Relief goods transport 10.12. – 18.12.2022
The year 2022 is drawing to a close and the war in Ukraine will continue in the coming year 2023. Many terrible things have happened in Ukraine, but thanks to the support of so many helpers and supporters, we have been able to help effectively and thus also set a sign of hope for the suffering people in Ukraine.
The focus of our relief operations in the region of Winnytsia in central Ukraine has proven its worth. There are permanently 200,000 internally displaced persons there and the severely injured civilians and soldiers from the eastern and southern combat zones receive final medical care here.
With 9 aid transports and a total of 11 articulated lorries, we have brought medicines, medical. equipment, food, clothing and power generators worth approximately 1.2 million euros to the crisis areas. Although we had to transport medicine. Although we had to buy medical equipment, medicines and power generators at retail price, we are in a very good position with a benefit ratio of 1 Euro donation = 6 Euro value of goods in relief goods (see also Association Balance Sheet 2022).
Through Vinnytsia, we have been able to bring important support to the people in the combat zones with the “wild volunteers”. The visit to the front line in the war-torn region of Kherson in October 2022 has deeply moved us and further mobilised all forces in our work.
Through reports on our work by the press, NDR 1 and NDR Info, our work has become known far beyond the borders of the Lüneburg district and has had supporters join us as far away as Münster (e.g. the grammar school in Dülmen). Energetic and effective support also comes from the Wendland region. In the coming year, we will continue to give our all to help people in need as long as this unfortunate war continues.
Our thanks go to all the helpers and supporters who have placed their trust in us and made this work possible.
Current situation in Vinnytsia /Central Ukraine and Kherson/Charkiv:
The situation in Ukraine remains tense. The effects of the war, which has now lasted 10 months, can be felt everywhere.
The daily life of the people in Ukraine is even more marked by missile attacks on civilian infrastructure, long-term power cuts and food shortages than in previous months. Missile alerts several times a day and during the night have become the norm. At the hotel, we were given an electric Christmas candle as a welcome to help us find our way around the hotel at night. Candles and torches are sold out throughout Ukraine. In Vinnytsia there was electricity for about 4 hours a day, so public life was practically paralysed.
The number of internally displaced persons in the Vinnytsia region has increased to 200,000 due to evacuation measures from Kherson, which poses ever greater challenges for the municipalities of the oblast. There is still an unbroken willingness of the inhabitants of Vinnytsia to help the refugees to the best of their ability.
Our highest respect goes to those responsible in the magistrate’s office, administration, hospitals, refugee centres, who have been working to exhaustion every day for 10 months now.
unloaded in my presence at the logistics centre in Vinnytsia and further distributed to the various recipients.
Cherson/East-Ukraine:
We did not receive clearance for a planned escort of the onward transport of a large part of the relief supplies brought to Kherson. For weeks, the city has been under constant fire from Russian troops who have established themselves on the other bank of the Djnepr. They did not want to expose us to this risk, which was considered to be very high.
Shortly before we arrived, the children’s hospital and 2 days later the hospital in Kherson had received a missile hit. During our stay, 2 volunteers of the “wild volunteers” in Kherson lost their lives. Small trucks distributing humanitarian aid to the civilian population regularly come under fire …
Our strategy for supporting the Kherson region has not changed after discussions with the responsible officials in Kherson and Vinnytsia. In addition to supplying the population with food, one focus of future work will be to support and equip the hospital in Kherson, which was looted by Russian troops. An 80 KW power generator (donated by Klaus Longmuss, Wendland) and surgical equipment from the partner hospitals in Lüneburg and Bad Bevensen were brought along and are on their way to Kherson.
The load of the 9th transport (3 articulated lorries, total 55 tonnes)
- 10 double-stacked Euro pallets of nougat pellets, muesli bars from DeVauGe Lüneburg,
- 10,000 cans of herring in tomato sauce, Appel company
- 13,300 Ready meals, Appel company
- 5 pallets of food from Handelshof Lüneburg
- 8 Euro pallets (approx. 500 parcels) with food parcels from schools in Bleckede, Lüneburg and Dülmen near Münster.
