was posted to Ukraine less than a year before the full-scale Russian invasion. As the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR) Representative?in the country, she draws hope from witnessing the power of community volunteer networks in supporting displaced people in their hour of need.
¡°Volunteers from all areas of society have helped people who have been directly impacted by the war. They¡¯re cooking meals, giving clothing, giving money, opening their homes.¡±
War has forced around one-third of Ukrainians from their homes, in what is currently one of the world¡¯s largest human displacement crises. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR is assisting them with housing, cash, and legal assistance.
¡°What I¡¯ve seen so clearly during these last 600-plus days of the war in Ukraine, is how quickly people want to recover," she said.
"When we can be a little enabler of that recovery, I think that feels meaningful because the people I meet here, they are so incredibly strong and brave and determined, and I have such respect and admiration for them.¡±
In this episode of the podcast Awake at Night, Karolina Lindholm Billing reflects on Ukrainian resilience, the drive to rebuild, and why people long to stay in their own homes,?even in a war zone.
Listen to the?episode by tuning in on your or visit the Awake at Night website.
About Awake at Night:
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ podcast Awake at Night?is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their careers to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives ¨C from war zones and displacement camps, to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.
?
