Since the beginning of the war, our aid worker has been in Ukraine to coordinate INTERSOS projects. “What has surprised me the most is the resilience of the displaced people”
She is young, not yet 30 years old, but she has already had important experiences, such as in Nigeria, South Sudan and Afghanistan. Our worker Giulia Spini is now in Ukraine. She arrived at the beginning of the war as INTERSOS project coordinator.
Giulia recounts her experience in the field during these four months of activities and how the lives of local people have changed during the emergency.
INTERSOS assists displaced people in the central and middle eastern areas of Ukraine, between Vinnytsa and Poltava, in addition to the ongoing projects in Leopoli and Odessa. Here Giulia manages first emergency interventions for displaced people and coordinates local staff during the distribution of basic needs and in first social and psychological support activities.
The outbreak of war in Ukraine required a rapid action from humanitarian organizations. INTERSOS immediately mobilized to help fleeing people from bombed areas. “From the beginning, I was surprised by the resilience of these people. It is easy to empathize and think that any of us could be in an analogous situation. The composure and dignity with which these people are facing all this should be a life lesson for everyone”.
“During the first phase of emergency –Giulia recounts– local authorities and volunteers excellently managed the humanitarian response. A chain of aid was very inspiring for humanitarian workers”. “Now – Giulia continues – our challenge is to activate interventions to support local systems to ensure long-term efficiency and at the same time avoid replacing them”.
The highly insecure background makes intervention management difficult. “We are constantly facing with the impossibility of predicting what may happen. That is why it is important to be ready to manage emergency situations in a short time and to be flexible”, the project coordinator explains.
In this context, the psychological conditions of the displaced people are changing with the passing of time and mixed feelings are alternating among the population: “some people –Giulia reports– continue to have an even more intense feeling of uncertainty and precariousness. Others, instead, are adapting to the situation.” “It is in this state of insecurity –our worker observes– it is amazing how they are bound by a strong sense of community and mutual support, despite coming from different parts of the country”.
In such a situation, the mental health is a critical issue: the emergency impacts the community significantly. They feel confused and ask questions about their future. For this reason, overcoming this state of mental distress is also one of the most difficult challenges in the long term. “People often seek answers about their conditions, some of them ask when they will return home. Moreover, who is suffering the most from this uncertainty are the elderly who would not have wanted to leave their homes. Compared to the young, for the elderly it is more difficult to adapt. Moreover, staying in temporary shelters is particularly problematic”, Giulia explains.
“If we want to report how the situation is evolving from the beginning of the project –Giulia explains– it is difficult to know how the condition of the community will improve. What is certain is that the new everyday life is significantly impacting the emotional stability of the displaced people”.