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News
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Ukrainian Community Press Releases |
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News
from and about Ukraine & Ukrainians
Ukrainian Community Press Releases |
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Dear Friends, I never thought I'd be fighting the aftermath of the flood with my computer, but that seems to be the current situation. The results have been tremendous. If you are receiving this it means that you've contacted me to find out how you can help. I've received over 150 e-mails (from Ukraine, the US, Canada, Russia, Denmark, Hungary, and Poland) in the last week from people who want to assist us with our post flood humanitarian efforts. This e-mail, will hopefully serve to pass along information about ways in which you can help. Counterpart Humanitarian Assistance Program (CHAP) in Kyiv is coordinating a large shipment of Aid which will greatly help our communities in Transcarpathia. They will also organize shipping to our oblast for clothing collection points in Kyiv. If you are outside Ukraine, a simple and easy way to help would be to make a financial contribution to a special account set up by CHAP. All necessary information is including in this e-mail. I've also included other messages I've received which may be of interest to you. Many of you from the US wrote that you would like to send clothing. I'm looking into customs regulations and will send out another e-mail with this information as soon as possible. Meanwhile, how's life in Rakhiv? Cold. Winter has set in with a vengeance, making post flood relief efforts even more difficult, but all the more necessary. Yesterday, a large truck arrived from Hungary full of food and clothing which today was taken to villages in our district for distribution to people in need. The road to Uzhgorod outside Rakhiv has been repaired to a functional level, so supplies can get through, but the road to Ivano-Frankivsk is non-existant. However, while there is now food in the bazaar, most people cannot afford to resupply winter food storage lost to the flood. In our district teachers, doctors, and pensioners have not been paid for seven months. Before the flood I often wondered how people here survive, now it almost seems impossible. Thats why your messages and offers of assistance mean so much. I'll be traveling to Uzhgorod next Thursday to pick up a shipment of aid from Counterpart as well as clothing from a drive organized by Peace Corps Volunteer Jereme Mellenthin from his school in Kyiv. Our friend Sean Gulewich from the US Embassy has taken charge of transporting this greatly appreciated shipment to us. I realized a few days ago that next Thursday is Thanksgiving. I will be thinking of all of you and how thankful I am that people around the world care what happens in our little corner of Ukraine. Best wishes from Transcarpathia. Hope the following information is helpful. Juniper US Peace Corps EASTERN ECONOMIST, November 20
The situation in the western Ukrainian oblast of Transcarpathia, which recently suffered through devastating floods, still remains bad. Geology experts said that this winter and next spring there could be an even worse situation than what is taking place in the region now. Geologists forecast landslides throughout the entire oblast. They said that 40 million tons of sliding soils can scrape from the map one of the most beautiful and picturesque spots of Ukraine, endangering the lives of 1.288 million residents of the Transcarpathian oblast. The sanitation and epidemic situation in the entire Transcarpathian oblast is also bad as a result of the flooding.
>From Counterpart Humanitarian Assistance Program
SITUATION REPORT
Dear Associates,
The situation is the Zakarpatia Oblast (province) of Ukraine is
dire. Several days of above-normal rainfall caused flooding of
the Tysa, Rika, Borzhava, Latorytsia, and Uzh Rivers on November
5th and 6th that destroyed thirty-eight (38) dams, twenty (20)
bridges (and 487 bridges damaged), over 800 homes (with over
7,000 homes flooded), and miles of power lines, communications
lines, gas lines, and rail lines. Over 24,000 people from over
100 villages were displaced. All except 8,000 have returned to
their homes, but most of their homes are not in a good situation.
Fourteen people have been killed by the flooding, many people
are missing, and over 1,000 are injured.
Counterpart's Humanitarian Assistance Program (CHAP), under the
direction of USAID, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S.
Embassy in Kyiv, has responded to this disaster. CHAP/Ukraine's
Western Regional Director Ruslan Krivko was immediately
dispatched to the area and is in Uzhgorod working with the
Ministry of Emergencies Civil Defense Headquarters. CHAP's
Deputy General Director Serhiy Zhgilyov is in Kyiv with direct
contact with the Ministry of Emergencies headquarters, and
receives daily situation reports.
