Derry urged not to forget about Ukraine as school sends shoebox gifts to orphans

A Derry man who recently delivered Christmas shoebox gifts from a Derry school to children living in Ukraine said the war still needs a spotlight despite heads turning to Palestine.

The boxes were collected by the pupils at Lumen Christi College and delivered by Peter Jennings who lives in Waterside.

Peter said the pupils and teachers were incredibly generous with their help for the second year in a row.

“This year there were over 500 shoeboxes and they went to an orphanage to give the kids there a bit of a Christmas,” he said.

“Last year Lumen Christi College made me very proud. The students and Ms McCaffery actually went overboard and then they did it again this year.”

Last year on his first delivery, Peter said the city of Bucha in Ukraine was 'like a slaughter house' but at least the war was more confined to certain cities. When he's there now violence is ‘widespread and the air raid siren is just constantly on’.

“You get soldiers who run out and go 'No, no, no, no, no, go that way, this road has land mines. There are tanks, Russian tanks and Ukrainian tanks, littered all over the place and debris everywhere. It's a mess.”

The shoeboxes and other supplies were given out across Kyiv, Bucha and Obolonskyi.

“Some of the children there, they're shell shocked and they just sit back in the chair and there's just no communication as such, their eyes just stare at the windows.

“They're never going to have a childhood. They're traumatised and there are very few social services on the ground.

“I know a lady, Mariana, she's very good. She's taking six children in right now and she feeds them and everything, she just gets bits and pieces from where she can get it from. I took some shoe boxes to her and she said 'it's not shoe boxes I need, it's blankets'. She said the weather is atrocious. It's so cold.”

Peter said they were able to give her some supplies including blankets, baby feed and porridge.

Peter's wife and children are Ukrainian and he lived there with them before the invasion so he feels a strong connection with the country.

“I came home two days before the war started, which was 22 February 2020. I came home, put the telly on and the news broke and then from that day, that was it, Derry Ukraine aid was born and the first load went out on 28 February.

“I still knew people and places to go to like Bucha, which was one of the first places I went to and it opened my eyes. I just thought 'this isn't right'.

“I came back after I had just spent a week out there and thought 'I have to do more'. I started going around getting more and more stuff. The people in Derry have been absolutely brilliant.”

Many outlets report the war is at a stalemate but that could soon change in Russia’s favour with military aid drying up.

Military aid from the US has been held up by US Republicans who blocked a bill so Democrats would agree to further restrictions on the US's border with Mexico. This bill would have provided $50bn to Ukraine and $14 billion toward arming Israel.

Hungary also blocked €50bn of EU aid to Ukraine in December. The EU is now preparing a back-up package worth up to €20bn.

According to a Politico report in late December, citing a Biden administration official and a European diplomat based in Washington, the White House is moving towards negotiation to end the war, which would ‘likely mean giving up parts of Ukraine to Russia’.

A soldier, priest and Derry man Peter Jennings in Ukraine

Peter said the National feeling is still that Ukraine will win the war.

“If you speak to a Ukrainian they say we will win. If you're actually on the ground and you see it for yourself, you think ‘how the hell are you gonna win?’

“It’s sort of stopped being the main headline now. Gaza has sort of taken over now. So the heat has gone off of it but if people could see what I saw over the last five days over Christmas.”

In December the UK Ministry of Defence said it estimates Russia has suffered up to 50,000 deaths and 240,000 injuries since the start of the war, in addition to an estimated 20,000 deaths of Wagner Group mercenary troops and 40,000 Wagner injuries.

In August, US officials said it believes Russia has suffered 300,000 military casualties with up to 120,000 deaths. The US officials say the Ukrainian figures are around 70,000 killed and up to 120,000 wounded. Ukraine has around 500,000 troops while Russia has almost 1,330,000.

At least 10,000 civilians, including more than 560 children, have been killed according to the United Nations in November.

Peter said many locals and Derry businesses have helped him bring aid to Ukraine. The Millenium Forum and Home Base have offered assistance as has The Reloved Charity Shop. Foyle SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin has also 'helped to no end’ and an 80 year old woman from Sperrin Park 'constantly' knits blankets to send over.

Lumen Christi College received a thank you letter from the Ukrainian Consulate in Edinburgh.