FRESH FROM UKRAINE

It's ten weeks ago that I first arrived at Przemysl, the town in Poland just a few kilometres from the Ukraine border and one of the main crossing points for Ukrainian women and children fleeing from Russian aggression. At that time Russian forces were advancing on Kyiv and cities like Kharkiv were being occupied. I spent many, many hours at the town's railway station providing  exhausted, traumatised women and their children with basic needs - food, medicines, clothing and a place to pause and rest, before helping them board trains and buses for onward journies to homes and refuges in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Moldavia and in a small number of cases the UK. Returning to the same station two weeks ago was a real surprise. The station was relatively quiet, traveller numbers much as normal but with the main activity being women and children returning to western Ukraine. Talking to some it became clear that they now saw western Ukraine as relatively safe and for those that still had homes intact  they just wanted to get back. All were grateful for the immediate refuge that countries had given them but most had not settled and were finding it difficult to adapt to a lack of work, little money, language challenges and living conditions which had often been cramped with little privacy and shared facilities - particularly so for those who had not moved on from communal living in refuges. Moreover, most just wanted to be back with their fellow citizens, supporting one another, and as one person said ' I just want to clean my city up and start to rebuild'. 

The aim of my trip this time was to cross into Ukraine and base myself in the city of Lviv  Here I already knew of places that needed help but also I wanted to meet up with some of my contacts who have been helping me to identify the most important needs and to reach out with aid to those who were most in need of help. The Foreign Office advice is that travel to Ukraine should not be undertaken, it is still a war zone and Lviv itself had been hit with a missile strike just three days before my trip. One woman I met described how she had watched a cruise missile fly overhead and hit a railway power plant. It says much for both the capability and the resilience of the Ukrainians that although the strike took out all of the power, it was back up and running within six days. With this as background I did a lot of pre-planning to ensure I had risk assessed what it was I intended to do and that I had in place sensible measures to enable me to respond quickly to any changing situation. This included having a strong network of local Ukranians,  good intelligence from well placed sources on the ground and most importantly I travelled with a friend who has a police background and is part of a small charity called Edinburgh Direct Aid and we had planned and approached this trip together. 

Perhaps the most edgy part of the whole trip was the railway journey from Przemysl to Lviv. The train was due to depart at 5pm for the hour and a half journey on a sleeper train which was heading for Odessa. It was the day before the big Russian Victory parade and everyone was tense and worried that Putin would do something dramatic. There was talk of him declaring war and hitting the major cities and infrastructure with missiles so security was especially tight. The train eventually departed when it was dark and we were crammed into tiny sleeping cabins. An hour into the trip the train halted for border checks. As we were foreigners our documents were checked and we were questioned by border guards, armed soldiers and Ukranian intelligence before the train got going again. In the end it took five and a half hours to complete the 60 mile journey and we arrived at  Lviv railway station almost an hour after the curfew had started! 

Lviv is a most beautiful city with stunning architecture, plazas and many parks and green spaces. Despite the conflict it was vibrant and bustling with people defiantly getting on with their lives. Although you could always sense a slight tension, the city felt safe and people filled the cafes and bars in the evening until the 10 pm curfew when all had to be inside. 

So what did we achieve? First call was a Ukranian charity I have been working with remotely from Cornwall. For security reasons I cannot elaborate too much but led by an impressive man who normally works as part of the city's team responsible for the preservation of historic buildings, the charity is focused on getting vital aid to some of the most difficult places. Currently it is getting supplies to the south and eastern regions, Kherson, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovk. We had already purchased a large quantity of basic drugs that were relatively easy to get hold of - analgesics, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterials and antibiotics and these given to be included in larger consignments of aid about to go out to the east. Most importantly we were able to sit with the team and get a good understanding of priorities and with this detail are better informed to be able to understand and respond to changing priorities.  It is clear that whilst there are a great deal of medical supplies going into Ukraine, much more is needed particularly for critical care - combat tourniquets, burn and sterile bandages, central venous access devices and IV systems for blood and transfusions. But there is also a need for routine medicines which those trapped under fire or unable to move area due to their conditions require - things like antibiotics, insulin, blood pressure tablets, asthma treatments, thyroxine, anti-inflammatories, anti-bacterials and insulin. Anything which requires a prescription is really difficult to source and I have been  trying to source from Germany, Poland and Switzerland as well as trying to get support from the UK. But it is also complex to move medicines across borders. Progress is slow and delay costs lives so I am committed to finding better ways to source and deliver medicines and medical equipment.

