Even in Ukraine’s ghost towns there are people – those who could not or would not leave

Three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the disaster relief organisation, the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), arrived. Three weeks later, I followed. As the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine is marked, I’ve come back, having been there a total of nine times.

I’ve worked with them since 2019 and I now sit on the executive board, but I also like to be on the ground. As a charity, we focus on rapid disaster response and crisis relief, working in three phases: immediate response, distributing food, water, hygiene kits, and medical supplies after disasters; short-term relief, getting essential goods, temporary shelter support, and logistical help to those in need; and long-term recovery, rebuilding homes, restoring infrastructure, and supporting community resilience.

Four years after the Russian invasion, GEM remains deeply embedded across Ukraine. Their Farm to Frontline programme moves food directly from local farms to the hardest hit communities, cutting delays and ensuring supplies reach people quickly and efficiently. In January, Russia carried out hundreds of long-distance aerial attacks, specifically targeting the country’s energy infrastructure. As a result, Ukraine lost more than half of its energy-producing capacity, and emergency power cuts have affected 80 per cent of the country.