The crisis centre opened in the Troieshchyna district is the first of three crisis centres to be opened in Kyiv with Estonian funding. It offers people round-the-clock access to warmth, the ability to charge small devices, and access to drinking water, the internet, as well as hot drinks and light food. Each crisis centre can support an estimated 120 people per day, around half of whom are minors and one fifth elderly. The crisis centers are established in cooperation with Mondo’s partner organization, Dobrobat.
“Having failed to achieve success on the battlefield, Russia has redirected its efforts towards suppressing the resilience and fighting spirit of Ukraine’s civilian population by attacking energy infrastructure and depriving people of electricity, heating and water. Estonia’s support helps ensure that Russia’s objective is not achieved and that cold and darkness do not break the Ukrainians,” Foreign Minister Tsahkna said.
“This winter is the most difficult of the entire long war for Ukrainians. Years of attacks on energy and municipal infrastructure have brought the whole system close to collapse, meaning that in humanitarian assistance we must now prioritise even the residents of the capital, Kyiv, so that living in cold conditions and without basic necessities does not result in further loss of life. At the same time, people living in frontline regions, internally displaced persons, as well as the education and healthcare systems, continue to need support. The situation is extremely difficult and assistance is needed immediately,” said Triinu Ossinovski, member of the board of Mondo.
In recent months, the Estonian government, together with the private sector, non-governmental organisations and private donors, has acted swiftly to alleviate a situation in Ukraine that is approaching a humanitarian catastrophe.
Last week, Estonia decided to allocate over €400,000 through the strategic humanitarian aid partners of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help Ukrainian residents living without electricity and heating survive the coldest winter of the past 16 years.
Of this support, €121,980 was allocated to NGO Mondo to establish three mobile crisis centres in residential districts of Kyiv; €150,000 to the Estonian Refugee Council to support evacuation and transit centres with generators and fuel supplies; and €136,122 will be allocated to the Estonian Rescue Association to procure equipment for four winter emergency points being established by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU). In addition, Eesti Energia is supporting Ukraine with mobile generators.
Yesterday, Estonia’s foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, officially opened two completed construction projects: a bomb shelter at an emergency centre for at-risk children and housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Read more.
