ONE in three people displaced by the war in Ukraine remain in urgent need of humanitarian aid, charities have warned on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, on Monday.
An estimated 3.6 million people have been internally displaced in Ukraine, while 6.5 million people have fled the country to find safety elsewhere: 90 per cent of the refugees are women and children. Vital infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, has been destroyed in parts of the country. Conditions are worst along the eastern and southern frontlines.
Children are traumatised, and suffering from a lack of food and disrupted education, World Vision reports. An estimated 659 children have been killed in three years, and 1747 injured. “The emotional burden faced by Ukrainian children cannot be overlooked,” its Operations Director, Arman Grigoryan, said.
Hanna, a mother of two from Dnipro, said: “We see death. We see destruction every day. There’s too much pain and sorrow. Teachers try to distract them by playing games. It’s more psychological torture. Children have to deal with so much unpredictability every day.”
The Roman Catholic aid agency CAFOD is supporting partners on the ground to repair homes and offer humanitarian aid. Mobile teams are driving out to frontline areas to reach the most vulnerable communities, offering psychological aid as well as practical support.
Russia launched its largest-ever drone strike on Ukraine on the eve of the anniversary, as preparations were reported to be under way for the US President, Donald Trump, to meet, face-to-face, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to discuss a peace deal. The exclusion of a Ukrainian representative from the roundtable talks has sparked international outcry.
Last week, Russian and US representatives had met in Saudi Arabia, where they agreed to start work towards ending the war and improving diplomatic and economic ties, in a radical reversal of US foreign policy towards Russia.
The UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, are due to fly to Washington for separate talks with President Trump this week.
The general-secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Revd Professor Jerry Pillay, welcomed “legitimate” dialogue and negotiations for peace, but said that Ukraine must be present at the table.
AlamyThe Bishop of London was among religious leaders who attended an interfaith service in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London on Monday, to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion
“The WCC welcomes any legitimate effort that genuinely seeks a sustainable peace in the region, without simply rewarding the aggression that has been perpetrated and the violation of so many principles of international law established in the aftermath of the Second World War to protect the vulnerable against the depredations of the powerful.”
He continued: “The legitimacy of any such peace process is ultimately contingent upon the inclusion of the victim of this aggression at the table of negotiations and decision-making.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew of Constantinople, officiated at a liturgy in Istanbul on Sunday. He said in his sermon: “Ukraine’s sovereignty is not up for debate, nor can it be negotiated under the guise of diplomacy.” He praised the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his “tireless effort”.
The Pope, from his hospital bed in Rome, asked the Vatican to release an address in which he described the third anniversary as a “painful and shameful occasion for all humanity”. He renewed his solidarity with “martyred Ukraine”.
An interfaith service, attended by the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, was held in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London to mark the anniversary on Monday. Liverpool and Coventry Cathedrals were among those to hold special services. On Tuesday evening, Southwark Cathedral hosted a Songs for Ukraine concert.
