The Weapon of Hunger

Ukraine, the Brazilian nuns thank the friends of Sermig for the help received

On February 24, 2022, a new page began in the history of Ukraine, and therefore in world history. After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, millions of people are displaced. Many have gone abroad, leaving behind their families, homes, possessions and losing their jobs. Millions of people found themselves under occupation and in frontline areas on the brink of survival.

Ukraine has experienced an incredibly difficult year, a year of great pain, destruction and loss, but at the same time a year of faith in God, solidarity and togetherness. The number of dead increases every day. Russian troops are turning whole cities into ruins: residential buildings, hospitals, universities and even playgrounds are being shot and bombed. In the occupied territories, citizens of Ukraine are being illegally forcibly deported to the aggressor's country, others are arrested and subjected to brutal torture.

This terrible war has caused various examples of famine in Ukraine. Russia is doing everything possible to do this at all levels, very cruelly and with violation of human rights, negligence and disregard for international law, which is expressed in cruel crimes against humanity and genocide of the Ukrainian people. The war in Ukraine has driven the most vulnerable sections of the population into poverty due to rising energy and food prices… As a result of the destruction of vital infrastructure, many people have lost access to vital services. Millions of people have been left without electricity, heating, drinking water, food, medical care, personal hygiene products... Every day volunteers risk their lives to help people in extremely difficult situations. Due to the war, agriculture has been severely affected throughout the country. During the year, hostilities destroyed fertile land and crops, which affected the harvest and subsequent planting. And many fields are still mined today.

The greatest value is human life. But today, unfortunately, human life in Ukraine is in constant danger. Ukrainians continue to live in anxiety, losing relatives and friends to death or disappearance. Many children who have been robbed of their childhood are witnessing terrible things today. Furthermore, we now feel a great hunger for human life to have its dignity. We lived peacefully, made plans, set goals, dreamed of something, and on February 24, 2022, the full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine brought bloodshed and shattered the dreams of many young Ukrainians. Today they have volunteered in the army to defend their country, values, human dignity and freedom. The scale of the crimes taking place before the eyes of the whole world is astounding… These atrocities become part of human nature and this leads to a terrifying humanitarian catastrophe all over the world.

Another example of hunger is the incredible pain of people who feel alone, who have been left homeless because they have lost it. When the war started, we, the Basilian Sisters, started helping people in need in various ways.

After God gave us the gift of meeting the wonderful friends who from the first days came to us with humanitarian aid, my service focused on transferring this help to the most needy people who were in the frontline areas. In my heart I dreamed of hugging them and telling them they are not alone… When we arrived, we met people who had lost their homes and were living in schools or tents in the courtyards. I could not believe that this was not a dream, but a reality, and that in one moment you can lose all that you have gained for years… When I realized this reality, God allowed me to rethink many things in life that I could never having read or understood in any book. I will never forget the look of these people and the tears of emotion in their eyes. After all, someone has come to embrace them, to listen and share their pain and loneliness, to touch their wounds and bring hope to continue living. They talked about their pain and showed the remaining walls of their houses. What impressed me most is that they expressed gratitude to God for saving their lives. With God's grace, we are moving forward, supporting each other, because we understand that this is a fight not only for Ukraine, but for dignity and freedom all over the world.

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