Desperate Ukrainian families fleeing Russia’s invasion of their homeland were “in tears” when a relief mission from Newcastle arrived with help.
Humanitarian activists left Tyneside earlier this week with vans full of food, blankets, and medical supplies to help civilians still inside the war-torn nation – and have now successfully driven across Europe and delivered the items donated by kind Geordies directly to those in need.
The 2,000-mile aid mission, led by city councillor Nicu Ion, crossed the border into Ukraine on Thursday and managed to reach Ukrainians sheltering in the city of Chernivtsi.
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Nicu spoke to ChronicleLive on Thursday night after safely crossing back into Romania and said that witnessing the plight of women and children fleeing the conflict, and the remarkable bravery of people defending Ukraine against the Russian forces, had been a “life-changing experience”.
The 42-year-old said: “I will never forget what I have seen there. I am so grateful that we were able to do this because the people in Ukraine needed encouragement and to see that the world has not forgotten about them. They were in tears when they saw us.”
The team from Tyneside dropped off donations of essential supplies to shelters in Chernivtsi, a city close to the Romanian border in western Ukraine that has been spared the violence so far and has become a short-term haven for people escaping Kyiv and other areas under siege.
Nicu, a Romanian who moved to Newcastle in 2012, said: “There was one elderly man there and when he saw us he started to cry, he was so emotional.
“They told us that they were praying to God that the war will end and that they will be able to welcome us back to celebrate.
“They were housing around 15 families in this one place and there were more coming. These people had come only with the clothes on their back and a suitcase – they need shelter, food, warmth.
“People were sleeping in churches or in houses that had been left vacant, one school was housing around 100 families.
“It is a survival game now. They are operating on a day by day basis and only thinking about what they need to do to survive until tomorrow. That is the reality of their situation and it is heartbreaking.
“When you are here and you look people in the eye, see their suffering and their desperation and the fact that they are in survival mode… it is a different experience [to watching on the news].
“They hugged us and were so happy that someone had come all that way for them. It is not just about what we brought, it is that we were there and could show we had not forgotten them.”
While Chernivtsi is yet to suffer any bombardment itself, Nicu said that people there were armed and “getting ready to be invaded”.
After launching just a week ago, the Newcastle Stands With Ukraine campaign has already raised more than £12,000 – with the explicit aim of delivering help directly to Ukrainians that are not being reached by other aid organisations.
The Elswick councillor and friend Elisei Serban travelled into Ukraine with a van full of supplies, alongside partners from non-profit Universal Emergency Relief, and hope to be back in the UK on Sunday.
They had originally hoped to go through Moldova and reach the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, but were forced to change their plans amid a looming Russian attack there.
A second van-load was dropped with another charity that was crossing from Romania to Ukraine by volunteers Rob Cameron and Simon Greener.
Nicu said he hopes the campaign will be able to continue sending more donations to Ukraine over the coming weeks and months, as well as sending funds for local aid groups in Romania to buy supplies and fresh food that can be delivered across the border.
