After more than three years of full-scale war in Ukraine, there are still places where human suffering and the need for help are not abstract concepts – they are a daily reality.
Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions remain areas where explosions still echo, where homes lie in ruins, and where thousands of lives have been reduced to a struggle for the basics: shelter, clean water, hygiene, and safety. It is here that the project “Humanitarian Aid for Affected Cities and Places of Displacement in Ukraine” is being implemented – now in its third phase as part of the DECIII initiative. This is more than just aid distribution; it is a systemic effort to support people facing incredibly difficult circumstances.
This project is aimed at helping: vulnerable families, internally displaced persons facing interruptions in water and electricity supply, conflict-affected households, returnees to partially destroyed towns, families who have lost everything. Through a transparent registration system, they receive essential non-food items-restoring a sense of normalcy and dignity to their lives.
At the same time, the project helps local communities stay functional.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, two temporary accommodation centers for displaced people are being restored. These are not large-scale renovations, but targeted efforts to install new windows which are frequently shattered by shelling or haven’t been replaced in decades. New windows will help retain heat and prepare the buildings for the cold season.
In the Mykolaiv region, two new community laundries are being established — not out of convenience, but out of necessity. For hundreds of families, they are the only way to maintain basic hygiene amid ongoing water and power outages. This is about dignity, which must not be lost – even in times of war. “We often hear the word ‘support’, but you only truly understand what it means when you look into the eyes of someone who has lost their home,” shares Yana Voloshyna, Project Manager at the Charity Organization ‘SSS’. “For some, it’s the chance to wash clothes after weeks without running water. For others, it’s a place where they can once again feel safe. We do this not out of duty – but because it’s about people, first and foremost.”
The “Humanitarian Aid for Affected Cities and Places of Displacement in Ukraine” project is implemented by the Stabilization Support Services Charitable Foundation in partnership with the international humanitarian organization CARE, with financial support from the Disasters Emergency Committee (UK) and the people of the United Kingdom (UK Aid).
