Irina*, 60, lived in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Her life changed completely after what was supposed to be a quick errand turned into a horrific ordeal. Irina recalls, “It was the morning of April 6, when I went to the grocery store to get bread.” As she returns to the events of that day, tears well up in her eyes. She had no idea she would find herself in the centre of a bombing.

The explosion left her momentarily unconscious. When she came out of the darkness, she found herself on the ground. A huge fire was blazing nearby. Her legs were badly injured, but Irina felt no pain or fear—she was in shock. She and several others who were wounded were transported to hospital on an emergency bus.

“I was lying on the floor of the bus and they bandaged my injured legs. They had no medicine. A lady was lying next to me. She succumbed to severe injuries. They did not have time to transport her to the hospital. She left behind her daughter, only 12 years old,” Irina says through tears.

Loss and Displacement

At the hospital, doctors treated Irina’s injuries, but her left leg was so badly damaged that it had to be amputated. The hospital was overcrowded with wounded people—many of them soldiers—and Irina was discharged after only six days.

The bombing cost Irina more than her leg. It also destroyed her home. The neighbourhood where she lived was reduced to rubble and wrecked buildings. With nowhere to return, Irina sought refuge in Lviv, staying in a religious building that was transformed into an asylum as hostilities escalated in Ukraine in late February 2022. There, she joined many others displaced by the conflict and received shelter, food, water, and basic hygiene items.

Irina has an adult son and daughter who live in an area under Russian occupation. She worries deeply about their safety, but communication is difficult due to power outages and limited mobile phone reception.

Steps Toward Healing

World Renew has been supporting the local work of an Integral Alliance peer member responding to the needs of people affected by the conflict. “We decided to help Irina,” they shared. “We cannot influence many things. However, we will try to improve her life so that she can walk again and become more independent.”

Plans were made to have Irina fitted with a prosthetic leg. “The first step will be a visit to a specialized orthopedic prosthetics facility in Slovakia to manufacture a custom-made prosthesis for her left leg. We would also like to provide rehabilitation support, which will include temporary accommodation in Slovakia.”

Beyond Immediate Needs

The needs of people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine extend far beyond food, water, and shelter. Many carry deep physical and emotional scars, like Irina.

Please continue to pray for healing for those who have survived bombings and for those who have witnessed immense suffering. Pray for people who remain displaced, for those separated from loved ones, and for the safety of humanitarian workers providing emergency assistance. And pray for peace in Ukraine, and in all places around the world where conflict continues to rob people of safety, stability, and hope.

*Name has been changed to protect identity