Winterization

The cold winter is returning and will make it so much harder for the affected population to confront the consequences of the war in the liberated or former front line areas, in the form of widespread damage and destruction.
Nevertheless people have been returning in steady numbers to their homes and communities. The urge to return home is strong but the challenges of living in damaged houses lacking reliable electricity supply even after 18 months can be daunting. In the more extreme cases this means no warmth, no light, no power and no water supply.

The aim of the winterization program [last winter] was to supply each village with a [large] generator in order to enable people to cook and warm up food and charge their flash lights in the meeting points in last winter.

We also provided a regular distribution of candles, flash lights, sleeping bags and warm clothes, stoves and fuel.

It was a tough 18 month for the Ukraine. The humanitarian situation in the villages and towns in the most affected areas can still be very confronting. The summer alleviated some of the most pressing challenges to an extent but the advent of winter will see the return of dire circumstances.
Many people do not have financial means to relocate, many have elderly parents that they cannot leave behind, many just have nowhere to go. So people stayed in the villages. Or have run out of money and have felt that they had no choice but to return to their homes. Many of which have been damaged. Some severely to the point of destruction.

The issues with electricity supply is partially ongoing. Artillery and rocket fire resulted in power lines being damaged damaged and at the moment repair services cannot restore electricity in some areas due to regular shelling.
Some communities have not had power for over 18 months. This means that some cannot even pump drinking water.

New Dawn is making sure that each village in the region it covers has access to a power-generator in order to at least enable them to charge their flash lights and pump water.
Also we are constantly working on providing stoves and fuel to each household as the woods and fields in the area are still heavily mined.

Warm clothes, shoes and blankets remain an urgent need as well as protection against the freezing cold.