The safety and security of vulnerable people in Ukraine

The world in which we live continues to change for the worse as we saw last week. If you are a country that does not invest in military ware, then your citizens are going to be vulnerable to attack.

 Now we know the reasons why many countries invest heavily in military hardware. To try and protect their boundaries. Many countries manufacture and purchase ammunition in amounts that exceed their spending on services to their people. They can afford arms in abundance but the expectant mother may fail to find such abundance in a healthcare facility. That is why the humanitarian world is trying to solve the current vulnerability crises around the world. Yet they continue to be woken up by newer wars – requiring more relief support.

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 So, Russia and Ukraine have been working hard to rekindle a feud that was halted some years ago. It was imminent and so they didn’t surprise so much when heavy shelling rocked Ukraine on Thursday morning last week. And we now see that Kyiv is on fire. Disagreements mean leaders of these countries cannot see eye to eye in some aspects. The big man in Moscow has decided that the military way will be the way to go. That is why on Thursday morning, the people in Kyiv woke up to sounds of “boom”, as explosions from aerial bombardment fell on civilians, indiscriminately. This is happening in the midst of Europe. Recall that Ukraine is a country whose people have not been peaceful. They have already had their share of suffering, where eight years of conflict, violence and insecurity has meant that this is not new in that country. The escalation of this conflict is surely going to have very serious end results for the vulnerable people of Ukraine. And at least one million people were already displaced. We expect more displacements if such disregard for humanity continues. And as always, these people will need some assistance, as the war will deprive them of basic needs.

 They are not going to access food because it is not safe to go out and find food. No shelter, because their houses have been attacked and are in rubles. They continue to be boomed. All those things that need people to go out and about, like schooling for the kids will be difficult to happen. It is a war situation and everybody must stay indoors. The annoying thing is the indiscriminate shelling of civilian-occupied areas. The humanitarian community predicts that millions of people are going to be forced to leave Ukraine for other European countries. The problem is so close, and so Ukraine’s neighbours should prepare to welcome new arrivals.

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Whatever the disagreement, our thoughts are with the vulnerable people of Ukraine – children and young people, the elderly, expectant mothers; and the sick.  We are concerned about their safety, their lives and their wellbeing. Families that are forced to leave their homes must be allowed to seek refuge and support. We hope that they find secure places for temporary settlement.

 So, we urge all parties to give vulnerable people unhindered access to humanitarian aid. And aid agencies are able to reach out to these suffering communities. It, therefore, means that there is a need to create an effective response that will meet the specific needs of these populations immediately but also in the long term. Let the international and humanitarian community take steps to ensure that all vulnerable people are protected. The European Union will be enforcing this increased need to protect their own, unlike our Africans and Asians, who are bounced off 3-meter barrier walls. The EU has to provide leadership, to stop the animosity in Ukraine. It is very important for the EU countries to show the humanitarian world that they are on top of the humanitarian situation of the people from Ukraine. That they can manage and control new arrivals in an orderly manner. Ultimately, the safety and security of vulnerable people should prevail.

Simon J. Mone, [email protected]