micro-granting, volunteer programs
4. Reform of the social protection system
- durable solutions for social care. Active involvement with pilot projects building cooperation between NGO sector and government.
At the end of her presentation, Tetiana expressed her sincere thanks to CNEWA for their unceasing support and called it “The spirit of being seen” as how she would describe CNEWA’s efforts for those in Ukraine.
The work that Caritas Ukraine does, in part with the support of CNEWA and through your donations, is nothing short of lifesaving. Your prayers and generous gifts to those who are the most vulnerable in our world do not go unnoticed. We encourage you to continue to keep in your prayers, especially in this season of such strife and uncertainty in our world, all the people of Caritas Ukraine in partnership with CNEWA, who work tirelessly to uphold the dignity of human life, and aid those most in need.
Please consider a gift to help continue this lifesaving work.