Southern Ukraine has since the Russian invasion become a scene of war of occupation, shelling and indescribable human suffering.
Even in areas not reached by Russian military forces, incessant bombing, damage to infrastructure and thousands of displaced people became an integral part of the crane.
The situation in the city of Odessa, the third largest city in Ukraine, made headlines last week when a large residential building was hit by a Russian cruise missile and collapsed on its occupants, with among the six killed instead a three-month-old baby.
The millions of citizens who are forced to live in the shadow of destruction and scarcity rely on the help of a huge network of local and foreign volunteers, who are harnessed to import, move and distribute necessary equipment to the needy.
At the heart of this vast network of humanitarian aid is Eliyahu Rufo, an Israeli citizen who has become another link in the aid chain and has mobilized to deliver the drugs and medical equipment so needed by civilians and combat forces.
Rupo moves between the city of Odessa, the largest city in eastern Ukraine, and the city of Mykolayiv, located near the front line and suffering from the horrors of war.
Scenes of destruction in the city of Mikuliev,
From a safe place in the city of Odessa, Rupo explains: "Mikuliev has been under severe attack since the beginning of the war. The city is being bombarded to wreak havoc and destruction.There are a lot of alarms all day but people seem to have gotten used to it.
Rupo tries to explain the plight of the people of Mykolaiv and says: "East of the city in the area between it and Kherson there are fierce battles with the Russian army aimed at conquering the city and from there conquering Odessa, so the city is on the fighting front. That for two weeks there is no running water in the houses. It is not possible to wash hands, shower, flush the toilet or wash dishes. The pumps cannot be repaired because they are in an area that is under massive Russian shelling. "It is open but most of the city's shops are closed and the movement of people is sparse. A lot of people have left but it is not a ghost town."
A building damaged by a missile in the city of Odessa, Photo: Reuters
Despite this, Rufo explains that the people are nice and there is a lot of sense of solidarity and volunteering, yet feeling tension in the air, and pressure that is hard to describe.
"People whose lives have been torn apart"
The conversation flows very quickly to the needs of the population and the volunteering that Rufo makes in an attempt to help assist the needs of the residents.
"There is a lack of first aid equipment, also for the bombed residents and the army. Professional arterial blockers, first aid kits, various bandages, iodine, etc. There is a shortage of all kinds of drugs, for example heart-related, we constantly buy and bring, even to a psychiatric hospital we bought drugs "They are forgotten. Also, many people run out of money so they can not buy basic food products and medicines and over time it only gets worse," he says sadly.
Rupo recounts his volunteer story and says: "I started my volunteering in Chisinau, I went there on 10.3 to help refugees there. I felt helpless to read the news about this terrible war and decided I had to do something. I speak Russian, I realized I could help, I packed A bag, I bought a ticket and flew to Romania, from there I traveled to Chisinau, Moldova. For three weeks I helped in the refugee camps, helping with logistics, support, problem solving, food supply, clothing and much more. I was in charge of a refugee camp of about seventy people. People who lived completely normal lives and suddenly had to hide for two weeks in the basement from the shelling and escape from their homes, leave friends and family behind.I saw a lot of signs of severe post-trauma.Not a simple experience.
Rupo, along with Ukrainian soldiers, is renovating a Jewish cemetery damaged by Russian shelling.
After about three weeks, Rupo decided to travel to Ukraine and help there.
There he joined a company that works in the field of medicine.
"She gave me a list of drugs that are very much missing there, for a few thousand dollars. I bought them in Chisinau, got a huge bag of first aid products from the excellent medical volunteer organization 'For Their Sake' and got on the bus to Odessa. A number.
Rupo's volunteering is not without its dangers: "I was in Mykolaiv for almost a week, sirens many times a day, the noise of explosions, I saw a bomb of a Russian plane at night and there were bombs that shook my windows. All this while there is no water in the taps Involved in what I do are the uncertainty about the future and the danger to life because of the bombings.
Medical equipment collected by Eliyahu Rup and for citizens of Ukraine,
Rufo explains that a great many people volunteer and help in any way they can.
"A lot of people mobilize to drive medicine, donate their apartments and vehicles to volunteers. I have already seen two cafes that have become staff of volunteers and there are many of them. There is no particular type of volunteer, each helping according to his will and strength," says the Israeli volunteer.
"Stopping Russia - Israel's interest too"
Rupo believes that the State of Israel can do a great deal for Ukraine: "There is a lot that can be done. Perhaps even on the issue of solving the water problem in Mykolaiv. The State of Israel can continue to send large amounts of professional first aid equipment; bandages, professional arterial blockers, first aid kits and the like. Equipment that is so lacking here.The Israeli first aid equipment is of a very high standard and very much appreciated here.
Russian soldiers during the fighting over Mariupol, Photo: AFP
"In addition, in my opinion, the State of Israel should provide the Ukrainian army with a lot of professional weapons and equipment such as night vision devices, vests, etc., as well as defensive weapons such as the Iron Dome, for example." Enemy armies, tanks, tanks, all Hezbollah missiles, Katyushas, Gradim, Kalashnikovs ... and the list goes on. Almost all the weapons of the terrorist organizations and Arab states that fought us were openly supplied and supplied by Russia. Evil that sows death in a world that must be stopped, to stop Russia and not let it take over Ukraine should definitely be in the main interest of the State of Israel in my eyes.
Invitation to donate
Rufo, who lives in Odessa, invites the Israeli public to contribute through his effort to purchase medical equipment: "I order medical equipment, arterial blockers, first aid kits and advanced equipment in coordination with my friend Mykolayev and a very efficient and brave volunteer staff. We receive requests directly from the military, doctors , A lot of requests from sick people who are short of medication and even from a psychiatric hospital, and bring it directly to even the most dangerous places.We desperately need your help and any donation helps save lives.
For donations:
Eliyahu Ruppo
Discount Bank
Branch 069
Account: 5202096
Or look: 0523808874
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