How was Kherson before the war? Kherson region is the southern region of Ukraine which borders the occupied land of Crimea. Kherson is an industrial and cultural center. Sunny, beautiful and one of the greenest cities in Ukraine. It also has the only sea port on the river Dnipro. Being situated on the right bank of the river, the city boasts fantastic views and many magnificent natural places to see. It is a destination for Ukrainians in the South and tourists alike.
The city’s population was around 330 thousand, with a diverse group of ethnicities and nationalities. Kherson is a very young city, over 100 thousand people living there are between 14 and 30 years old.
Kherson region is almost entirely occupied by Russian forces. Kherson is the only regional center that the army has managed to capture. The invasion began in the early hours of 24th of February, with tanks and bomb carriers arriving en masse from the occupied territories of Crimea. The city has been soaked in horror on that day and ever since…
Reality on the ground is that the Russian army does not allow any humanitarian convoys into the region, as was confirmed by the mayor of Kherson. This means no trucks with food, medication or tactical help for the civil population are allowed in. Several villages have been severely bombed and citizens of these managed to move into bigger cities (Kherson, Nova Kakhovka, Kakhovka).
At the same time - because the region is primarily agricultural, there’s a lot of produce internally. Farmers continue to provide vegetables, meat, and dairy. While there’s scarcity of canned goods and other long-term goods, there’s plenty of fresh products made locally. Population is also in dire need of medication, as inventory is running out. Volunteers risk their life on a daily basis to purchase and deliver these supplies and meds.
Not all the citizens though, have the financial means to continue sustaining themselves. Many have lost jobs, others used to rely on their men who got mobilized, others were already living on the edge of poverty. This problem is particularly present for vulnerable groups - refugees from bombed villages, older generation, orphanages and people in hospitals.
Battle of Kherson
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Union of help to Kherson is an organization that is a representative of all local entrepreneurs since 2014. When the war arrived in Ukraine, on February 24th, we fully repurposed our organization and now focus on humanitarian help to the population of Kherson region.
Founders are - Kate Zhuzha and Mikhail Zhuzha, siblings from Nova Kakhovka.
Our team works directly with several groups of trusted volunteers in the region. These volunteers are the ones facilitating the work on the ground - purchasing the goods and delivering these to vulnerable populations.
Our mission is to find and effectively channel help from the international community towards our region. Specifically, we are dedicated to initiate and consolidate financial support from USA, EU countries and sister-cities of Kherson.
Our goals are the following:
1) Efficiently support the locals remaining in this region with humanitarian help;
2) Support any further reconstruction and replenishing efforts to bring back life to this land;
Providing food supplies
Providing with necessary clothing
Supplying urgent medication
Enabling evacuation or placement
Financial micro-grants
International organizations have not been able to provide direct support or humanitarian aid to our region, because of the occupation and not having network on the ground. The efforts are being pulled off by local volunteers - entrepreneurs who deeply care about their city and small groups of people who are willing to dedicate time and risk their lives to support others in need. We conduct a search for necessary things, purchase products, negotiate with farmers for better rates, find inventories of meds and gas. We ensure which is needed to deliver these goods to people.
Everything that is needed is delivered immediately to people who need it. We have eyes and ears on the ground who are on the lookout to help the most vulnerable. At the moment we have more than 10 groups of volunteers on the ground with whom we closely work on daily basis. This is daily work that never stops and we’re proud of it. On our Facebook page you can see live reports and transparent reporting of where the money raised went and how it had immediate effect.
Russian soldiers took over my farm’: the battle for food supplies in Ukraine
We’re living a nightmare’: life in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine
Russian Forces Kill Civilians, Loot for Supplies in Occupied Ukraine, Residents Say
Kherson, Ukraine: Life under Russian occupation
Kherson: Eyewitness reports from a Ukrainian city under siege
War in Ukraine: Thousands march in Kherson against occupiers
Facing resistance in occupied Kherson, Russian forces crack down on disobedient resident
Russia plans kidnapping and violence in ‘great terror’ to end Kherson protests
Russian soldiers took over my farm’: the battle for food supplies in Ukraine
We’re living a nightmare’: life in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine
Russian Forces Kill Civilians, Loot for Supplies in Occupied Ukraine, Residents Say
Kherson, Ukraine: Life under Russian occupation
Kherson: Eyewitness reports from a Ukrainian city under siege
War in Ukraine: Thousands march in Kherson against occupiers
Facing resistance in occupied Kherson, Russian forces crack down on disobedient resident
Russia plans kidnapping and violence in ‘great terror’ to end Kherson protests
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