Is Ukraine’s Resolution 953 Hurting Help for War Victims?

The Fight Between Rules and Kindness in War Aid Work

Author: Ukrainian Volunteer, undisclosed

Introduction

On September 5, 2023, Ukraine made new rules about managing help given during the war. This was to stop illegal actions and people making money off this help. But it has caused problems, especially for volunteers and groups giving aid.

Background

When Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many people had to flee to the European Union. This led to a significant need for help. The whole world came together to support Ukraine. Aid came in large amounts from everywhere, including food, medicine, and clothes, straight to where the fighting was happening. But some people took advantage of this. Instead of the aid going to soldiers, it was sold in markets. Ukraine wants to join the EU and knows it needs to show it can handle things well without corruption. So, the leaders made Resolution 953 to keep track of aid better. But this might hurt the smaller volunteer groups that move quickly to send things like medical kits and protective gear that the government is too slow to provide.

Key Provisions and Objections

Now, anyone bringing in or getting aid must sign up on a special list and use a digital signature. They have to say what they’re bringing into the country, and it shouldn’t take more than 30 days to do this. After customs checks it, volunteers must report what they got and what they gave out within 90 days. But volunteers can’t use military letters for fast customs help anymore. It’s hard to know if they can get the aid to Ukraine in 30 days. They need to know precisely what they’ll get ahead of time, which is tough. For volunteers who buy supplies with their own money, the rules aren’t clear.

Implications

It’s essential to handle aid right and stop misuse. But the new rules didn’t consider the volunteers’ point of view, which was upsetting. After many people complained, the government started talking to a group to sort out these issues. At the moment, many are still confused about what they can do, and they are waiting for the government to clear up these problems.

Conclusion

The new law might make it so that only big volunteer foundations with many resources can help. We still don’t know if this will actually stop corruption. Individual volunteers and small initiatives are like a gentle summer drizzle, providing much-needed relief to dry spots on the ground due to their sheer numbers. To win the war and see happy children again, Ukraine needs unity and support for the soldiers. We must stop fighting among ourselves.

We must ask ourselves: if we don’t help, who will?