- 550 bags of winter clothing, sleeping bags, blankets from the clothing collection at the Lüneburg Museum
- 1 SonoScape ultrasound scanner (donated by Klinikum Lüneburg) for Kherson Hospital as well as operating lamps, operating instruments
- 1 80 KW power generator for Kherson hospital
- 1 Power generator 3.5 KW Orphanage Kherson
- 2 power generators 3.5 KW for sensitive infrastructure Kherson
- 1 50 KW power generator for Winnyzja rehabilitation centre, refugees and refugee children
- 3 pallets of dental equipment and material for Winnyzja Dental Centre
- 6 pallets of blankets and winter equipment from Ivar, Sweden
- 1 tablet and software for stress measurement of the vegetative nervous system. Nervous system for med. Faculty of Psychology of the University of Vinnytsia (for the project “Stress and War”)
On the way back, 6 large boxes of Ukrainian literature and children’s books were taken from the Vinnytsia City Library for the Lüneburg City Library for Ukrainian refugees. Especially the children’s books caused great joy here, a partnership is in the works …
Conclusion relief supplies
The support of the Winnytsia region through our relief goods transports continues at a high level, thanks to your help. The focus on the previous destination, the Winnytsia region, should be maintained. From there, urgently needed relief goods are further transported to Cherso and Kharkiv.
So far, 200 tonnes of relief goods with a total value of approximately € 1,159,000 have been transported in 9 accompanied transports (11 trucks).
The benefit ratio is currently about 1 to 6 (1 Euro donation = 6 Euro value of goods transported).
Conclusion Partnership development
The partnerships concluded in recent months in the areas of hospitals, education, business and culture have been expanded. The existing partnerships are increasingly being brought to life in the form of direct partnership support and exchange of knowledge and visits by groups and delegations.
The partners concerned are thus sending an important signal of hope to the people of Ukraine, pointing to a peaceful and cooperative common future, with steps by Ukraine on its way into the European Union and the European community of states.
We are pleased to be able to contribute to this with the work of our association.
Thanks for the support
Our special thanks for supporting our transport goes to:
- Andre Novotny, Walter Beck, Mykola Dashkevych and Michael Eckleben, Stiftung Hof Schlüter, Lüneburg
- Action Alliance Ukraine Emergency Aid, Bleckede Civic Association
- Oldtimer-Freunde „Elbtalaue“ Bleckede e.V
- Christiane Ramm, “Landfrauen Brackede”
- Mr. Schwindt and Brunke, Handelshof Lüneburg
- DeVauGe, Lüneburg
- Mr Broschart, Appel Company, Cuxhaven
- Children and parents of the schools from Bleckede, Dahlenburg, Lüneburg and Dülmen/Münster
- Ms Anderle, LüneBuch from Lüneburg
- Family Dr. Gert Maichel, Matthew congregation Lüneburg
- Werner Kolbe, Landeszeitung Lüneburg
- NDR 1 Lüneburg and NDR Info
- Editors Lünepost, Lüneburg
- Dr. Moormann and Prof. Kucharzik, Klinikum Lüneburg
- HGZ Bad Bevensen
- Prof. Weiss, Rotarier Club Lüneburg
- Lions-Club Lüneburg
- Prof. Dr. Heike Düselder, Museum Lüneburg
- Klaus Longmuss u. Belegschaft „Wood-Mizer“, Wendland
- Ivar, Sweden
- Fam. Tietke, Biohof Tietke, Wendland
- Ms. Sabine Sieb, Sabine Sieb-Foundation
- Fam. Beate Bodendorf, Webwork Bleckede
- Fam. Sabrina Peters, textda Lüneburg
- Ms Anka Feldhusen, Federal Foreign Office, German Embassy in Kiev
- Family Sira and Grischa Tjutjunik, Shenja Merzhvynska, German Embassy Kiev
We also thank all donors, volunteers and other supporters of our work.
In this spirit, I remain with heartfelt thanks and best regards
Dr. Ralf-Peter Oelsner
