Ukraine: equipment for shelters

For children in Ukraine, air-raid sirens mean fear, unease and anxiety. For many, they are an almost daily occurrence: during lessons, at play, at mealtimes or during their afternoon nap. Often, hours must be spent in a shelter. Shelters have thus become a permanent part of both the educational setting and everyday life.

When people live from one air-raid alert to the next, this kind of support is indispensable and of great importance. That is why Green Cross Switzerland, together with its local partner organisation Green Crystal, is helping to improve the equipment of shelters in schools, nurseries, medical facilities and other public institutions.

Safety means more than just strong walls

A shelter should be a place where children and adults are not abruptly cut off from their lives, even during prolonged periods of danger. School desks, chairs, sofas and cupboards are more than just furniture: they make a crucial difference to the daily lives of those affected.

Thanks to this support, a child can sleep more comfortably and write at a desk, and a teacher can conduct lessons just as they would in an ordinary classroom. An elderly person or a patient no longer has to wait out the hours in an empty basement without even the most basic equipment.

Support tailored to needs

The project is being implemented in various communities and institutions in our focus region of Chernihiv. Not only does the region continue to face regular missile and drone attacks, it is also still marked by the socio-economic consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The equipment provided is always tailored to the specific needs of each institution.

The support provided so far includes:

• Sosnytsia: 56 benches, 16 desks with pedestal units, 35 cupboards and 50 sofas;
• Pryluky: 60 benches, 20 desks with pedestal units and 50 sofas;
• Konotop: 60 benches, 200 school desks, 400 chairs, 20 desks with pedestal units and 50 sofas;
• Koriukivka: 24 benches, 14 desks with pedestal cabinets, 24 pupils’ desks, 14 cupboards, 50 sofas, 4 beds and 4 mattresses;
• Novhorod-Siverskyi: 694 chairs, 69 sofas, 347 pupils’ desks and 34 benches.

In total, more than 2,000 pieces of furniture have already been provided for shelters. The need remains great, which is why the project is continuing without interruption. By the end of 2026, the following are to be provided in addition:

• 200 school desks
• 400 chairs
• 18 tables for teachers and staff
• 35 cupboards
• 50 benches
• 50 sofas

We are also planning further support with local communities and institutions, always based on the most urgent needs of each individual shelter.

Conclusion: We cannot change the fact that people are forced to spend so much time in shelters. But we can make the time spent in these emergency shelters safer and more comfortable. As long as shelters remain part of children’s everyday lives, it is of the utmost importance to Green Cross that they continue to have space to learn, to rest and simply to be children.