Photo: Petr Štefan, People In Need
One of the biggest providers of Czech humanitarian aid in Ukraine has been the NGO People in Need. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reached 600 days on Monday, I spoke to Petr Štefan, humanitarian aid coordinator in the country, and I first asked him about the recent attack on a cultural centre in in the Donetsk region, which People in Need used as a warehouse:
“This house of culture served as a storage place for humanitarian assistance of People in Need and other organisations. We used it to store construction material for the reconstruction of houses for 200 families of Novoselivka and a neighbouring settlement. So now we are trying to find a way how we can support the community and provide them with assistance again.”
People in Need have been helping in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2014, but since the Russian invasion 600 days ago, you massively expanded your help. How many members of your team are currently operating in Ukraine?
“We currently have over 330 employees across the country, so we have significantly increased both the team and the budget. Currently, we are very much focused on winterisation activities, which means reconstruction of houses.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková