One year after the outbreak of war, we take stock of the actions taken by AMU and AFN on behalf of the Focolare Movement’s Emergency Coordination Team in collaboration with Caritas-Spes Ukraine.
One year ago, on 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation launched a military offensive against Ukraine. The intense escalation of violence has resulted in loss of life, injuries, the displacement of civilians around the country, and severe destruction and damage to civilian infrastructures and houses. Many civilians are now unable to leave the danger zones and are trying to survive without access to basic services. Millions of people across Ukraine are without electricity and are therefore unable to use heating systems as temperatures drop below zero in most parts of the country.
Since the start of the conflict AMU and AFN, representing the Focolare Movement’s Emergency Coordination Team, have used some of the funds raised to secure accommodation and provide assistance to internally displaced people, implemented by Caritas-Spes Ukraine.
A YEAR OF INTERVENTIONS IN NUMBERS
Accommodation
Since the beginning of the conflict Caritas-Spes Ukraine has secured 284,015 accommodation facilities providing safe shelter (short and long term). In December alone Caritas-Spes provided 12,208 accommodation facilities to ensure safe shelter (short and long term) to 552 beneficiaries.
Food and non-food items
So far since the beginning of the conflict, 1,819,702 food and non-food items have been distributed. 
Total number of people who received hot meals in December was 13,244.
The number of food kits provided to people in December was 78,519. While self-catering packs amounted to 6,691 in the same month.
Humanitarian supplies and logistics
Total weight (in tonnes) of humanitarian shipments received up to December: 5,076. Total number of vehicles containing humanitarian supplies received up to 31 December 2022: 456.
Psychosocial support
Total number of people who have received psychosocial support since the beginning of the war to 31 December 2022: 79,725.
Sanitation
Total number of services provided – water, hygiene items, cleaning products – up to December: 846,527.
Health care
Total number of services provided (drugs) up to December: 62,637.
A YEAR THAT LASTED AN ETERNITY
365 days of war in the words and experience of Mira Milavec, Slovenian Focolarina who has been living in Ukraine for some years now, where she works for Caritas Spes
“We’ve had a year of war, but it feels like an eternity (…). I would never have imagined experiencing such a situation first hand’. This is how our conversation with Mira Milavec begins, a Slovenian focolarina who has been living in Ukraine since 2019. She has worked tirelessly, also on the front line during this year of conflict, trying to support the people with Caritas Spes Ukraine, whose activities have also been supported by the Focolare Movement’s Emergency Coordination through its NGOs, Action for a United World (AMU) and Action for New Families (AFN).