“Since the war broke out, there is nothing left here”: Katerina’s Story

“Since the war broke out, there is nothing left here.”

Katerina is 54 years old. She shares her story in front of one of our clinics in Donetsk Oblast, a province in eastern Ukraine that has been heavily impacted by the effects of the war. Essential services are scarce, and the health system has been significantly weakened.

“Having a free health facility in our community is crucial. I don’t have a driving licence, there are no adequate means of transport to reach the city. Most people here are elderly and do not have cars.”

In Donetsk, entire communities are deprived of essential services, or have no resources to access them. Thanks to a network of outpatient clinics that we opened in easily accessible areas, even people who live in more isolated villages can reach our facilities. For many, it is the first check-up they’ve had in months or even years.

“With these clinics and with the door-to-door activities of our Community Health Workers, we aim to re-establish a web of essential services, such as health services, which the war has torn apart,” says Dario, EMERGENCY’s Project Coordinator in Ukraine.