East SOS Provided Support to Zaporizhzhia Residents Following russian Shelling
On March 14, russian forces struck the center of Zaporizhzhia with four guided aerial bombs. The attack killed one person and injured at least 13 others, including a 17-year-old boy in critical condition. Several areas of the city sustained damage to high-rise and private homes, vehicles, and critical infrastructure.
The East SOS team promptly arrived at the strike sites to support residents of the affected buildings.
At the locations, the Foundation’s specialists provided assistance to those who sought help directly:
- 19 legal consultations on submitting compensation claims under the “eRecovery” program, as well as on inheritance and housing privatization issues;
- 17 social consultations on available assistance and next steps;
- 6 psychological consultations, including ongoing support for two individuals.
“The situation at the site is extremely tense: some apartments have been completely destroyed. We provided combined support – both initial psychological assistance and guidance on the ‘eRecovery’ program. Colleagues from other organizations were also working on site, accompanying residents to their homes to retrieve essential documents. Our team will remain in contact and continue providing social and psychological support to a teenager whose apartment was destroyed and whose parents are currently abroad, as well as to a relative of a 96-year-old man injured in the blast,” said Valentyna Zakharchenko, Psychologist at East SOS.
The Foundation’s specialists also assisted residents in the Shevchenko district of Zaporizhzhia. In many cases, the support took the form of brief conversations, explanations, and immediate psycho-emotional assistance.
“This time, the destruction is extensive – people are in despair, as almost nothing inside their apartments has survived. We worked with acute stress reactions and shock; many individuals felt physically unwell, and we had to help locate medical support. We shared contact details of our center in Zaporizhzhia with everyone we spoke to, where they can receive further psychological support in a calm and safe environment,” Svitlana added.
If you or your loved ones are in Zaporizhzhia and need assistance, please contact the Zatyshno Space psychosocial and legal support center operated by East SOS.
Zaporizhzhia, 3 Pivdennoukrainska St. (Myr St. bus stop)
+38 (097) 021 41 53
Psychosocial support is provided within the project “Protection and Essential Psychosocial Support for War-Affected Residents in Frontline Areas,” with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office.
Legal assistance is delivered as part of the project “Comprehensive Humanitarian Assistance to Conflict-Affected Ukrainians and Third-Country Nationals in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and Moldova,” implemented with the support of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
