I heard more cracking sounds and people screaming. Everyone was panicking and we didn’t know where to run to or how to get help.
We haven’t received this kind of help from anyone else
We’re providing hot meals in special heating points in tents, different buildings and schools
Your donations will help reach vulnerable people fleeing war, poverty and natural disasters.
Pray for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world.
Iryna had to flee her hometown when the invasion of Ukraine began
With your support, our local partners continue to stand alongside our sisters and brothers in Ukraine, providing life-saving assistance such as shelter, food and blankets.
Tuesday 24 February marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sadly, it is civilians like Iryna who are experiencing the harshest impact of the war, with 2025 marking the deadliest year for civilians.
Imagine you flee your hometown to find safety. You start a new life with your daughter and grandson, you get a job and begin to settle into a new normality. But one quiet weekday morning, you’re thrown into danger once again. This was the reality for Iryna.
“I was getting ready for work when there was a flash and a loud crack. I ran immediately, and all the animals started running too. My dog was hit by the shrapnel," Iryna said.
You were there to help when Iryna’s family home was destroyed. She reached out for support to CAFOD's local partner, Depaul, and they acted quickly.
“My daughter and I began contacting public services. We were referred to Depaul Ukraine. About a week later, workers came to our home and took measurements. The next week, they installed windows in our kitchen and bathroom,” Iryna explained.
At the time of writing, Russia occupies roughly 20 per cent of Ukraine and continues to push for Ukraine to hand over large areas of territory.
Three-way peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are underway as fighting continues. The discussions, held in Abu Dhabi, are focused on ending the war, but there have been no significant breakthroughs at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, civilians continue to be severely affected. Vital energy infrastructure across Ukraine has been targeted and destroyed, leaving hundreds of thousands of families without fuel to heat their homes or cook hot meals.
Russia is exploiting Ukraine’s harsh winter by crippling power supplies in major cities. Temperatures have dropped to -20°C. Imagine trying to stay warm without heating in these freezing conditions.
Due to this, many homes have become uninhabitable as Ukraine faces its worst energy crisis since the conflict began four years ago. At the heart of this crisis, our sisters and brothers are struggling to keep warm.
Svitlana's home was left badly damaged after a shell attack
Svitlana told us how losing gas and electricity made it extremely difficult to stay warm. Her family urgently needed firewood to heat their home and cook meals.
"We lived under occupation, then under shelling. Our home was badly damaged and many of our dogs died. Those were very hard times, as we lived without gas and without electricity," Svitlana said.
Thanks to your donations, our local partner Depaul was able to provide her family with life-changing firewood and a generator.
“Now, Depaul [our local partner] brings us firewood. For us, this is vital and an immense help, because we need it to live and to survive. We are grateful to Depaul both for the generator and for the firewood,” Svitlana added.
You are helping families caught in this conflict survive these freezing temperatures as energy supplies become increasingly scarce. Your support is reaching people at a time when many feel forgotten and alone.
Our local partners are running urgent heating points during freezing temperatures. We are working alongside multiple local experts across Ukraine that are tirelessly helping families survive these harsh conditions.
Tetiana Stawnychy, president of Caritas Ukraine
With your support, our local partner Depaul is working with displaced families and people experiencing homelessness because of the conflict. They provide food, shelter, legal advice and psychological support (mental health help) for those living with the trauma of war. They also distribute hot meals, blankets and repair windows destroyed by shelling so that families can stay warm in their houses.
A better world needs all of us. You are helping our local partners deliver life-saving support to families facing another freezing winter. Please continue to keep Iryna, Svitlana and families like them in your prayers.
