Pavlohrad, Ukraine – in what was once a concert hall on this city in eastern Ukraine, Cots are organized on stage. Instead of music, the room is stuffed with muffled sobs of local residents expelled from their homes, fighting in almost three years War with Russia.
They have the last progress of the Russian army absorbed cities and villages in the area. The Pavlohrad concert hall was demanded as a temporary center of local civilians escaping from the relentless Russian bombing.
“It’s good here. There is food, warmth and place to wash, “said 83-year-old Kateryna Odraha, who survived the Nazi German occupation of her village during World War II.
This shelter can now be in peril.
Shelter costs the equivalent of USD 7,000 per 30 days, and 60% of them were covered by American funds sent to Ukraine.
Decision of President Donald Trump last week Freeze for 90 days Humanitarian aid, which the United States provides to countries abroad, was felt in places away from Washington, including here, a few kilometers (miles) from the front line in eastern Ukraine.
Trump’s decision immediately detained hundreds of humanitarian, development and security programs financed by the USA. They have the consequences Farped around the world.
“This message was sudden and unexpected,” said Illia Novikov, the Pavlohrad Transit Center coordinator, run by the Coordination Center for a Charity Organization. “At the moment we have no idea what the future will bring.”
He said that the US funds included fuel for escape vehicles, remuneration for help employees, legal and psychological support and tickets that might help evacuate safer locations.
Usually about 60 people undergo the shelter daily, but when the Russian bombing gets worse, it may well climb over 200, according to Novikova.
Many people going here spent months living in the basement without electricity, running water or enough food.
58 -year -old Vasyl Odraha remained in its local village for months, even when artillery fire and Russian hits of bombs with a guide became more frequent when the war was approaching.
He said that he initially believed that Trump would stop the war inside 24 hours of taking office, As he promised During the election campaign.
“We attached our hopes in Trump’s election,” he said, sitting on a cot next to his 83-year-old mother.
When the fight didn’t stop, and the front line moved to lower than 3 kilometers (2 miles) the place where they lived, they escaped at dawn.
“If we hadn’t left, we would die the same night,” said Kateryna Odraha.
Throughout Ukraine, many other sectors revolve after Freeze, which is able to moreover burden the stretched funds during the war of Ukraine.
They influenced energy projects, veterans, psychological programs, cyber security, healthcare, independent media, and even border infrastructure projects. Help was to help organize the influence of the war.
Ukrainian president Says Volodymyr Zelenskyy His government expects $ 300-400 million to help. Most of them concerned the energy sector, which was the goal of Russia.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine hopes for a shortage of European help or internal sources.
According to Zelenskyy, the US military assistance was not frozen, but Ukraine received only about 42% of the money approved by the Congress.
There isn’t any clear sign that the war could also be close to the ending, and because of this Ukrainian civilians will need more help.
“Evacuations will last for a long time,” said Novikov, coordinator of the transit center. “There may be new front lines, new, affected by communities, so we must be prepared for help.”
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Samya Kullab and Susie Blann journalists contributed.