Despite the bustling atmosphere on the surface of Ukraine’s capital city, the ongoing war has reversed 15 years of progress, as 7.1 million more people were living in poverty by the end of 2022. This is expected as Russian attacks have devastated Ukraine’s infrastructure. Only 10 months after Russia’s full-scale invasion, it damaged or destroyed 149,300 residential buildings, 3,000 educational institutions, 1,131 health care facilities, 14,400 public transport vehicles and 1,327 community facilities (such as cultural, sport, religious and tourism facilities). The loss of these resources has a significant impact on everyday life in Ukraine as hundreds of thousands have lost their homes, have no access to a health care facility or have no school to attend. 

Life for Those in Ukraine

Oleksandra, a 40-year-old woman from Kyiv, lost her job as an accountant when Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, dismantling Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure. The war is still ongoing, and since then, people have lost an estimated 2.4 million jobs, making Oleksandra just one of the millions struggling to live in a war-torn country without an income.

With her savings dwindling, she turned to pawning possessions, a popular solution for those on the brink of poverty in Ukraine. According to the shopkeeper of the Treasure pawn shop in Kyiv, Oleksandr Stepanov, on busy days, there can be up to 50 people pawning their appliances and phones as “the price of everything has gone up. Food is the most expensive, and then there is fuel for the car… Before the war, my wife would go to the supermarket to shop, which would cost 200 hryvnias, now the same shop costs 400-500.” With inflation reaching 26.6% at the end of 2022, even those employed struggle to navigate everyday life in Ukraine and feel insecure about their future.

Reliance on Handouts

Those experiencing the toughest circumstances have had to rely largely or completely on handouts. In Irpin, a heavily hit town on the outskirts of Kyiv, the priests of a protestant church established six distribution centers, running five days a week, where people can collect bread for free. Almost every day, around 500 people queue for a loaf of bread, while occasionally, tables and tents offering second-hand clothes, shoes and toys are also set up next to the church.

One woman, Veronika Pravyk, searched for baby milk and nappies for her toddler amongst the bins of donated items. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Pravyk lost her job and fled with her children to Spain, but within just six months, she had used all of her savings and returned home. Although her husband has employment, inflation has meant his salary no longer covers their food, rent and heating, “I just never imagined we would be living like this. Before the war, we managed everything. It’s very difficult, and everyone is suffering the same,” she told The Guardian. 

Job Losses in Ukraine

Around 400 people in Irpin lost their jobs when the factories of one of the biggest employers, a wood carving business, were severely damaged by the war, forcing them to relocate to the West. As a result, “people are ready to work for peanuts here. The salaries are already less. But people will do anything to earn some money,” The Guardian reports. With Ukraine exporting 80% of its goods, the GDP had already declined by 30% at the end of 2022, and the hryvnia, Ukraine’s currency, lost 20% compared to the dollar.

However, Ukraine’s economic situation would be even worse without the ongoing financial support from the international community of $43 billion in pledges. A volunteer at the church, Larysa Kuzhel, told The Guardian,“ is going to get more difficult, especially for the younger people. The pensioners who you see here get support. It’s only $50 a month, but it is something. But it is the younger people who have lost their jobs who are suffering.”

Efforts to Help People in Ukraine

Since the war began, everyday life in Ukraine is almost unrecognizable as Oleksandra and Pravyk are two of millions who, for the first time in their lives, are facing poverty, having to pawn their belongings or rely on handouts to survive. Thankfully, organizations are working on the ground in Ukraine to alleviate poverty. UNICEF administers learning supplies to children so they can participate in formal or nonformal, education, provides crucial mental health and psychosocial services, facilitates access to safe water in regions where water networks have been destroyed or damaged, enabling access to health care by distributing medical supplies and even assisting households with cash. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is also offering its help. After the first six months, DEC had equipped 1.9 million people with clean water, 392,000 people with food aid, 71,000 with primary health care and 3338,900 people with cash support.

Although everyday life in Ukraine has changed, organizations like UNICEF and DEC are on the ground providing as much support as possible to ensure the people of Ukraine do not go hungry, thirsty, cold or untreated. UNICEF and DEC, alongside local communities such as the church in Irpin, provide relief and hope to those facing poverty because of the war. 

– Alice Isola
Photo: Flickr