These days, a tugboat filled with humanitarian aid to Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, has reached Ukraine. 28 pallets of food, medicines, hygiene products and other essential items were collected from individual Kaunas residents and business organizations at the support collection point in the yard of “Kaunas Energy”.

“Kaunas has become a kind of bastion of humanitarian aid to Ukraine for some time. Many benefactors are co-operated into groups to help our brotherly people, who are devastated by war. Not only the support is collected from residents or companies, hand-made panels for armored vests are being made, other necessary equipment for Ukrainian troops is being taken care of. Such a unified action of Kaunas residents for a common goal shows that the people of our city are really indifferent to the pain of Ukrainians going through the war,” – says Kaunas City Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis.

Most of the Kaunas residents are providing assistance through their own channels, trying to deliver humanitarian shipments directly to hotspots for soldiers, territorial defense forces, medical institutions and residents in increasing need. Meanwhile, Kaunas Municipality has been co-operating with partner cities in Ukraine (Kharkiv, Lutsk and Lviv areas) since the beginning of the Russian military invasion, trying to respond to their stated needs.

“We are really grateful to everyone who is contributing to humanitarian aid. People who remain in Ukraine and are surviving military attacks lack basic products. In such situation, we can all contribute in our own way as much as possible and any assistance is of special value, therefore we will not stop collecting the aid,” stated Head of the Emergency and Operations Centre of Kaunas Municipality Paulius Keras.

According to him, the truck that reached Ukraine is filled with the needed items donated by the municipality, Kaunas residents and socially responsible business organizations. Items include non-perishable food and drinks, bandages, various medical supplies, hygiene products for both adults and children. Additionally, there were collected 28 pallets of products requested by the representatives of Kharkiv. The support-charity foundation We Care also contributed to the organization of humanitarian aid, under the auspices of the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Kaunas – Vygandas Blandis.

On the first weeks of March, 6 buses with a humanitarian shipment successfully reached the city of Lutsk. Photographs and a gratitude addressed to Kaunas residents appeared on Ukrainian media channels. During this time, Kaunas Buses technically arranged and prepared 4 more buses for a long trip. All these Solaris, which have been cruising on the streets of Kaunas for many years, remained in Ukraine together with the transported cargoes.

The permanent aid collection point in Kaunas is located in Vilijampolė and is working on weekdays from 12:00 to 19:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00, in the yard of Kaunas Energy company at Raudondvaris pl. 84 (entrance from Brasta St.).

Residents and business representatives are asked to follow the following list:

• food (products with a long shelf life, food for babies and children);
• diapers (for children and adults) and hygiene products;
• personal cleanliness and toiletries;
• intimate hygiene goods (packages, pads, tampons);
• warm clothing and footwear (only not worn and tidy);
• bandage, medicines and other medicines (accepted only from pharmaceutical companies);
• well-functioning household appliances (kettles, stoves, refrigerators, washing and drying machines);
• furniture (beds, cabinets, shelves, kitchen tables and chairs);
• mattresses, bedding, and towels.

When selecting specific products or a group of products from the list provided, they are requested to be delivered only in carefully packaged form. When donating warm clothes or footwear, indicate the sizes on the packages. The list of support collected for Ukrainians is constantly updated on the Internet: ukraina.kaunas.lt

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