Ukraine: “I don’t even know how to thank you.”

A woman with her hands around a little girl in front on her, stands in whhat appears to be a park with a statue of a mother and child in the background.

Yana Pysarenko, a 46-year-old single and displaced mother from Zaporizka Oblast, and her daughter, Snizhana, in their new hometown. Solidar Suisse/Vitaly Kartamyshev

By Vitaly Kartamyshev (Solidar Suisse) and Yaroslav Berezovskyi (OCHA)

Yana and her 5-year-old daughter, Snizhana, are internally displaced and now living in Ladyzhyn, in central Ukraine’s Vinnytska Oblast.

Reflecting on their perilous journey to safety, Yana recalls: “We left our hometown, Polohy, in Zaporizka Oblast, in south-east Ukraine, on 16 March amid severe shelling. A missile struck a neighbour’s house on the next street. It was horrifying – a child in that family lost both legs.”

Fearing for her daughter's safety, Yana fled the front-line area with Snizhana. Their car was one of only four in a convoy of 18 that survived the dangerous journey, navigating mines, shelling and roadblocks.

The stress of displacement affected Yana’s health; she was diagnosed with diabetes and pancreatic conditions. Her daughter also has serious health issues.

Struggling to afford medical treatment costs, Yana sought assistance. Aid workers from the international non-governmental organization (INGO) Solidar Suisse registered Yana for cash assistance. The INGO implements a multipurpose cash assistance project in Vinnytska Oblast with a local partner, NGO VIS. This year, Solidar Suisse has provided cash assistance to 2,300 people, and it continues to provide winter top-up cash for vulnerable families in Vinnytska Oblast, which hosts many internally displaced people, such as Yana.

She received UAH26,640 (nearly US$720) for her and Snizhana for six months on 27 September.

The next day, Snizhana was hospitalized.

“My daughter needs to take medicines to control her epileptic attacks,” explained Yana, emotionally. “So, the cash support from the humanitarian partners came just at the right moment for us. I dream that Snizhana will improve her health once she grows up. I will find a job and we will settle in Ladyzhyn permanently, as we enjoy living here and are very thankful to our hosts.”

Soon after Snizhana was hospitalized, Yana herself had to seek treatment for stress-related health issues; she used the remaining cash assistance for her own medical needs.

A girl wearing a winter woollen hat looks at the camera. A building and trees can be seen in the background.

Snizhana suffers from epileptic attacks and cannot attend kindergarten with other children. Solidar Suisse/Vitaly Kartamyshev

A few weeks later, Solidar Suisse received the following text message from Yana:

“I saw only today that I received funds from your charity organization on my card again, so I understand that we are again under your care and guidance. So to say ‘I am grateful to you’ is an understatement. Honestly speaking, this is the first time this has happened to me, as I am usually used to taking care of my family on my own, without relying on anyone. I don't even know how to thank you. It is very pleasant and joyful to meet people who sincerely care about you. I am just amazed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

As of November, the 98 partners of the Cash Working Group (CWG)* had provided approximately $522 million in multipurpose cash assistance to 3.7 million people in Ukraine.

As of 1 October, the multipurpose cash support increased from UAH2,220 ($60) to UAH3,600 ($97) per person per month.

*OCHA Ukraine co-chairs the CWG, providing a common platform to coordinate multipurpose cash programming for all sectors, e.g. health, food and shelter. The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department is a generous donor to OCHA Ukraine, with a $1 million contribution in 2023 alone.