this is how you can make donations in Midi-Pyrénées
There is an urgent need to help the Ukrainian people. The country has been bombarded by the Russian army for six days now and thousands of people have fled their country on foot. Solidarity is organized quickly in Midi-Pyrénées: several operations have already been planned and others will take place in the coming days. Nathalie Chatainier, Franco-Ukrainian and member of the Ukraine Libre association in Toulouse, explains on France Bleu Occitanie how to make donations.
A first truck has already left for Ukraine?
He left on Sunday. It contains various basic necessities, clothes, food, medical equipment. You know, the war has been going on for eight years, so the organization of humanitarian aid is not new. We have developed a network for years but urgently, we launched new appeals.
What do you need first?
First of medical help, the wounded must be treated (civilians and soldiers). We are working with an association, the AMCFU (Aide Médicale & Charitative France-Ukraine) which has already launched an appeal for donations to companies, clinics and hospitals which have massively responded to the appeals.
Individuals can also provide first aid equipment?
OUI bien sur. We have two collection points. The first at 97 avenue de Toulouse in Bruguières (open Monday to Friday, 9am-5.30pm and Saturday 2pm-5pm) and the second at 35 boulevard André Netwiller in Toulouse (open Monday to Wednesday, 5pm-8pm).
Several towns are bombed. Where do the donations go?
Medical aid goes to hospitals, it is a network that has been established for eight years. We also ask for specific medicines that come in special convoys. For other aid, they go to Poland.
How soon do you think the first refugees will arrive in France?
I would say, in the next few days even if we are talking more about weeks. We are now looking for families, for preparing. We have already received a lot of calls. You have to be able to connect one or more people, mainly mothers and children, since the men don’t come from Ukraine.
You are Franco-Ukrainian. How is your family who is in Kyiv?
She is fine. My family is not in “hot” neighborhoods. They hide as soon as there are sirens, they go to the shelters and they wait.
What do they fear the most, that this war lasts?
We hope it will stop. Ukrainians are resistant fighters, soldiers and civilians who volunteered.
How and where do you find hope?
In U.S. Putin, he can say what he wants but we resisthe expected to take us in two days and it’s been five days, we are resisting so there is hope.
A new demonstration is planned for Saturday morning in Toulouse (at 10 a.m., from the Jean-Jaurès metro). I think we’re going to have protests every weekend until this is over.