On February 24, 2022 Russia Declared War in Ukraine. Airports were Destroyed, Water was Turned off, and Lives were Lost
War. Ukraine. No to The War. Help.
On February 24, 2022 at 5 a.m. US Mountain Time, I was notified that the company that I work for will not deliver our product to Ukraine anymore due to the conflict. My thought immediately went to my mom, brother, and uncle that live in Ukraine. They live in Mariupol, a city that is located right by Russia and that is a hot spot for the war. Please see the map below, the red arrows are pointing to the cities that were invaded by Russia.
The purpose of this post is to educate you of what is going on in Ukraine and particularly in Mariupol, and invite you to help in any way you can. First, I will talk briefly about why Ukraine is important. Second, I will talk about what is going on in Mariupol. Third, I will talk about how you can help. Please know that I have my information from my mom who lives in Ukraine and sees with her eyes what is going on. I do have some external resources but I compare them with my mom's words.
Why Ukraine is Important to Russia?
Ukraine is a border country in Eastern Europe and that means whoever has access to Ukraine, has access to two seas (Black Sea and Azov Sea) and to other Easter European countries. Ukraine is also number one potato producer in the world and the largest exporters of the grain. Ukraine has a very fertile soil and the land is rich with metals and oil. As you can see, Ukraine is very important country not only to Russia but to the world.
Situation in Mariupol, Ukraine
I message or call my mom on Viber everyday to see how she is doing and what is going on in Mariupol. On February 24, 2022 the water was turned off and citizens of Mariupol were scared and devastated. Yesterday, February 25, 2022 cold water was on again but the heat was turned off. My mom says that it is very cold in the apartment not only due to the heat being off but also due to the fact that apartment building in Ukraine were made from cement.
In addition to the heat being turned off, most grocery stores are closed, all of the banks are not working, and only few pharmacies are open. Even though few stores and pharmacies are open, the prices are beyond what a typical citizen of Mariupol can afford. Bombings and shootings is going on and off everyday and that creates fear in people who live there. Just today, in suburbs of Mariupol three people were killed and yesterday there were shootings by a school that is located only a couple of block away from where my family lives. In the area where my family lives (Left Region), it is very dangerous right now.
Consequences of the air raid of the occupiers
PHOTO: MARIUPOL CITY COUNCIL
Many people reached out to me and asked if my family can leave the city. The answer is no. Mariupol is surrounded by Russian troops. Now, there is an opportunity to leave to Poland, however, my mom does not have means to do that and there is no 100% that the move to Poland can be safe. Remember that my mom has a child with disabilities.
How Can You Help My Family?
The most important thing that you can do s to keep my family and Ukraine in your prayers. If you are not religious, you can keep them in your thoughts. You can also educate yourself about Ukraine (trust me, many people have no clue where Ukraine is located). Another very important need that my family has is the lack of money/provisions. Please click on Donate button on this website/blog and see in what ways you can donate. Thank you so much for reading this post, supporting us, and reaching out. It means a lot. I pray for all of you and ask for blessings for your family. Please read my next post that will go more in details on how my family is doing.
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