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Creating central space to help people of Ukraine

03
Photo: Christos Theodorides

With 14,000 Ukrainian refugees having arrived in Cyprus since the start of the war, their compatriots living on the island have stepped up efforts to help by opening donation centres all over the country.

One woman in particular is now dedicating most of her time to help those most in need. Anna Shusko, a Ukrainian permanent resident of Cyprus, has quickly become the reference point for refugees in Larnaca.

“We collect everything, from food to clothes, from medicines to nappies. Everything that can be helpful to people fleeing the war can be donated to us,” she told the Cyprus Mail.

Anna is part of the CY4UA organisation, an international group of volunteers based in Cyprus set up after the Russian invasion that aims to help those fleeing Ukraine.

CY4UA, headed by Tanya Romanyukha, is currently supporting a total of 657 adults and 376 kids across the entire island, counting on the help of more than 150 volunteers and a team of around 22 coordinators.

Anna opened the donation centre in Larnaca on February 24, immediately after Russia invaded her home country.

The centre is at 17 Arthemidos Avenue, not far from Larnaca’s historical town centre.

“We are already helping around 70 families just in Larnaca, which means more than 200 people. Of those, 68 are children, including 33 toddlers.

“When the war started, we asked for the Larnaca municipality’s help so that we could find an appropriate space where we could provide help for Ukrainians.

01“However, even though they promised to support us, no one from the municipality got in touch with us since, so we had to find our own solution,” Anna said.

The centre has received huge support from both Ukrainians living here and from Cypriot businesses, she said.

“Luckily, we now have a centre where people can come and bring us whatever they can spare for donations.

“At the same time, refugees can also come to us with special requests, like baby cots or special food. We always do our best to try and accommodate them and I always tell them that I will find it.”

Anna’s plan is to eventually make the centre a permanent point of reference for Ukrainians fleeing the war.

“We would like to one day transform it into an educational space for Ukrainian children, not just in Larnaca, but all over Cyprus. We already submitted our idea to the government and it is under consideration by education ministry,” she said.

According to her, many Cypriot businesses have already said they are willing to help them in their endeavors.

“On Wednesday we had a meeting with a farmers’ association and they promised us they will provide us with tables, chairs and even televisions once the education centre project gets underway.”

CY4UA also helps refugees find accommodation in Cyprus, thanks to its members’ many contacts.

“We need to help everyone who is fleeing the country. Food, a house and clothes are the refugees’ basic necessities and we do our best in satisfying every request,” Anna said.

Last week, the deputy ministry of tourism said it had secured 3,000 hotel rooms in the country to offer accommodation to Ukranian refugees.

However, according to daily Philelefteros, only ten families fleeing the war are currently hosted in hotels, as the procedures for applying for accommodation are still unclear.

“We have to take matters into our own hands. People have left everything behind and they need our help in every aspect of their new lives,” Anna said.

She also has her own worries. Despite having lived in Cyprus for many years, part of her family is still in Ukraine.

“Luckily, I have my three children with me here, but my parents are still stuck in Kherson, which is under siege, and my uncle and his family had to leave Kharkiv after it was bombed and escape to Poltava in central Ukraine.

“We are all praying for this war to end but in the meantime, we have work to do and people to help over here.”

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