War in Ukraine: in Zaporijjia, an aid center for displaced people from Mariupol
Audio 01:29
The “I am Mariupol” help center opened in Zaporijjia, Ukraine, on May 05, 2022. © Boris Vichith/RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Russia remains “
ready
” to ensure that civilians holed up with Ukrainian fighters in the Azovstal factory in Mariupol are evacuated in a “
safe
” manner: this is what Vladimir Putin claims.
For his part, a commander of the Azov regiment, which defends the factory, affirmed that Russia “
did not keep its promise
”.
The UN announced that a new convoy was on its way to evacuate the civilians trapped there.
At the start of the week, a first group was able to be taken to Zaporijjia.
In this city, the authorities of Mariupol in exile opened since yesterday a help center “I am Mariupol”.
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With our special correspondents in Zaporijjia,
Anastasia Becchio and Boris Vichith
In a room transformed into a day nursery, while the parents are doing administrative procedures, a child draws a brick cube: "
It's Azovstal
", he says.
Here, the fighting in this large steel complex is on everyone's mind, says Yulia Drestviannikova, who was director of kindergarten No. 49 in Mariupol: “
What is happening in Azovstal is terribly painful.
We don't want to believe that it will end badly.
We hope they will be saved, we are waiting for a miracle, because they really are heroes
”.
Behind a screen, Lioudmila Shevtchenko, a doctor from Mariupol, examines dozens of people a day.
She has a small stock of medicines, but some are sorely lacking: "
We don't have vitamins and above all we don't have anxiolytics or painkillers, even though that's what we need most here
" .
Outside the center, several dozen people are queuing.
Valéria, her features drawn, waits her turn to register for a psychological consultation: “
My husband is in Mariupol.
He is a career soldier.
I have had no news for over a month.
The last time I spoke to him was April 2.
He may be a prisoner, or...
He may be stuck in Azovstal, I don't know
”.
The only small bright spot for Valéria: she finds in the queue a former neighbor who has just arrived from Mariupol, from whom she had not heard from for two months.
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