"The Salesians will never turn their backs on the people who suffer because of this war, which unfortunately is not about to stop and continues to cause innocent victims" explained Fr Mykhaylo Chaban, Superior of the Salesian Mary Help of Christians Vice-Province of the Greek Catholic rite. After all these months of open war, there are more than 17.6 million people in Ukraine who need emergency aid to survive. According to international agencies, the war has already left more than 5.1 million internally displaced people and more than six million refugees worldwide.
Alarms and bombs continue to be daily life for millions of people who suffer because of this war. The Salesian Mission Office based in Madrid, Misiones Salesianas, is supporting children who continue to receive an education in Zhytomir and Lviv, where it finances a school and a youth centre. Thanks to this, almost 300 children have the opportunity to continue going to school, but above all to have a safe space where they can learn, play and feel protected. Education in emergencies is even more central than usual, and for children it is a true life-saving tool. That is why it is important that Salesian schools in Ukraine remain open.
In addition to education, the Salesians continue to work to offer humanitarian aid to the displaced, as in the case of the project of the Mariapolis citadel set up in Lviv, where more than 1,000 people live who receive care, food, access to health care... But also in other parts of the country. Missionaries continue to travel to eastern cities, such as Novohyhorivka, where they are committed to responding to the needs of the civilian population left in their homes. “We want to bring aid as close as possible to the Russian border, where most villages are devastated, homes are destroyed, and people live in overcrowded shelters. There is a lot of need, and thanks to the solidarity that reaches us from all over the world, we can go to these areas and offer food, water...", explains Fr Jozef Nuckowski, one of the Salesians who still goes to these places.
To this situation must be added, again this year, the problem of the cold. For this reason, the Salesians are working on preparations to respond to the needs arising from the cold. Misiones Salesianas, for their part, have already allocated 100,000 euro worth of aid to be sent to alleviate these needs: blankets, heating, air conditioners, warm clothes...
The needs are still many and great, but Salesian solidarity will continue until peace arrives in Ukraine, and even beyond.
