Foodbank Rus, Russia’s largest food bank, promptly organised deliveries of humanitarian aid for refugees from the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic, using its experience of industrial foodsharing. 63 tonnes of food and essential goods were delivered to places of temporary accommodation in Rostov Oblast.
Measures to support people evacuated to Russia from Donbass are coordinated by the #AllTogether operational volunteer headquarters. The headquarters consists of specialists from the Foundation regional branch, as well as representatives of the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps, People’s Front, Molodezhka ONF, the Red Cross, the Young Guard of United Russia, Volunteer Company, and other volunteer associations.
On 20 February, State Duma deputy Artem Metelev, co-organiser of #AllTogether campaign, flew to Rostov Oblast to help the headquarters coordinate volunteers and distribute humanitarian aid on the spot. According to him, the experience of working on the foodsharing initiative within the “Odobreno” project helped organise better and faster collection and distribution of food for refugees.
6,397 people, including 2,919 children, were quartered in 102 places of temporary accommodation in Rostov Oblast. Each of them needs food, water, and necessities on a daily basis. At the same time, dozens of commercial companies and non-profit organisations willing to help contact us every day. Foodsharing technologies and Foodbank Rus infrastructure enabled us to organise this work quickly: take humanitarian supplies from those who are willing to help and start handing it over to ones who need it.
Artem Metelev
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy, Founder of the Odobreno Project
The deputy added that all the municipal #AllTogether headquarters are currently mobilized, the volunteer reserve comprises about 800 people, however about 1,500–2,000 people are needed for normal operation.
Partners of Foodbank Rus delivered four lorries with food and goods to the headquarter’s warehouse for the first 24 hours since the evacuation began. More and more relief supplies were delivered subsequently. Total received relief supplies amount to 63 tonnes. It includes drinking water, hygiene products (wipes, pads, toothbrushes, toilet paper, soap), canned meat and vegetables, baby food, tea, coffee, biscuits, matches, disposable tableware, medical masks.
Yulia Nazarova
President of the Charity Foundation Foodbank Rus
Receipt and shipment of goods was organised operatively, as Foodbank Rus has been developing industrial foodsharing in Russia for 10 years. The work is based on contracted commodity donations from manufacturers, shops, and other organisations. The Foundation also has infrastructure in its own regional branches and volunteers to receive and distribute large consignments.
Effective shipment of food and basic necessities to the places of temporary accommodation is now organised in Rostov Oblast, where Foodbank Rus has its own regional branch. Other Foundation’s regional branches, located in the constituent entities of Russia where refugees are scheduled to arrive, are also ready to help people in need.
In addition to supplies from large companies and shops, the Foundation raises money to buy essential goods for people evacuated from Donbas and to organise targeted aid.