So far, CHAP has delivered the following items donated by the
U.S. Department of Defense to the region:
Cold-Weather Undershirts: 14,000 each;
Tents, with poles and pins: 1,000 sets;
Cold-Weather Wool Shirts: 1,800 each;
Cold-Weather Boots: 1,428 pairs;
Emergency Generators (10kw & 5kw): 23 each;
Furniture: 141 items.
The first CHAP deliveries arrived November 8th. The
transportation expenses are being paid by the U.S. Department of
State and by USAID's Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program.
Counterpart has the following items in transit to the region, to
arrive next week:
Water Purification Units: 2 each (donated through USAID's
Environmental Program);
Coveralls: 200 pairs;
Sweaters, Trousers, Shirts, Rubber Overshoes, Sleeping Mats,
Sleeping Bags, Mess Kits, Tents: 1 container;
Medical Equipment, Furniture, and Supplies: 0.5 container.
The value of the items listed above exceeds $1,000,000. In
addition, Counterpart has obtained approval from the U.S.
Department of State and USAID to ship nine containers of relief
items from the U.S. during the December through March timeframe.
Within Ukraine, many organizations and people, including
Ukrainians and Americans, want to donate clothing, blankets,
canned food, and other items. This is admirable and welcomed.
For this purpose, the employees of USAID's AED ACCELS program
have established two collection points in Kyiv to receive
donations:
DONATION COLLECTION POINTS:
Kyiv Shevchenko State University (the red building);
Room 201, 60 Volodymyrska Street;
Contact: Olya Smyrnova or Andrea Kalan;
Phone: 224-7356 (ACCELS Program office)
Kyiv Sport Club
5 Druzhby Narodiv Boulevard
Contact: Dwight Hewitt or Svyatoslav
Counterpart will pick-up the boxes of items at the collection
points, deliver them to the Zakarpatia Oblast, and distribute
them through the various Raion Councils and Ministry of
Emergencies Civil Defense offices.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept donations of commodities in the
U.S. This is because it is very expensive to gather them at one
point for containerization, it is very expensive to transport,
and it takes five to six weeks for the items to get to Ukraine.
However, it is possible for us to receive financial donations
from anywhere.
Many people and organizations want to donate money to assist with
the victim relief operations. For example, the City of
Burlington, Vermont in the U.S., which has a Community
Partnerships Project partnership with the City of Mukachevo in
the Zakarpatia Oblast through the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, has
collected funds to donate. Several other American and Ukrainian
organizations have expressed a desire to donate funds. For this
purpose, Counterpart International's U.S. headquarters office has
established a special account to receive donations of cash, which
will be used to purchase medicines, medical consumables, fuel,
and other most-needed items. Funds are also needed to pay for
distribution, logistics, and in-country transportation expenses.
To send funds to support the Zakarpatia Flood Relief Project by
wire transfer please use the following wire transfer
instructions:
Citibank NA ABA #021000089;
Further Credit to Citibank FSB, ABA #2540-7011-6;
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE;
Washington, DC 20003 U.S.A.
Account Holder: Counterpart International, Inc.;
Account number: 1500-3558;
Project Code: 514.
I hope this has answered all questions, but if not, you may call
the following phone numbers:
Counterpart Humanitarian Assistance Program (CHAP-Ukraine):
Phone: 380-44-294-8968 or 230-2346
Contact: Serhiy Zhgilyov or Brian Propp
Unites States Agency for International Development (USAID-Kyiv):
Phone: 380-44-462-5678
Contact: Konstantin Yakubenko or Lydia Matiaszek
Counterpart International, Inc., U.S. Headquarters:
Phone: 1-202-296-9676
Contact: Helen Benz or Bob Thibeault
Thank you for your interest in this situation. I will send
periodic updates as we receive them from the Ministry of
Emergencies and other sources.
Best regards,
Brian R. Propp
General Director
Counterpart Humanitarian Assistance Program (CHAP) in the Western
Newly Independent States (WESTNIS) of Ukraine, Belarus, and
Moldova
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Counterpart International's Humanitarian Assistance Program in
Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova (CHAP/WESTNIS) is sponsored by
USAID, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Embassy in
Kyiv. Counterpart International is a nonprofit, nongovernmental,
international charitable organization founded in 1965 and based
in Washington, DC, USA; registered tax exempt under IRS Code
501-C-3.
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