Humanitarian Aid and Development Help
in Roma Settlements in the Zakarpattia
Region in Ukraine

A project providing humanitarian support in the locations of Mukachevo, Perechyn, and Zarichovo in western Ukraine implemented from 29. 9. 2022 to 30. 4. 2023.

The project was funded by the Choose Love foundation based in Great Britain, under the auspices of the Prism - The Gift Fund foundation.

The aim of the project was to contribute to the stabilization and improvement of the living situation of Roma communities in the above-mentioned locations through the distribution of humanitarian aid. It was primarily about assistance in securing basic life necessities, alleviating hunger, assistance in heating, improving access to drinking water, and so on. Another goal of the project was to help people directly in the locality where they live and thus prevent a mass refugee crisis that would further worsen the situation of these communities. Last but not least, it was also about building a relationship of trust with people in these communities.

Who was the project intended for?

The most needy groups from the given locations. Targeting and organizing aid was possible thanks to the involvement of local collaborators. As part of regular humanitarian aid deliveries, periodic evaluations of needs in individual locations were also carried out so that the aid could flexibly respond to the real situation on the ground.

What the project offered:

The basis of the project was the periodic distribution of humanitarian aid every two weeks over a period of seven months. The core of the humanitarian aid consisted of food packages, winter clothing, but also meeting specific needs, such as a wheelchair, and so on. During the Russian aggression, there is intentional destruction of critical infrastructure in Ukraine, so the distribution also included generators, as in some locations access to drinking water is dependent on pumps powered by electricity, which was available only for limited hours per day.