Caritas Australia confirms attack on Caritas-Spes Ukraine warehouse, leaving 300 tons of humanitarian supplies burned.

Caritas Australia has confirmed that on the night of September 19, 2023, Russian
troops hit an industrial enterprise in Lviv, where a Caritas-Spes Ukraine
humanitarian aid warehouse was located.

Caritas-Spes Ukraine is working to calculate the final details of the losses later,
as special services are currently working at the scene.

Caritas-Spes Ukraine employees were unharmed, but the warehouse with
everything inside burned to the ground. 33 pallets of food packages, 10 pallets of
hygiene kits and canned food, 10 pallets of generators and clothes are confirmed
as destroyed.

“While we are heartened to learn of the safety of employees on the ground in
Lviv, this attack will undoubtedly have human consequences” said Melville
Fernandez, Caritas Australia's Humanitarian Emergencies Associate Director.
“Relief supplies are a vital support for those affected by the ongoing violence,
which has resulted in civilians struggling to access water, electricity, healthcare
and food. Winter is around the corner, so reduced access to clothing is also a
concern”, Fernandez added.

According to representatives of the Archdiocese of Lviv, which manages the
warehouse, about 300 tons of humanitarian goods were burned in the
warehouse. The Archdiocese managed to save humanitarian transport vehicles
from the warehouse.

Caritas Australia is working with Caritas-Spes Ukraine and other Caritas agencies
on the ground to provide emergency and temporary shelter, repairs to homes,
heating, clean water, hygiene kits, food, protection and psychological support.

Donations can be made at: www.caritas.org.au/ukraine/

Media contact: Tara Harvey 0484 002 021 /  tara.harvey@caritas.org.au