Kharkiv Region: Russian Offensive Strikes Civilians
2.07.2024
Reading time
4 minutes
Since the beginning of the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, over 25,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes. Among them are individuals reached by the mobile clinics of the Polish Medical Mission and Frida Ukraine. They join nearly 4 million internally displaced persons who have found refuge within Ukraine. Almost 40% of those remaining in the country are in need of humanitarian aid.
The Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region has led to the evacuation of over 25,000 residents. These people primarily relocate to Kharkiv itself and the Kyiv region, both of which are regularly shelled by Russia. In response, the Polish Medical Mission, which supports healthcare in the Kharkiv region through mobile clinics, has become involved in providing medical assistance at a transit point for refugees in Kharkiv.
“I left because every night I woke up afraid that the roof would collapse. Neighbors said it was airstrikes, artillery, everything. But I just covered my ears – it was simply terrifying… The city is in ruins. I have lived here since birth and it hurts so much to see my home being destroyed. There is no communication, you can’t reach anyone. I don’t know what will happen next. It was so hard to make this decision, but my neighbors convinced me it was time to flee,” says Olena (name changed), a retiree from Vovchansk. After fleeing the city, she arrived at a transit point in Kharkiv, where the Polish Medical Mission provides medical assistance.
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The lives of Ukrainian residents are in constant danger, not only in the Kharkiv region. In the first five months of this year, 752 civilians have been killed and over 2,600 injured due to attacks. Attacks on healthcare services also persist: since January 1st, 172 attacks have been recorded (as of June 26th), with doctors and patients constantly under direct threat to their health and lives.
“Every deployment of our mobile clinics involves a prior safety assessment,” says Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart from the Polish Medical Mission. “Sometimes, the assessment is negative, and then we do not risk the lives of our doctors. They live in constant uncertainty anyway: an attack can happen at any moment. They are civilians like everyone else, they could even die in their own homes.”
The Polish Medical Mission, along with its local partner, Frida Ukraine, remains in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, which are located near the Russian border. A pediatric mobile clinic will soon join the existing mobile clinics in the Kyiv region, which is a refuge for people fleeing threats from other parts of the country. According to the UN, around 14.6 million people in Ukraine still need aid. This is nearly 40% of the population that remains in the country. Therefore, the support of organizations like the Polish Medical Mission will continue to be very much needed.
