The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that started on February 24, 2022, has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe for Ukrainians. In mid-2024, 14.6 million people in Ukraine were in need of humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, healthcare facilities and infrastructure have buckled under Russian attacks. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health,1,642 medical facilities have been damaged, and 214 have been completely destroyed between the start of full-scale war and July 2024. Mykolaivska, in the country’s south, is one of the worst-affected regions.
People living near the front lines, particularly women, children and the elderly, are experiencing significant challenges due to the lack of water, electricity and heating. In Mykolaivska oblast, the central water and electricity supply systems have been destroyed by missile attacks. Though many internally displaced persons (IDPs) had moved to Mykolaiv city for safety, many are either waiting to return to their villages or have already moved back, hoping life will be easier there.
The outpatient clinic in Shevchenkove, located near the front lines and not far from Mykolaiv city, serves around 16,000 people living in nearby villages. The movement of displaced people has put additional strain on the facility and its health workers. However, the biggest challenge has been the lack of electricity. Because fighting in the region has damaged the power grid, when heating systems are turned on in winter, there is not enough energy left over to provide electricity to hospitals and clinics.
“In winter, the central electricity supply system turns off, which hampers our efforts to provide medical aid to patients,” says Eugene, a family doctor working in the outpatient clinic. “A constant electricity supply is needed to run the refrigerators where we store medicines and vaccines.”
Although the clinic has its own generator, fuel was in short supply due to the conflict—so the team couldn’t rely on it to provide power.
The outpatient clinic director approached International Medical Corps for help. They asked for a stock of fuel to run the generator during the coldest months of the year. With funding from the European Union, International Medical Corps’ logistics and procurement teams stepped up to the challenge, and within three weeks had procured and delivered three 200-liter barrels of fuel.
The fuel delivery has been transformational for the clinic. Now, the clinic’s refrigerators—which contain essential medicine, like insulin for diabetics and vaccines for children—can stay powered at all times. Thanks to the constant electricity supply, doctors can now provide timely medical services to thousands of people coming to the outpatient clinic.
