Since the war started, Integra provided food to more than 430,000 people in need
Seventeen Integral Members are responding to the Ukraine Crisis. In this Q&A we ask Allan Bussard, the Director of the Integra Foundation based in Slovakia, for his reflections three years on from the start of the conflict …
We are at the three-year anniversary mark of the start of the conflict. What are your reflections from being involved in the response since the beginning?
I have never seen such coming together, personal self-sacrifice, creative problem solving and enduring commitment, as I have had the privilege of witnessing among our Ukrainian friends and colleagues.
Can you give us an idea of what your Partners are saying and feeling right now?
If we think we are tired of the war in Ukraine, how much more tired of the conflict are the Ukrainians? There is no-one I know in Ukraine whose life has not been deeply marked by the conflict. People are exhausted, but they also know that they cannot give up.
In terms of the humanitarian response, what are the main challenges from your perspective?
The biggest current challenge is the sharp decline in financial support for a humanitarian response in Ukraine, complicated by the USAID funding pause. Also, the uncertainty of the future makes planning very challenging and yet people are asking for more help now to rebuild their lives and livelihoods, practically living out hope for the future.
How do you see the value of Integral in relation to your Ukraine response?
Our response without our partnerships in the Integral Alliance would be a fraction of what we have been able to do. Some of our fellow Integral Members are still providing support as they are able. Thanks to all who worked with us so professionally and sacrificially. Additionally, we have received enormous support from other Integral Members in building up our organisational capacity, (a special thanks to Medair and ZOA). Some of the early training and consulting from Tearfund Netherlands and Tearfund UK was also critical in our ability to respond to the needs in Ukraine, both in terms of quality and timeliness of our programming. The value of the Alliance to our work in Ukraine is enormous.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
It is clear that Ukrainians are a remarkably resilient people, when one thinks not only of the current suffering, but all they endured in the last century. Romans 5.3 says that “Suffering produces perseverance.” Ukraine is an illustration of this truth.
