Two French humanitarian workers were killed and three others were injured by a Russian strike in Ukraine on Thursday. A drama which recalls the dangerousness of the terrain for NGOs in countries at war, who work in increasingly difficult conditions.
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A mixture of anger and sadness animates humanitarian workers present in Ukraine today. Two of their French colleagues died on Thursday February 1, and three other foreigners were injured. But like Sébastien Lambroskini, director of Acted in the country, they are well aware of the dangerousness of the areas where they operate: “We know the risks that our teams face. We know that it is dangerous. We know that there is no real consideration given to the civilian populations and humanitarian workers on site.”
Like many of his colleagues, he does not believe that humanitarian workers are specifically targeted. In Ukraine, everyone is in danger. “I think anyone being in conflict or bombing zones is ‘acceptable’ collateral damage, let’s put it that way.”regrets Sébastien Lambroskini.
Humanitarian needs still urgent
Under these conditions, providing aid near the front lines is a challenge faced by Madheb Ben Kalifa, country director for Humanitarian Generation Triangle in Ukraine: “There are still needs, there are still people who have not been able or who do not want to leave these areas and who have humanitarian needs. And we try not to neglect them despite the risks we run to go there”, he assures. The equation is difficult to resolve but it is impossible for the various NGOs contacted by franceinfo to abandon Ukrainians in difficulty.
