When it's impossible to stay anymore
How philanthropic help becomes a support for people after evacuation
"We came with nothing. All we had were the clothes on our backs."
This is how Vira Fedorova remembers the moment when she evacuated from Vovchansk with her mother and sister.
That day, the bus with the evacuees arrived in Kharkiv late in the evening. Among those who arrived was Larysa Kovalevska. She was worried about her husband, who was in the hospital at that moment after being seriously injured.
Vira Fedorova and Larysa Kovalevska with other evacuees
For many evacuees, this day began at home and ended in another city - far from their usual lives.
The decision to evacuate is rarely an easy one. Even when explosions are heard nearby, people often stay until the last moment.
They don't want to leave the home they've invested years of work into, say goodbye to their neighbors and familiar surroundings. But sometimes there comes a time when there's no choice.
For Vera, the loss of her home in Vovchansk was such a moment.
During the evacuation, Vera was most worried about her mother, who could not move on her own. She had to be carried to the car in her arms.
Vera Fedorova
For Larisa Kovalevska and her husband Mykhailo Khodak, the moment of evacuation came after an explosion near their house in Kupyansk.
That day, Mykhailo was tending the flowerbed near the house, while Larisa was doing household chores.
Mykhailo Khodaka and Larysa Kovalevska
A sudden powerful explosion destroyed everything.
The blast wave threw Mykhailo 50 meters away. Larisa ran out into the street through the smoke and debris, found him seriously injured, and began to rescue him. Mykhailo, as a doctor, instructed his wife on how to stop the bleeding, even though he himself was on the verge of life and death.
An ambulance took Mikhail. He was first taken to Chuguev, where he suffered a cardiac arrest. After stabilization, the man was transferred to Kharkiv Regional Hospital. Three complex surgeries, an induced coma, and long-term rehabilitation, complicated by diabetes, lay ahead.
Kupyansk. Photo: Getty Images
Larisa was left alone in the destroyed Kupyansk.
The house was no longer safe, and Mikhail had months of treatment and recovery ahead of him. She could not leave him alone during this time, so she made the decision to evacuate.
After arriving, people are left alone with questions that still have no answers: where to live, how to arrange their daily lives, how to restore a sense of support and a normal life after losing their home.
Psychological support, conversations, food, hygiene products, medicines, and other necessary things help you survive the first, most difficult weeks after evacuation and focus on recovery.
This helped us not to break down. We couldn't think about tomorrow because we didn't know where we would spend the night or what we would eat. The warm clothes, food, attention, and kind words from people made us feel like we weren't alone.
says Vera
It is at this moment that it is especially important to know that there are people nearby who are ready to support.
When they come to us and bring us everything we need… we feel that we are not abandoned… It gives us the strength not to give up.
Larisa adds
Thanks to the support of benefactors
People who were forced to leave their homes are receiving the necessary assistance and time to gradually recover and adapt to their new lives.
The stories of Vera and Larisa are different, but they are united by a common experience: the moment when home can no longer be a protection, and life must be started anew in completely different conditions.
At such times, support means much more than basic necessities. It gives you time to recover, stabilize, and take the first steps toward rebuilding your life.
Every day they need basic support — housing, food, hygiene kits, and psychological help.
UBA's humanitarian program provides this critical first line of defense at a time when people are most vulnerable.
Grants from international partners allow such initiatives to be launched, but it is the regular support of private donors that ensures their continuity. This means that help can arrive not “sometimes”, but when it is needed every day.
Your contribution is not just material support. It is an opportunity for people to get through the most difficult period and not be left alone with the crisis.
Support the UBA Humanitarian Program with a regular monthly contribution or a one-time donation.
Together we can ensure that no one loses their sense of support when they lose their home.
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