Ukraine: Reflection on three years of war

Anka visits one of the Depaul Ukraine projects

Source: Depaul International

Anka Skoryk, Interim CEO, Depaul Ukraine looks back on the last three years of the war on Ukraine during which time she lost her own home and had to take refuge in the local church.

Anka writes: When the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine began three years ago today, I woke in my home in Kharkiv to the sound of missile explosions and quickly sheltered in the basement of my local church. I was joined by over 100 others, families sheltering with their children and many, like me, with their pets by their sides. Over the next few days, together we listened to the sound of explosions above, uncertain about what the future held, and we wondered if our lives were coming to an end.

On the sixth day, I received the call I had been dreading. A missile had hit my house, which had set on fire and been completely destroyed.

Since 2007 I have been working with Ukrainian NGO, Depaul Ukraine, supporting thousands of people experiencing homelessness, including children sleeping on the streets of Kharkiv with nowhere to go. Yet nothing could have prepared me for the shock of losing my own home. The ceiling had collapsed inwards, the vast, blue sky contrasting sharply with the darkened ashes of my belongings. Remarkably, amongst the rubble, two teacups and a tea pot remained intact. It was all that was left of the place I had called home.

During the first year of the war, the impact of shelling on Kharkiv, just 30km from the Russian border, was so vast that it became known as the city without windows. If I had been told five years ago that my hometown would undergo such destruction, I never would have believed it. Sadly, my experience is not unique. Since the outbreak of the war, over two million households have been destroyed or damaged. Over 3.5 million people have been internally displaced.

Back in 2022, with so many people now in need and after supporting those who had lost their homes for decades, I was compelled to act. A response from the Depaul Group - the group of international homelessness charities that Depaul Ukraine is a part of - was never in doubt.

Helped by a small army of those using our homeless shelter and students across the city, we began by distributing food, hygiene materials and firewood. As the war became protracted, our services quickly expanded to provide more than humanitarian aid. To prevent those impacted by war from becoming homeless, we developed new programmes, including mental health services for veterans, hostels and accommodation for those displaced, and employment support. In 2007, Depaul's work began with one small minivan in Kharkiv. Now, our work reaches over 100,000 people a year across the whole country.

Despite the war causing a rise in homelessness, support for people sleeping on the streets in Ukraine remains scarce. Our recent research found that 22% accessing our rough sleeping services had been displaced due to the war, yet street homeless people in Ukraine are functionally excluded from almost all forms of assistance they need. The most frequent response was 'none' when we asked people what support they have received from other organisations.

We also know how conflict impacts mental health, levels of addiction and can heighten the risk of relationship breakdown - all drivers of homelessness. Often, people will face many of these issues and then experience the trauma of being exposed to violence whilst sleeping rough. For women, violence is sadly common, with four-fifths of women saying they have experienced violence on the street.

Prior to the war, just 0.3% of Ukraine's population were living in social housing. As the war enters its fourth year, and the rise in the complexities of homelessness becomes widespread across Ukraine, long-term, housing-led solutions are needed.

Next month in Odesa, we are preparing to open one of the only women's housing projects for rough sleepers in the country. Everyone will receive a home of their own, in a rented apartment in the community. Tailored support will address the specific vulnerabilities of women, particularly around gender-based violence, and will provide them with a secure, dignified home, where they can rebuild their confidence and be supported to exit homelessness.

Everyday, I speak to people in the most difficult, unimaginable circumstances. Mothers who after being displaced have had to tell their children that their father has been killed fighting on the front line. People who have seen their homes and belongings completely destroyed. We must all do more to help those who have had to give up so much. More social housing programmes are urgently needed in Ukraine, as government and civil society rebuilds our country.

As we mark three years of war today, I think back to the crockery set amongst the ruins of my home, and the sense of hope this gave me despite the destruction. Across Ukraine, this feeling of hope for a new life remains palpable. We just need to be innovative, ambitious and determined if we are to achieve it.

LINK

Depaul International: www.int.depaulcharity.org