Four years on: Caritas Czech Republic continues aid to war-torn Ukraine
Four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, humanitarian aid from the Czech Republic continues. Among the organisations involved is Caritas Czech Republic – one of the country’s largest non-profits and a member of Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis. The Catholic charity supports refugees within the Czech Republic and delivers assistance directly in Ukraine. Evžen Diviš, Regional Manager for Development and Humanitarian Programmes in Ukraine, outlines what the organisation is focusing on today.
“We currently have ongoing winterisation projects in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. We also focus on aid to internally displaced persons still in the western parts of the country and on mental health support, which means adapting or reconstructing premises in hospitals or medical facilities that can then serve as so-called psychosocial support centres.”
What does aid look like on the ground?
“Our branch office in Ukraine was established already in 2022. Now, our main office is in Mukachevo, as well as a smaller office in Dnipro and one colleague in Kyiv.
“We implement partly directly, which is mainly the case when it comes to so-called hard components, such as reconstructions and adaptations of premises. For some activities or components of our projects, we also engage local partner organisations, which can distribute materials or offer training. We also cooperate with private companies.”
Caritas relies greatly on public donations. The public appeal Caritas for Ukraine has raised over 180 million Czech crowns over the past four years. Has financial support remained steady over those four years?
“When we first started, in the first couple of months, we relied almost exclusively on private donations from citizens of the Czech Republic. The humanitarian collection is still open and active. It has been our most successful public collection ever – so, my big thanks to all those, who have supported us since then. It, in fact, enabled us to launch our humanitarian programme in Ukraine as fast as we did.
“Besides that, we have been receiving so-called institutional funding from the Czech government via the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Czech Development Agency. We also have good cooperation with the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund that falls under the United Nations.
“And now we are, of course, somewhat concerned given the plans to cut the Czech budget for foreign humanitarian and development aid. It would affect our programme in Ukraine significantly.”
As you mentioned, the Czech government is proposing significant cuts to humanitarian aid, including to Ukraine. Can these cuts still be stopped?
“We hope so. We keep hoping that it will be possible to reduce the cuts by more or less. That's why we continue in our advocacy activities trying to convince decision-makers that the cuts would have multiple adverse effects not only on those who need help, but also on the Czech Republic in terms of security, migration flows and the good name of our country in Europe.”
On a more personal level, what gives you hope in your work? Do you ever see any tangible results?
“I have seen many tangible results since I started working for Caritas Czech Republic. When it comes to Ukraine, I can say that I am quite happy with what we have done so far. I have been to Ukriane quite often, including in the eastern regions such as the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk region, and I could see the results of our work. I had many opportunities to talk with local people –be it public administration officials, our partners, beneficiaries, ordinary people – and all of them expressed huge gratitude for what Caritas and the Czech Republic in general had been doing there.
“So, I can say that the work really does have sense. It does have measurable, meaningful and in many cases durable positive impact on specific people and on the country as a whole.”
In 2022, Caritas Czech Republic began its work in Ukraine by providing material aid such as food, medical supplies, and generators. After a few months, its focus shifted to assisting internally displaced persons in western regions and improving their access to primary health care. The organisation also set up modular housing for particularly vulnerable refugees. In 2023, Caritas launched its first winterisation programme helping people near the front line cope with the cold by providing coal, firewood, warm clothing, and home insulation. In 2024–25, it implemented its first development-focused project, working with Dnipropetrovsk hospitals to enhance the quality and accessibility of rehabilitation care.