Whilst this charity was based in the city itself, there were other places we wanted to get aid which were outside the city. We were able to source a vehicle for this but the real challenge was the availability fuel. The Russians  destroyed major fuel depots in one of their recent raids and so fuel is being delivered by tankers and this means it is in very short and supplies irregular. We soon realised that the lack of fuel would be a major hurdle to us moving too far out to deliver aid. With fuel coming in erratically and usually overnight we  became adept at using apps to identify where fuel might be before joining queues lasting 2-3 hours to get the 20 litres permitted. Our first journey took us to Skole a town about 120 kms south of Lviv. As soon as we left the city we were reminded that we were operating in a conflict zone as defences were strong particularly around towns, bridges and vital infrastructure. We had to pass through numerous checkpoints where armed soldiers conducted checks. Our destination in Skole was the Krystnopil Palace, an historic mansion set in the forest and now in a serious state of dilapidation. Despite this it is currently being used as a refuge for women and children, most of whom have arrived from the Dombas. Although a German charity has installed power and an electric boiler the conditions are poor. Currently there are 55 people living there and state rooms have been turned into dormitories with camp beds slowly being replaced by permanent beds as funds become available. Walls are damp, with mortar and paint falling and floors are insecure and in places shored up with braces. 

There seemed little for the children to do and we both felt a sense of despair and bleakness, more so after we had spoken with a woman who had recently arrived from the  village of Serebriznka in the Donetsh Oblast with her three grand daughters. She told us how she and her family had lived for 35 days under the constant barrage of Russian mortars and artillery and how her home had been destroyed for the second time - she had lost her first home in the Dombas in 2014 when it also fell to Russian mortars. Our Ukrainian partner translated as she cried, 'my life is over, I have nowhere to go, no home, no hope'. Having realised the extend of support the refuge needed we returned two days later with foods, medicines, toys and games for the children, and sets of bedding to replace old blankets and sleeping bags.

Our next aid drop was to another shelter for displaced women and children. At the beginning of the current conflict this provided temporary accommodation for around 700 but currently houses around 120. The shelter is based in a vocational training school and its need for aid was flagged by a Ukranian charity we partnered with. The school usually provides diploma courses in subjects such as electrical and mechanical engineering, catering and fashion but currently these are on hold. Many of the staff are supporting the war effort and we were witness to staff from the fashion department sewing camouflage kit for use by soldiers in the front line. 

Again conditions for those sheltering are very basic with families sharing just one room. We were witness to crowded conditions as  mothers with often three or more children and pets cram into a room the size of a small office. 

The charity 'World Kitchen' is providing some meals to the families but the centre relies heavily on volunteers and donations. Those living there do not wish to leave Ukraine but have lost their homes in the bombing and artillery attacks in the east.  There are also some families who have returned from the countries they had escaped to because they had not settled. We focused our support here on essential items such as  basic medicines,  food  especially fresh vegetables and fruit which have been in short supply, diapers, cleaning products and toiletries - the essentials of living.

                                                                                                           

Our final journey was 120 kms north to the Volyn Oblast region and to an orthodox convent which in part has been turned into an orphanage by the nuns who live here. Another part of the complex is being used as a  shelter for families who have fled eastern Ukraine. At it's peak over 200 families were housed here but  now it has just a handful of families and twenty children who have all lost their parents in the conflict. 

The day before our journey north Belarus had activated its southern units and intelligence reports were warning of 'false flag' operations, as a result security was stepped up on the route and we were stopped at checkpoints where soldiers were alert to Russian infiltration. Our car and supplies were checked and we relied heavily on 'Google Translate' to communicate our intentions to the soldiers . As before the convent relies heavily on people donating food and other needs especially at the current time when its gardens have yet to produce food. We were able to provide a large delivery of food and also toys, colouring books, crayons and games for the children. 

