Aid groups race to get supplies to Ukraine
KYIV, UKRAINE — When Russian forces launched a military campaign against infrastructure in Ukraine nearly two months ago, they opened a front that carried the war along power lines, water mains and heating systems to homes, schools, offices and churches.
The government in Kyiv and the Western countries that have backed it with billions in military aid now are scrambling along with the United Nations and aid groups to get blankets, insulation, generators, medical supplies, cash and other essentials into the invaded country as winter looms.
Millions of Ukrainians are without regular access to heat, electricity and water in sub-freezing temperatures, Martin Griffiths, who heads the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the U.N. Secu- rity Council on Tuesday. Some have no access at all, he said.
“In Ukraine today, the abil- ity of civilians to survive is under attack,” Griffiths said.
Despite a swift response and a high commitment from donors to a U.N. aid appeal, the needs are changing fast — and swelling. Much has been made of the need for diesel widespread impacts. It generators whose buzzing deprives people of warmth motors create stopgap elec- from electric space heaters, tricity for cellphone towsteady light in the evenings ers, restaurants and espe- and power for the millions cially hospitals, which are of electronic devices and the Ukrainian government’s computers in a highly digihighest priority. tized country — and thus for
Sporadic electricity has livelihoods.
Strikes that disable deliveries of gas cut off the flames for furnaces and stoves. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko advised the capital’s residents to consider moving temporarily to rural areas, where basics like wood to burn for heat are more plentiful.
In the most desperate, hard-hit cities, some residents resort to scooping up dirty water from puddles in the street while water systems are temporarily disabled.
Saviano Abreu, a spokesperson for U.N.’s humanitarian affairs office’s operation in Ukraine, said it pulled together hundreds of generators starting back in June.
“With this situation and people living in damaged houses, we did know back then that we would have problems with heating, water and electricity, but not at this scale,” Abreu said, noting that supply chain issues posed obstacles to securing more equipment.