Six months since Russia's invasion, international development agency Christian Aid is warning millions of Ukrainians face a bleak winter in temporary shelters and damaged homes.
Christian Aid is working at full speed to help people get through the cold months when temperatures can plunge to -20C.
Alongside its local partners and other charities, the programme for winter includes insulating shelters, restoring toilet and shower blocks and handing out cash, food, blankets, toiletries and other essentials to support 57,000 people.
Christian Aid CEO Patrick Watt, who visited Ukraine in June, said:
"Thanks to the unprecedented generosity of the British people, Christian Aid is helping local people to take the lead in tackling their own priorities.
"This has included grants to make temporary accommodation more resilient to the cold and delivering food and vital drugs, for example to people living with HIV.
"But with disrupted power, freezing temperatures lie ahead for conflict hit Ukrainians already struggling with trauma and a lack of medical treatment. We must do more, and quickly.
"One helpful measure would be for the Ukrainian government to lift the tax on humanitarian aid. We urge the UK government to use its relationships in Kyiv to achieve this. We want to complement state activities -- not replace them."
"On our part, we must also ensure that the humanitarian sector improves how it operates. The more those most affected can oversee their own recovery then the more of they are empowered to shape their future."
Money to help Ukrainians survive winter can be donated to Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal - Christian Aid.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Interviews -- live or pre-recorded can be arranged on request with Christian Aid humanitarian workers who have been working in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
- Patrick Watt, CEO Christian Aid
- Karen McDonnell, Global Programme Accountability
Background - In the first state-on-state land war in Europe in 70 years, millions of people across Ukraine are facing a humanitarian crisis.
The UK public has donated more than £350 million in unprecedented numbers both to Christian Aid's own appeal and to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
Christian Aid has scaled up to respond rapidly and effectively to spend donations - initially through the ACT Alliance already operating in Ukraine and now local partners.
As a result, we are supporting and bringing hope to thousands of Ukrainians by donating money to respond to a wide range of needs.
That includes the restoration of shelters, toilet and shower blocks and handing out cash, food, blankets, toiletries, and other essentials to support 57,000 people. Cash distribution means Ukrainians can decide locally for themselves what are their priorities. Our aid focus is on marginalised groups, such as the frail and elderly.
Medical Supplies Case Study - In Ukraine, Christian Aid has provided medical supplies including 9,000 first aid and trauma kits to frontline health centres through its partner Crown Agents to support the treatment of civilians caught up in fighting.
The kits contain medical items to treat those badly wounded and to prevent catastrophic loss of blood including bandages, tourniquets, chest seals and foil blankets and have gone to frontline areas in the North (Sumy, Chernihiv), East (Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk), South (Kherson, Mykolaiv) and Kyiv.
Crown Agents has also supplied the Ukrainian Ministry of Health with critical medical equipment including nearly 800 oxygen concentrators, 34 infant incubators, 1,000 lifesaving respiratory drugs for babies, 10,000 thermal polyfoil blankets and 3,100 thermal blankets.
Other case studies and aid delivery through our partners available on request.