Donbass and Civilians

The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation is holding an exhibition of original photographs "Donbass and Civilians" at the European Parliament in Strasbourg during this week’s plenary session.

Charles Tannock MEP hosted a reception to enable parliamentary colleagues understand the visual impact of the war in the East of Ukraine on the daily life of civilians caught up in the crossfire of the conflict.

“The main goal of the exhibition is to draw attention to the tragedy of Donbass, and the outstanding work of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation,” said Mr Tannock.” The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation began delivering aid 5 years ago and continues to do so today. Over 12 million food packages have been delivered to the citizens of Donbass. Thanks to these packages people who live along the contact line survive.

The conflict is not front of mind in international foreign policy, but the residents of Donbass still need humanitarian assistance. 6.5 million people, have had their peaceful lives disrupted by the war; their way of life shattered, families torn apart, homes destroyed, friends and relatives killed and injured.

The Exhibition in the Parliament presents black-and-white collages from the photo book "Donbass and Civilians", color photographs of the destroyed houses and their inhabitants, and video films of children who have seen the effects of the war with their own eyes.

“Now hope comes to their lives through the empathy, understanding and the vital humanitarian assistance. A native of Donbass, Rinat Akhmetov, who acutely feels the agony of his countrymen, who from the first days of the war has understood their plight, empathized with them and offered a helping hand. In 2014, under the auspices of the Foundation, he created the largest humanitarian program in Ukraine – the Humanitarian Center. More than a million people have been saved from the beginning of the conflict in 2014. According to a survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology, 85% of the region’s inhabitants would not have survived without his help. Almost 57% of Ukrainians surveyed are convinced that the work of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation prevented a humanitarian catastrophe in the Donbas.”- said Natalia Yemchenko, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.