Half of Ukrainians have no money for heat and electricity

Winter has arrived in Ukraine. The situation is distressing. Half of the Ukrainians are unable to pay their heat and electricity bills. For this reason, our food packages are needed even more.

We started getting snow by the end of October and since then, the winter weather has continued with temperatures dropping down to minus twelve degrees centigrade at night. It has been cold, there has been sleet and these last few days we have been getting a whole lot of snow. As a result, many villages in the countryside have been cut off from the outside world.

Not easy to drive on slippery roads

These are busy times for our staff, especially for the drivers. The winter conditions make for very long days, it causes many delays in traffic and sometimes breakdowns of the vans. We now have many more vans than we used to. The more vans you have, the more work you can do. But it also increases the chance of breakdowns.

Krivoj Rog
At the end of November, we had a big meeting with the consul for the first time. The meeting was held in the large industrial city of Krivoj Rog. This city was founded 300 years ago by Jews, because many minerals were present in the surrounding area and Jews were known for their skills to work the land.

Nowadays it is a gloomy city of 650,000 people reminiscent of the Soviet-Union. Officially there are over 10,000 Jews who still live there. During the Holocaust, 15,000 Jews were killed. Their remains are spread out over three mass graves. One of those mass graves serves as a garbage dump. There is a monument, but it is two kilometres away.

Still many symbols in Krivoj Rog reminiscent of the time of the soviet union

The main consul came to Krivoj Rog to provide information about the possibility to emigrate to Israel ("make aliyah”). There were many people that showed up, eager to learn. The consul addressed the group and started with the question: “why are you here?”

Head-consul for East Ukraine answering questions from potential olim

Someone answered: “to catch up a little”. Someone else asked: “tell us something about yourself and the situation with the fires in Israel!” The consul shared that he made aliyah with his parents and grandparents when he was 10 years old, leaving behind his hometown Donetsk (where there is war now). After his education and army service he got married. His wife and children now live in Haifa, but had to be evacuated because of the fires. The people listened very quietly.

Audience listening at the consul day in Krivoj Rog

The explanation about aliyah from the consul responsible for the east of Ukraine, came from personal experience. Afterwards, the visitors were able to ask the consul personal questions as well. We were there with a booth with brochures about our work in Ukraine.

Handing out brochures about Christians for Israel's work in Ukraine

The next day we had a meeting with the Jewish Agency about the state of Jewish refugees. We decided to keep our joint shelter for at least another year.

Snow
On the long way back it started snowing and the roads between Kirovograd and Vinnitsa, with a distance of 320 kilometres, were very icy. Many old trucks that still drive round with worn-out summer tyres, were stranded in the middle of the road. This made driving very difficult. Along the road we saw all-in-all three men scatter sand across the roads with spades in hand. It felt like going back in time more than a hundred years.

Ready to leave for a long journey

A few other staff had been distributing food packages near the Russian border and on their way back, their van had broken down. Fortunately another van was able to tow them the remaining 80 kilometres back to Kiev.

Another load of packed food parcels ready for distribution

What encourages us, are the many responses and phone calls we receive from mostly elderly Jews to thank us for their food package. More than half of the Ukrainians have been unable to pay their gas and electricity bills since October, and the coldest months are yet to come.

The last of the food packages are now being delivered. Next week we expect another supply to make a total of 3,300 more food packages.

Loading 500 food parcels for Jewish refugees

Just now an other load of 3,300 food packages was packed by volunteers and they are being distributed until the end of the year even during Chanukkah! We will report about this at the beginning of January 2017.

The requests are pouring in steadily. Together with you, we hope to give one or more food packages to everyone who needs it during this winter! These food packages really make a difference in this time. We see it, hear it and experience it!

Watch some more photographs below!

Koen Carlier - Aliyah Fieldworker in Ukraine

Christians for Israel

This winter 2016-2017 we plan - with your help - to pack and distribute thousands of food parcels for poor Jews, Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees from Eastern Ukraine and also those close to and in the war zone of Eastern Ukraine via our local contacts and also on request from Jewish organisations!

Please support this year's food parcel project and donate.
1 foodparcel costs €10 or 11 US$
5 foodparcels cost €50 or 55 US $
20 foodparcels cost €200 or 220 US $

On behalf of the Jewish community in Ukraine: Thank you for your help!

*Donate in €*	Donate in US $

Truck loaded with 500 food parcels, 500 bottles of baking oil and 500 kosher cakes for Jewish
refugees fled from the war in the East, now in Kiev

Bringing foodparcels to people's homes

Thank you for the food parcels, its a big help in these uncertain times

Unloading 109 food parcels in the former stettl of Berschad

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