Thanks to our partner Pastor Aleksei and his team who have been delivering more humanitarian aid (food and incontinence products) and comforting those ‘left behind’ in Ukraine, the elderly and vulnerable, who are unable to leave the front-line areas. He writes: ‘…our recent trips, we are dealing with elderly people more and more often, mostly lying and sick. In areas close to the frontier areas, these people do not often receive humanitarian support, the roads here are very difficult to pass through …. But it is this part of the population that is less secure and protected now…. It (our help) is a huge blessing for them.’

Older people are often reluctant or unable to flee their homes and are much more likely to remain in areas where there is active fighting. Some are unable to move due to limited mobility; others chose not to flee when the fighting grew closer. All hope against hope that they will not be attacked. Often, they are separated from families who have fled to safer areas to protect their children.

Already at risk, older people in Ukraine will die earlier than they would have done in times of peace as Russian missiles have destroyed health care facilities and there is a lack of medicines. Many older people are suffering from untreated urinary tract infections, concussions, reduced hearing because of shockwaves and explosions, poor mobility because of lack of movement or amputations following limb damage, and severe bronchitis and pneumonia after spending days in a freezing apartment or basement without windows. Many have mental health problems due to prolonged periods of isolation at home and the loss of human connection – family, friends and neighbours. Sadly, for some elderly people, this is not their first war and they have already suffered physically and emotionally during the Second World War or the first Russian invasion of 2014 and the ongoing war in Donbass 2014-2022.

Rents have soared since the war began and, with pensions in Ukraine well below the poverty line, many older people have no choice and are moved into state institutions. Those who stay in their own homes now live in partially destroyed houses with leaking roofs, smashed windows, no electricity or heating and no shops nearby…often surrounded by rubble and looking out over scenes of terrible destruction.

 We rely on the generosity of our supporters in the UK and elsewhere throughout the world to keep sending funds to our partners like Aleksei to enable them to continue their life saving work in Ukraine.

If you can donate (either one-off or regular payment), please follow the link above, to the donations page.

If you would like to support Pastor Aleksei in this ministry, please reference your donation: HEART.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and support. God bless you.

Written by Melanie Gray, DHM Trustee