In Blahodatne, war quickly became reality once Russian forces rolled in from Kherson on their way to occupy Southern Ukraine. With them came all the terrible side effects of war: killing, damage and destruction from the air and from the ground. Olga was there to witness her home being shelled, and thanks to the Ukraine…
Heat is the most important component of survival for Kherson residents in the winter of 2023-2024. With critical infrastructure still being targeted, supplying heat to the homes of Kherson residents is a challenging job in a hostile context. However, thanks to the cooperation of the NGO “League of Socially Responsible Women” and Hungarian Interchurch Aid…
Nina was born on the steppes of Kherson 68 years ago. War directly entered her home through the roof and the windows in the form of artillery shells and bombing. Nevertheless, leaving her home she’s never left before was never an option for Nina. The front line has moved twice across her native Blahodatne during…
Lyuba and Vlada were one of the first people to move into a shelter completely renovated by Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) thanks to funds provided through ACT Alliance’s Ukraine appeal. Work started on the once dilapidated dormitory following requests by Vynohradiv’s municipality in the spring of 2022 – and in September 2023 the building was…
“For one of the classes, this year is the very first time they have come to school in their life. They have been studying online from their first day of school until this day” In a show of resilience and determination, Ukrainian children are returning to school as the country struggles to cope with the…
On her official visit to Ukraine, President of Hungary Katalin Novák has also visited a kindergarten built with the help of the Hungarian Interchurch Aid. The kindergarten and the school of Zahalci, located near Kyiv were destroyed and severely damaged by fighting in the spring of 2022, and HIA has undertaken to renovate both with…
Eerie and desolate: it’s hard to believe that Saltivka used to be the most densely populated not only in Kharkiv, but also in Ukraine. The war changed everything, the city was one of the first cities to face the attack of the invading Russian military. Results are clearly visible in the neighbourhood: even today, 80%…
“We were able to help at a very important moment” said Barnabas Szatmári, Hungarian Interchurch Aid’s Emergency Response Director for Ukraine, talking about HIA’s rapid humanitarian response to the floods caused by the explosion at the Nova Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. The two-pronged aid programme is aimed at supporting both the affected population directly as…
Blue jackets in the governor’s office: HIA Emergency Response Director Barnabás Szatmári met with Oleksandr Prokudin, head of Kherson Regional Military Administration to discuss results, ongoing projects and possibilities of further assistance. On their trip to Southern Ukraine the HIA team assessed the state of public infrastructure such as schools, public institutions and their shelters…
Hungarian Interchurch Aid has been supporting winterization initiatives. Possible by the sponsorship of Christian Aid, HIA’s long-time partner has implemented the window replacement of kindergartens in the township of Pervomai’skyi, where one-third of the population is internally displaced. The most vulnerable have found refuge in the educational institutions supported by the local authorities. Alona still…