What Next?

From the very beginning my aim has been to raise funds to provide as much support as I can in places which are most in need. I had anticipated that the large international aid organisations would be on the ground providing for the majority but despite the generous public support for these and the DEC it is not obvious where or if they are operating. There are however a number of small NGOs, charities and volunteers doing some really great work, mostly in western Ukraine. The challenge at the moment is to get to some of the places that are harder to reach. Fuel shortages, damaged infrastructure, mines and discarded, unstable munitions make it quite difficult to operate in some of the areas further south and east that I would like to get aid to but the time will come when this becomes a more achievable ambition. There are also challenges around sourcing some essential needs, particularly drugs and medical equipment for emergency critical care. The implications of BREXIT also weigh heavily and make things much more difficult with customs paperwork and import duties.  I am trying to overcome this by sourcing products from within the EU.

 I will continue to operate from Cornwall in the coming weeks by linking up to my networks on the ground in Ukraine and Poland and working to find ways of sourcing some of the critical medical requirements. When the time is right and I can get to the areas where there are gaps in the provision of aid I will return to Ukraine to work with partners and get supplies in. I can only do this if I have funds and I am hugely grateful to the many, many people who have, and continue to contribute to my Crowdfunder. There are so many of you and I am cautious about singling out individuals  as you are all stars but maybe a 'shout out' to my local village and to those in Millbrook and the surrounding area who have got behind me especially Jackie Robinson with her silent yoga on the beach and all of you who took part and donated,  and to Sarah Payne, of Silent Discomania Cornwall' who provided equipment  Also to Cawsand Congregational Church,  Millbrook All Saints Church , and Millbrook School for their donations. And I must mention Phillip Serrell, the auctioneer and TV presenter of programmes such as 'Antiques Road Trip'. Phil and I were both PE students at Loughborough and a group of us still keep in touch. He kindly hosted a charity auction at the Haselbury Mill Hotel near Crewkerne in Somerset which raised a big sum for the appeal so thank you to him and all of those who supported the event, especially the hotel's owner Roger Bastable and his staff who managed the event.  You will know from my previous report that I was hoping to start Ukraine1st as a charity and move my fundraising efforts there. Regrettably the Charity Commission has rejected my application because it is not encouraging new charities for Ukraine and it requires security and personnel exit strategies that it is just not possible for a small charity to meet. I mentioned above that I worked with a friend from the charity Edinburgh Direct Aid during my recent trip and I am now in discussions with them to see if we might be able to agree a partnership which would allow me to fundraise through their charity. This would mean all donations would benefit from Gift Aid currently worth an additional 25%. For the meantime I intend to keep the Crowdfunder open so please if you know of people or organisations who would like to support Ukraine and my work then give them the details: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ukraine1st.

Finally thank you to the Ukrainian people. They lift my heart and spirit. The whole nation has come together with a single purpose -  to defeat Russia and regain their country. They are all utterly committed to one another and there is an overwhelming sense of sacrifice; Krystna the world biathlon champion, who has set aside her sport and instead is using her rifle as a member of the Territorial Defence Force; Olga who I met on the train to Ukraine, she was travelling back to Lviv to attend the funeral of her brother who had been killed in Mariupol. When I offered my condolences she replied that the whole family was proud of him, that he had 'given his life for Ukraine and if need be so will we.' With the whole nation mobilised to defeat Russia, the line between civilian and soldier has never been more blurred,  untrained civilians taking up arms to defend their homeland and families,  academics, businesses, hospitals and the supply train all with the single goal of ensuring an independent nation no matter the cost.  But the price is high and we have all seen the harrowing images on our screens and social media and heard the desperate stories of of the rape, torture and murder of innocent civilians. The Ukrainians are not just fighting for their own survival, they are fighting for the freedom of us all, for the very values that make us human. Their determination, sacrifice and  shared common purpose is deeply moving and they deserve all the support and love we can give them.