was posted to Ukraine less than a year before the full-scale Russian invasion. As the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative?in the country, she draws hope from witnessing the power of community volunteer networks in supporting displaced people in their hour of need.
“Volunteers from all areas of society have helped people who have been directly impacted by the war. They’re cooking meals, giving clothing, giving money, opening their homes.”
War has forced around one-third of Ukrainians from their homes, in what is currently one of the world’s largest human displacement crises. UNHCR is assisting them with housing, cash, and legal assistance.
“What I’ve seen so clearly during these last 600-plus days of the war in Ukraine, is how quickly people want to recover," she said.
"When we can be a little enabler of that recovery, I think that feels meaningful because the people I meet here, they are so incredibly strong and brave and determined, and I have such respect and admiration for them.”
In this episode of the podcast Awake at Night, Karolina Lindholm Billing reflects on Ukrainian resilience, the drive to rebuild, and why people long to stay in their own homes,?even in a war zone.
Listen to the?episode by tuning in on your or visit the Awake at Night website.
About Awake at Night:
The UN podcast Awake at Night?is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their careers to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps, to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.
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