"Rebuilding Lives in Ukraine" Melissa Fleming…

"Volunteers from all areas of society have helped people who have been directly impacted by the war. They're cooking meals, giving clothing, giving money, opening their homes."

Karolina Lindholm Billing was posted to Ukraine less than a year before the full-scale Russian invasion. As the UNHCR Representative in the country, she draws hope from witnessing the power of community volunteer networks in supporting displaced people in their hour of need.

War has forced around one-third of Ukrainians from their homes, in what is currently one of the world's largest human displacement crises. UNHCR is assisting them with housing, cash, and legal assistance.

In this episode, Karolina reflects on Ukrainian resilience, the drive to rebuild, and why people long to stay in their own homes, even in a war zone.

"What I've seen so clearly during these last 600 plus days of the war in Ukraine, is how quickly people want to recover…So when we can be a little enabler of that recovery, I think that feels meaningful because the people I meet here, they are so incredibly strong and brave and determined, and I have such respect and admiration for them."