LUkraine Asbl Reflects on Year of Solidarity, Increased Humanitarian Efforts Amid War

2022 has been a busy year for LUkraine asbl, a non-profit organisation representing Luxembourg's Ukrainian community and supporting Ukraine amid Russian military aggression.

A group of Ukrainians living in Luxembourg created LUkraine asbl back in 2014, in the context of Russia's invasion and subsequent annexation of Crimea. The non-profit's initial mission was to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine, although recent years also saw it develop community-based, awareness-raising projects in Luxembourg, for instance by participating in fairs, organising events and inviting guest speakers from Ukraine to Luxembourg. 

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, LUkraine asbl has returned to its humanitarian roots, stepping up its efforts to provide emergency relief to Ukraine in its hour of need. As Vice President Inna Yaremenko explained to Chronicle.lu, the last ten months have taken LUkraine asbl's activities to a whole new level. She praised her team for all their efforts during this period, although she noted that the number of volunteers (and donations) had decreased since the initial wave of support earlier in the year. "I really appreciate our team, who are so brave. These people have united […]  to help Ukraine. They are working non-stop," she said, adding that the non-profit relies entirely on donations and volunteers are always welcome, even if only to help out on weekends or for a couple of hours during the week.

Regarding current and future priorities, Inna explained that LUkraine asbl had focused this year and would continue to focus its efforts next year on the emergency response to the situation in Ukraine. To date, the non-profit has collected more than 800 tonnes of humanitarian aid and distributed over 13,000 food packages in the war-torn country, as well as helped evacuate and resettle 1,000 Ukrainians with local families in the Grand Duchy.

In Luxembourg, one of LUkraine asbl's priorities in 2023 will be projects for Ukrainian children. "Children deserve to be happy and involved in a lot of activities and to have, as much as possible, a normal childhood," said Inna. She emphasised the importance of all the projects run by LUkraine asbl, highlighting in particular the UAmbulance project (raising money to buy emergency vehicles for Ukraine), as well as projects aimed at supporting Ukrainian refugees in Luxembourg, for instance offering much-needed psychological support and opening a Ukrainian library and a Ukrainian Saturday school for children earlier this year (building on the success of the "Super U" summer camp).

2022 also saw the launch of LUkraine asbl's global fundraising campaign, "Ukraine is calling", which aims to raise enough money to buy 112 emergency vehicles (a symbolic number as 112 is the emergency number in many countries, including Luxembourg) for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and Ukraine's Ministry of Health. The campaign launched in Luxembourg at the end of October in a first step, with plans to expand to Belgium, France, the United States and Canada, among others, in future. This campaign builds on the UAmbulance project and responds to significant demand for emergency vehicles in Ukraine. As Inna explained, the concept is simple: "Ukraine is calling for help, for justice; don’t decline the call, don’t decline lives". The goal is to support emergency workers, whose jobs have become even more dangerous amid the war, so they can save more lives. Inna noted that the campaign is going well so far thanks to the solidarity of the people of Luxembourg, but donations are still needed. To date, LUkraine asbl has collected enough money to purchase eight emergency vehicles and Luxembourg's Ministry of Home Affairs recently donated another eight vehicles. Some campaign partners and companies have also financed such vehicles. "We are very appreciative of this solidarity," said Inna.

On Wednesday 21 December 2022, the first convoy of seventeen emergency vehicles (twelve ambulances and five fire engines), filled with donations (sleeping bags, generators, etc.), will depart Luxembourg for Ukraine. The handover ceremony in Lviv is planned for the morning of Friday 23 December 2022. A second convoy is planned for early 2023.

Moreover, in the framework of this fundraising campaign, LUkraine asbl has continued its awareness-raising efforts, for instance in the form of the installation of damaged emergency vehicles brought from Ukraine to Luxembourg. Currently, members of the public can view a damaged ambulance in Esch-Belval and a damaged fire engine in front of the Philharmonie in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. Inna described such vehicles as "a piece of war", which remind people in Luxembourg that the war is not that far away. There are plans to move and install these two vehicles in front of the European Parliament buildings in Brussels (and eventually The Hague) in the new year.

Inna concluded by once again thanking the people of Luxembourg as well as the government and companies for their solidarity and support for Ukraine over the past year. She stressed, however, that help is still needed. "There is a big war in Europe and Ukraine is on the frontline in this war. We are protecting democratic values and freedom," she recalled, urging for continued support as 2022 draws to a close but war rages on.