EUROPE/POLAND - Father Bovio warns of the onset of winter in Ukraine: “Requests for help are increasing”

Saturday, 17 September 2022 wars   missionary institutes   pontifical mission societies   humanitarian aid   solidarity  

Warsaw (Agenzia Fides) - In anticipation of the coming winter, Father Luca Bovio IMC, Superior of the Consolata Missionaries living in Poland, is providing the people of Ukraine with food, wooden panels to lock the broken windows, school bags for children trying to continue to live a normal life despite the ongoing conflict. these are some of the concrete aid to the Ukrainian population. The Italian missionary, who came to Poland 14 years ago, has also been national secretary of the Pontifical Missionary Union there for 10 years and reports to Fides on the current situation in the neighboring country.
"While the summer temperatures have made living conditions somewhat tolerable, the approaching autumn and especially the prospect of winter complicates what is already a very difficult situation," says the religious, who has been to Ukraine several times and in November will return there. "In the past few weeks," says Father Bovio, "we have been active in various aid projects. The requests for help are increasing, while the conflict continues unabated".
"Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine, just a few dozen kilometers from the Russian border," says Father Bovio, "has been bombed for months. The news and pictures that we have received from the local Caritas office are shocking. One of the many Aid projects, especially given the falling temperatures, is the purchase of wooden panels that can replace the windows of the houses destroyed by the explosions.In this city we also buy electricity generators, which are essential in hospitals".
In Kharkiv, as in other war-affected cities, with the beginning of the New Year children are returning to schools, or at least to safe places where classes can take place. Around 300 backpacks are sent to them in the hope that they can maintain a glimpse of normalcy in their first days of school amid a senseless war. (E.G.) (Agenzia Fides, 17/9/2022)


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