This is not a report, but rather our archive of important activities during the first half of 2023. As before, there are no pauses or vacations between these periods, but systematizing what has been done is also part of our work, which has undergone significant changes due to the full-scale invasion of russian occupation forces on February 24, 2022.

In January 2023, we reported on the receipt of the 98th humanitarian cargo from Paris. Now, at the end of June, the Committee has received and sent more than 140 shipments of aid, which are formed through cooperation with the SAFE Association (France). The term "logistics hub" cannot be avoided here, as important cargoes were sent from Uzhhorod to all regions of Ukraine. Civilians and the military, medics and rescuers, local agencies that work with the population, and our volunteer friends, with whom we have created a reliable logistics network, receive help there.

Speaking of logistics, we would also like to emphasize the deepening of cooperation with Nova Post within the framework of the "Humanitarian Post of Ukraine" project. In the first half of 2023, using the provided bonus account, we made about 250 free shipments. The cargo included mainly medical supplies and equipment, as well as chargers and communication devices, food, hygiene products, clothing, etc. We would like to emphasize that the Committee sends a significant number of parcels at its own expense – as part of its daily work and support of domestic logistics companies.

In May, our organization changed its name and also became a charitable foundation, but our purpose as the MEDICAL Aid Committee in Zakarpattya remained unchanged and a priority. For six months, the medical direction has been medicines, bandages, medical equipment and special furniture that have been sent to the east, south, center, north and west, because everyone needs such help. We are talking about supporting hospitals, clinics, stabilization centers, outpatient clinics, and medics in the army... The shipments include almost half a thousand medical beds, more than 500 pieces of medical equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, commode chairs, etc.), medicines, disinfectants, gloves, napkins, syringes, first aid kits, bandages, etc. In addition, according to the received requests, lung ventilators, medical refrigerators, defibrillators and other equipment were sent to domestic medical institutions.

There were still urgent needs for generators, of which almost 300 units were sent in half a year, convectors (nearly 2,000 units were sent), heaters (over 1,100 units), spotlights (over 270 units), solar-powered lamps (over 1,000 units), water canisters (nearly 900 units).

In June, the Committee sent a significant amount of aid to the south of the country, which suffered greatly from the terrible terrorist attack by russian troops at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. Generators, convectors, water canisters, lighting devices, cables, extension cords, and water purification tablets for three million liters of water were sent to the Kherson region in the first days after the tragedy. At the end of June, we managed to send 13 motorized pumps with a full set of equipment to Kherson rescuers, which will allow specialists to quickly and timely respond to emergencies in the region.

By default, there are regular shipments of hygiene products, food, clothing, blankets, disinfectants and antiseptics. In general, these are thousands of units, hundreds of boxes and dozens of pallets that went to different regions – both through delivery services and with the help of volunteers.

The year 2023 was marked by the fact that three shelters in the region became fully operational – in Tyachiv and Nyzhnye Selyshche, where the MACZ purchased buildings for temporary accommodation facilities for IDPs, and in Uzhhorod, where the Committee’s volunteers are directly involved in organizing the daily life of the residents and accompanying them. If necessary, people receive psychosocial and legal assistance, including on-site legal consultations. Recently, such a consultation had taken place in Tyachiv, where the shelter residents received answers to their questions about compensation for destroyed housing or damaged property from the Committee’s lawyer. Realizing that the war is ongoing, we continue to support internally displaced persons who were forced to leave their homes due to the consequences of russian military aggression.

Do you remember our story from last year about 11 brand new ambulances for Ukrainian hospitals? We are not resting on our laurels – together with our French partners, we delivered two ambulances to our doctors and soldiers. But perhaps the most memorable story is the one about the excavator. In March, MACZ responded to the request from the NGO "Because We Can" (Chernihiv) and with the financial support of the first French-language newspaper "Ouest-France" and with the help of our friends from the SAFE Association purchased a small but very powerful special vehicle. The excavator is now working in the de-occupied settlements of Chernihiv region.

We are pleased to talk about our successes in international cooperation at the level of key diplomatic institutions of the EU countries. The beginning of 2023 was marked by the successful implementation of a project supported by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France), which significantly helped doctors and rescuers in Zaporizhzhia. And the first half of the year is ending with the start of a large project "Improving the protection of children in emergencies in Ukraine by providing safe shelters, food and non-food items, and psychosocial support", implemented by our charitable organization in cooperation with the NGO "Happy Children" with the support of "terre des hommes Deutschland e.V." and funding from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The project envisages the development of social institutions, repair work in shelters, and the creation of additional conditions for receiving high-quality medical services in Zakarpattia region. All of these initiatives are certainly beneficial for Ukraine and Ukrainians, and they also demonstrate the high level of recognition of the subjectivity of our civil society institutions.

Despite the new challenges of the war, the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya continues its activities in the educational and legal fields, and takes care of social welfare institutions, in particular the Social Abilitation and Rehabilitation Centre "Parasolka" and the Vilshany Children Orphanage. In the spring, as part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Cooperation between UzhNU, AEPSP (Association Européenne de Psychologie Sapeur-Pompier, European Association of Fire Rescue Psychology) and the Laboratory of Psychology and Neurocognition of the Université Savoie Mont Blanc, UzhNU hosted theoretical training for lecturers of the Faculty of Health and Physical Education, the Faculty of Postgraduate Education and the Faculty of Medicine in emergency psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy. At the same time, a seminar for social workers, shelter staff, volunteers, and psychologists who work with internally displaced persons in war conditions was held in Nyzhnye Selyshche, Khust district. The event was held by the Committee as part of its activities as a co-coordinator of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Technical Working Group in the region.

In Vilshany, we managed to catch up with the work involving foreign specialists, which had been postponed due to the outbreak of a full-scale war. Specialists from Switzerland Pia Werthmüller and Chantal Moor worked at the orphanage. They held a series of master classes in the ceramic workshop and then visited the Social Abilitation and Rehabilitation Centre "Parasolka" in Tyachiv as part of their introductory visit.

In March-April, three important events for the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya took place in Switzerland – meetings of our charitable organization’s partner associations. Thus, members of the Committee took part in the general meeting of the Parasolka Association (Switzerland), the NeSTU Association (Network Switzerland-Transcarpathia/Ukraine) and the coordination meeting of the European Public Forum. Then, MACZ joined the peaceful action in support of illegally imprisoned persons and captured defenders of Ukraine, which took place near the walls of the main residence of the Swiss Confederation in Bern. For the Committee, the action was not an ordinary event and was not impersonal, because our friend, journalist and human rights activist Maksym Butkevych, is now a prisoner of terrorists from the so-called "luhansk people’s republic". All of us are trying to do everything in our power to bring Ukraine’s defenders home, thereby restoring justice.

All of this is part of the ongoing daily work that involves everyone involved in the Committee’s activities. Joint efforts allow us to expand the directions of our activities and move forward. And now the most desirable result of the efforts made for each of us is the Victory of Ukraine.

So let’s keep working!