In October 2019, Emmanuel Charity Association started implementation of the project “Addressing immediate needs of people with disabilities living in isolated settlements in eastern Ukraine” funded by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).

This project aims at addressing immediate shelter and health care needs of most vulnerable people with disabilities living in conflict-affected area of eastern Ukraine through distribution of solid fuel, installation of solid fuel heaters, providing primary health care services through mobile clinics, facilitation of life-saving surgeries, distribution of cash assistance for health and food.

The winterization component of the project was launched in the frontline towns of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka that have been left without a gas supply for the last 5 winters.

In addition to regular shelling, residents of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka are trying to survive the freezing cold in winter. Unfortunately, all attempts by the government to repair the gas pipeline were unsuccessful since a significant part of the pipe is located in the territory uncontrolled by Ukraine.

The locals have lost the hope that the situation would be solved by the government and they try to use every opportunity to warm themselves during harsh winters.

Where electricity supply is available, they heat their homes with electric heaters and install fire-burning stoves in their basements where they have to spend hours hiding from shelling. However, even with these solutions, the locals depend on electricity and solid fuel to warm themselves during the winter.

In the framework of this winterization project, 70 solid-fuel heaters will be installed in the most vulnerable homes in Maryinka and Krasnohorivka and 200 most vulnerable persons with disabilities will receive solid-fuel briquettes for winter.

At the moment, Emmanuel’s monitoring group visits prospective beneficiaries at their homes to meet with them in person and select the most vulnerable ones. The first beneficiaries who have been shortlisted in the process are now receiving solid fuel and solid-fuel heaters.

Follow the latest news about this project on our page and partner pages of United Nations OCHA Ukraine and on the website https://www.unocha.org/ukraine/about-uhf

Hamalii Liudmila, CBN-Ukraine