Families affected by Russian airstrikes in Kupyansk, Ukraine (archive). Interview | The structure of the “UN-female” helps Ukrainian women to cope with the consequences of the war for mental health Women The war struck a heavy blow to the health of the population of Ukraine. Women and girls are among the most vulnerable groups: they carry the main burden of forced movements and economic instability. In an interview with Natalie Minard from the UN news service in Geneva, Sabin Fraser Gunesh, the head of the Ukrainian representative office of the UN Grenais, spoke about the daily life of millions of Ukrainians and their emotional exhaustion. ~ 60 > 62 ~ UN news service: you are now in Kyiv, returning from Sum, which are located very close to the front line. The situation for civilians in cities is extremely difficult – shelling, air anxiety day and night. Kyiv mourns 23 dead, among which four children, as a result of the last major attack. How would you describe your personal experience of life in the War Zone ? 60 ~/P >~ 60 > Sabin Fraser: 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 ~ 62Living in the war zone, as in Ukraine, is very difficult. On the one hand, we, as UN staff, are not allowed to bring family here, and it is difficult to be far from loved ones. The attacks themselves most often occur at night. The main challenge is to survive a week when explosions wake you several times a night. Sometimes Kyiv is attacked for several days in a row, and sometimes it happens calmly for a week or ten days. But it is the lack of normal sleep that is the most difficult. Not so much fear as uncertainty: whether it will be possible to sleep all night or will have to run into shelter three or four times, check the news. Psychologically, this is very difficult. ~ 60 > main challenge – survive a week when you are waking up several times a night Explosions 60 ~/Blockquote > ~ 60 > UN news service: You mentioned a trip to a handbag, close to the eastern front. Many leave from there, but some people remain. How the UN and “UN-feminine” help them ?~ 60 > spinal: 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62It is amazing that Ukrainians continue to live in front -line cities, some of which are under shelling since 2014. In Sumy, only 20 km from the border, life boils – cafes, shops, young people are working for school. But behind this external “normal” life, a constant tension is hidden: someone has a husband or father at the front, someone was missing. We work closely with women’s organizations. After attacks, they tell us what help is needed. Most often – sets for women, especially the elderly, who stubbornly refuse to leave their houses. We also support projects: cultural initiatives, providing legal and psychosocial care, training in new skills. In the country, one at the same time has to overcome the humanitarian crisis and discuss recovery and development. ~ 60 > 62 > 62 >UN news service: Tell the story that especially touched you. 60 ~/P >~ 60 > SF: Yesterday I met six representatives of different NGOs. We asked what our cooperation helped them. I expected to hear about financial assistance, but they said: most of all they helped them “retreat”, which we organized in the west of Ukraine. Five days of silence, communication and sleep. One of the women said: “This is the first time in three years, when I was able to get enough sleep.” It was very touching – to understand that the return of a sense of normality can be powerful support. ~ 60 > almost everyone who lives in Ukraine for the last three and a half years, has problems with mental mental health 60 ~/blockquote > UN news service: what are the most common consequences of the war for mental health Women ?~ 60 >SF: almost everyone who lives in Ukraine for the last three and a half years has mental health problems. We always include the psychological component in the work. With women’s organizations, we provide not only humanitarian assistance, but also access to psychologists and psychiatrists. People suffer from injury, stress, feelings that they do not suffer enough efforts to something. We even when teaching women to new professions – for example, bus drivers – add psychological support to help believe in ourselves and overcome stereotypes. In addition, women are faced with the fact that their partners are returning from the front with PTSD [post -traumatic stress disorder], and they need advice on how to re -build family life. > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 > 62UN news service: do you observe the growth of gender violence and what is the situation with sexual violence in conflict conditions ? 60 ~/strong >> 60 ~ strong > spinal sexual violence in conflict conditions – a serious problem for Ukraine. Typically, this is ashamed to talk about this, but the Ukrainian government calls on the victims to seek help and compensations. The Office of the Supreme Commissar for Human Rights documented 484 cases. But this is only the tip of the iceberg, many cases do not get publicized, especially in the occupied territories. It is interesting that most of the documented cases apply to men – 350, against 119 women, mainly in places of imprisonment, among prisoners of war. Victims need prolonged psychological assistance, as well as legal liability and reparations, including financial support. ~ 60 > 62 > 62 > 62 ~Even in the western regions in recent months, people realized that they were not safe – blows are possible everywhere ~ 60 > UN news service: could the war become far from the front “Norm” ?~ 60 > SF: Ukraine there are huge regions where rockets rarely come. But even in the western regions in recent months, people realized that they were not safe – blows are possible everywhere. Now the whole country feels the direct impact of the war. ~ 60 > UN news service: what are the most acute problems in the support of women in Ukraine ? how the abbreviations affect the abbreviations Financing ?~ 60 > SF: financing reduction in catastrophically, they have catastrophically help Ukrainian women. Female human rights organizations were especially injured. In March, we interviewed 100 NGOs: 73 percent reported serious failures, 32 percent expected the suspension of work in the next six months, 67 percent had already fired employees, 50 percent awaited new layoffs. The most alarming – 60 percent reduced or closed services for victims of gender violence. Imagine: a woman who is in abusive relationships decides to leave and goes to the shelter, and no one opens the door to her – there is no more funds to work as a shelter. This threatens the future of small organizations that work far from the attention of international donors and now feel abandoned.