Four years of conflict have severely altered the lives of people living in eastern Ukraine. Over a million people have been forced from their homes by a lack of security, loss of livelihoods and damage to their property. Partially abandoned villages are mostly home to elderly people living in relative isolation, who struggle to afford daily necessities as they cope with rising prices and insufficient pensions.

Many of these residents are in desperate need of medical care to treat chronic diseases and psychological support to help them cope with issues of stress and loneliness that have been exacerbated by the conflict. Unfortunately, healthcare is often out of reach both physically and financially. Medical personnel are among those who fled the region, and many hospitals and medical clinics were damaged or destroyed by the fighting.