Ukraine, a year without peace

At dawn on February 24, 2022, the sky turned a different color than every morning. The five o’clock calm immediately ended with sirens announcing the first bombings in Ukraine. Thus began Europe’s fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II.

That day, the life of Svetlana, an 83-year-old woman, completely changed. His home has changed from sanctuary to refuge.

“My house is very beautiful, it is big and beautiful”He continued. “During all these years, she has always been very calm; then war broke out. I was alone in the house. It was horrible. I could have hidden in the basement, but because of my knee problem, I could go down but not go up.”recount.

When Svetlana closes her eyes, she can still see the flowers growing in the garden of her home in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. “I love plants and flowers, I have lots of tulips. I also have a lot of lilies; They are as tall as a person.” commented.

Let’s imagine having to leave our home, our customs and our family at any moment, without taking anything with us, fleeing towards an uncertain destination, with fears, doubts, thousands of questions in our heads. Not knowing if one day we will be able to return.

Armed conflict and violence today represent the largest cause of forced displacement in the world, which once again demonstrates the critical situation of this humanitarian emergency. Svetlana’s story is one of the most 14 million stories of refugees and people displaced by war in Ukraine. This figure includes 8 million refugees who have crossed the border in search of safety, mainly women, girls and boys, and 5.9 million who are internally displaced.

“I have lived all my life in Mykolaiv, with my husband. We built a house, we shared a long life and a long marriage: 62 years.”says Svetlana, who never imagined having to leave the home she shared with her husband for more than 60 years.

The consequences of an emergency of these dimensions are endless: children deprived of their parents who, by law, if they are old enough to enlist, cannot leave the country; adolescents who had to leave their schools and their friends; women fleeing in an uncertain direction, accompanied by their sons and daughters, and a growing and worrying proportion of children unaccompanied or separated from their families.

A la violence por los enfrentamientos se le suman, el clima adverso, la destrucción causada por los attacks a la infraestructura civil y los prolongados cortes de suministro de luz, agua y gas que dificultan todavía más la vida de las personas que aún permanecen dentro del Country.

UNHCR has been working in Ukraine and neighboring countries since day one to protect and assist people who have been forced to flee. Given the rapidity with which the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is evolving, UNHCR is working with the authorities, other UN agencies, community groups of displaced people and partners to provide humanitarian assistance. So far, it has helped 4.3 million people inside Ukraine, including internally displaced people and war-affected communities.

To reach Berlin, her final destination, Svetlana had to travel 150 kilometers from Mykolaiv to Odessa and, finally, from the Palanca border post to the Republic of Moldova. There, they met the UNHCR and its partners. Svetlana was surprised and relieved by the hospitality when they received them. “Know? I never imagined seeing so much organization. People were very happy. The volunteers made us feel very welcome. They helped us with our luggage, put them on a bus, then invited us under a tent to grab a snack and wash our hands,” he said. “In this difficult time, when many people need help, the quality of the services offered is excellent.”

Sitting in her wheelchair, she enjoys the sun and the song of the birds. “Without a doubt I would like to be in my country, but neither the situation nor my health allow it”he added. “The most important thing is that no one shoots at us, so that we can sleep peacefully,” he concludes.

Svetlana hasn’t seen her tall lilies like people have for 365 days, 365 days of nostalgia for her garden full of tulips, her neighborhood, her family, her home. However, she, like so many other Ukrainians, still hopes that peace will bloom again in her country.

Svetlana and more than 14 million Ukrainians who fled for their lives They need your urgent support and from Argentina it is possible to help them through FUNDACIONACNUR.ORG. This urgency requires the whole of society to get involved in order to bring direct aid and peace to Ukrainians. We can make this tragedy an opportunity for all, to get involved, to change lives, because peace is urgent and it needs all of us.

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