Young Romani activist from Ukraine: Stop this war! Ask your representatives to call on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine

Volodymyr Yakovenko, director of the Youth Agency for the Support of Romani Culture (ARCA), an NGO in Ukraine, has posted a message to social media seeking aid for the inhabitants of Ukraine currently facing a catastrophe in humanitarian terms as a consequence of the invasion by the Russian Army. “I am calling on the entire world community to appeal to your representatives to call on Russia and Belarus to withdraw their military units from Ukraine. Stop this war! We do not want this war, we want to stay alive!” he has said in his declaration, which news server Romea.cz is publishing in full translation below. 

Declaration on the situation in Ukraine

Just a couple of days ago I was calming everybody I knew, saying “There will be no war! Russia is just attempting to show their strength, they’re only flexing their muscles.”

I haven’t posted here for several days. In our home, the television is on all day long.

As I follow the news, it seems like a dream of horror, or a sci-fi film. It cannot be true! 

Despite all of my doubts, however, my country is now in flames! My country is being bombed!

I am in contact with my extended family and friends all over Ukraine. My sister and my nephews spent the night in an air raid shelter, hiding from the bombs and rockets.

This is a nightmare! This evening I welcomed nine refugees from Kharkov into my small home.

These people had not slept in three days because they had been unable to find any shelter and had decided to abandon their homes. They are practically only children and women.

They are not the only ones, there are many such people around us. I am calling on the entire world community to appeal to your representatives to call on Russia and Belarus to withdraw their military units from Ukraine. 

Stop this war! We do not want this war, we want to stay alive!

As a consequence of armed clashes in Ukraine, a catastrophe in humanitarian terms now threatens us. People have no jobs, their resources are running out, the entire strength of the state is concentrating on our defense, the population is fleeing war and abandoning their homes!

My colleagues and I are constantly being asked by our acquaintances and friends, getting messages from them – “How are you? How can I aid you?”

To summarize, friends, the board of our Youth Agency for the Support of Romani Culture (ARCA) has decided to open a special bank account. The financing will be used to cover this humanitarian catastrophe and to aid anybody in need. 

We will daily inform you about the financing arriving to this account and how it is being used. If you have the opportunity to aid us financially, please send money to our account.

Any amount currently has great value and we will be grateful for it. If you want to aid us in another way, please contact our organization. 

Volodymyr Yakovenko, director, ARCA