Evacuating and Housing the Elderly and Disabled
Ukraine continues its efforts to evacuate and relocate elderly individuals and people with disabilities from frontline areas. Among those who have found shelter are Anatoliy, 89, and Vira, 81, a married couple from the Donetsk region whose family home in the village of Yablunivka was destroyed by enemy shelling. After being evacuated from Kostiantynivka and Druzhkivka, they spent nearly two months at the Social Adaptation Center for People with Disabilities, run by the NGO 'Ocean of Kindness' in Dnipro.
On May 18, Anatoliy and Vira, along with 12 other evacuees, were transported for resettlement to a hospital in the town of Vinkivtsi, Khmelnytskyi region. They will stay at the medical facility for up to 60 days. Over the past few weeks, an additional 14 older adults and people with disabilities have been evacuated and placed in hospitals in Kozelshchyna, Novi Sanzhary, Kotelva, and Velyka Bahachka, all in the Poltava region. Furthermore, four individuals have found refuge at the Inpatient Care Department for Permanent Residence in the village of Nadlak, Kirovohrad region.
Initiative and Support
The evacuation has covered people from Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, Kamianka, Sloviansk, Chaplyne, Mezhova, and Novomykolaivka. This initiative is carried out by the charity fund 'Skhid SOS' in partnership with various organizations, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine, as well as the Donetsk Regional Military Administration. The program provides long-term nursing care, which includes:
- daily care
- medication
- meals
- essential items
- psychological support
- social accompaniment
For those in need of evacuation, contact numbers are available: to schedule an evacuation, call 0 800 332 614 (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM), or reach out via messaging apps: Viber at +38 (099) 710 48 72; Telegram at +38 (096) 108 60 48.
This initiative represents a vital step in supporting vulnerable groups affected by the conflict in Ukraine. Ensuring safe relocation and medical care for the elderly and disabled helps reduce their risk and improve their quality of life.
Sustaining such programs is critically important amid the ongoing war, as it helps preserve the lives and health of those most in need of assistance.