Ukraine: Power outages and cold leave deep psychological scars. Psychologists warn: "Self-reproach, sleep disorders and exhaustion are the result."

Cologne/Kyiv. Ukraine's energy infrastructure continues to be subjected to targeted attacks by Russia. Power outages lasting for hours occur daily in almost all parts of the country. Heating systems, water supplies, mobile networks, and internet connections are severely disrupted, particularly in major cities. With sub-zero temperatures, hundreds of thousands of people in the capital, Kyiv, alone are currently without electricity and heating.

Philipp Gliesche, program manager for Malteser International in Ukraine, reports from Kyiv: “Our psychologists warn that people’s mental health is deteriorating rapidly. Stress, especially in the east of the country and the capital, is no longer perceived as an acute reaction to specific events, but rather as a constant backdrop to life. Sleep disorders, rapid exhaustion, and persistent anxiety are the consequences. People feel they simply can no longer cope with the increasing crises and can no longer find peace. The elderly and people with disabilities are almost defenseless in this situation, as they have no means of escape,” he reports. “Temperatures are expected to drop well below zero until the end of January. We have already been struggling with constant power outages since October – but now, in the harshest phase of winter, being completely without heating intensifies the sense of hopelessness that many people feel,” says Gliesche.

Malteser International provides psychosocial assistance in several regions of Ukraine, ensuring that individuals and families have access to counselling and support. After almost four years of war, the psychological impact of repeated displacement, loss, and ongoing insecurity on the people of Ukraine is immense. Over the past four years, Malteser International has provided psychosocial support to more than 100.000 people.

Photo: Mental Health Service

Philipp Gliesche, Program Manager of Malteser International  in Kyiv, is available for interviews and sound bites.. Contact: +49 (0)221 9822-7181, katharina.Kiecol@malteser-international.org

The Order of Malta is a member of the alliance Aktion Deutschland Hilft and urgently calls for donations for those affected in Ukraine:

Maltese Relief Service e. V.

IBAN: DE10 3706 0120 1201 2000 12

Keyword: “Ukraine”

Online: www.malteser.de

Campaign Germany Helps

IBAN: DE62 3702 0500 0000 1020 30

Keyword: “Emergency aid Ukraine”

Online: www.aktion-deutschland-hilft.de