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In this episode, Inside Geneva joins aid workers staying in Ukraine this December.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is supporting tens of thousands of people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by conflict.
Marcel van Maastrigt of UNHCR, based in Odessa, describes the mix of danger and daily life: “At two in the afternoon you might have an air alert, and at three in the afternoon people in shops and restaurants are putting up Christmas decorations, because they want to continue their life. I think it’s understandable.”
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) continues to work in hospitals on the front lines of the war.
Robin Meldrum of MSF, based in Ukraine, speaks of the strain: “Today I had electricity in my flat a few hours in the afternoon when I was at work, not here at home. The electricity is going to be off until about 11:00 until 2:00 in the morning. I’ll have 3 or 4 hours of electricity tomorrow but it’s wearing, it’s tiring.”
Aid workers share not only the hardships but also the risks faced by their Ukrainian colleagues.
“During the night there was a massive attack by Shahed drones and guided aerial bombs. One of the guided aerial bombs landed just about 35 or 40 metres from the two guest houses where our staff were living,” Meldrum says.
Despite the danger, there is an effort to maintain some semblance of normal life during the festive season.
Marcel van Maastrigt reflects on the resilience of communities: “There is a real effort to make it look like everything is normal, and to have the decorations, have the music outside, have the food. Sometimes people go to parties. It’s nice to walk through town and see that happening. It gives some hope that this might in the end be better.”
There are 130 conflicts around the world today, affecting millions of people and placing immense pressure on humanitarian aid workers. This holiday season, thousands of aid workers are staying put in places of conflict, hoping to make a difference amid the hardship.
Join host Imogen Foulkes on Inside Geneva.
Find out more about the ‘Inside Geneva’ podcast and our other Swiss podcasts in English here.
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