How Ukrainians Are Staying Resilient After Four Years of War

As Ukraine enters its fifth year of the full-scale invasion, communities across the country continue to endure relentless attacks. Recent strikes in Kyiv and other cities have hit residential buildings and further damaged critical civilian infrastructure, compounding an already dire humanitarian situation.  

With temperatures below freezing, many Ukrainians — including Project HOPE team members — are facing winter without reliable electricity, water, or heat, on top of the heavy toll of four years of war. They are sleeping with their coats on, heating bricks on the stove to tuck under blankets for warmth, and traveling to designated “resilience points” to simply charge their phones and connect with loved ones.

“Right now, there is no water supply, no heating, and the sewage system isn’t functioning,” says Anton Korzh, a Project HOPE team member based in Kyiv, who was displaced from the Donetsk oblast.

Yet despite the immense challenges, Ukraine’s people continue to demonstrate extraordinary resilience, and Project HOPE team members continue to deliver lifesaving assistance across the country as part of our comprehensive health and humanitarian response to the war.

“I joined Project HOPE at the very beginning, and today I see how our help has become a source of support for so many people across Ukraine,” says Vira Topikha, Project HOPE’s Deputy Program Director. “What helps me keep going is the support of my loved ones, and the feeling that I’m helping those who are going through even more.”

Hear from our team first-hand in the video below: