Ukrainian woman living in the UK says her parents live in ‘constant fear’ back home after their flat was destroyed in a blast as she raises money to help those trapped in the country
- Tatiana Bland, 30, who lives in Twickenham, is fundraising for those in Ukraine
- Quantity surveyor revealed mother survived a near-miss hit on parents’ flat
- She says refugees are being helped but not those stranded in war-torn country
A Ukrainian woman living in the UK has said more needs to be done to help those who are unable to flee the conflict.
Quantity surveyor Tatiana Bland, 30, of Twickenham, west London, was born in Ukraine but has lived in the UK for 10 years.
Her parents remain in her hometown of Mykolayiv, near the Black Sea, where her mother Svetlana, 51, lives in ‘constant fear’. Meanwhile Tatiana’s father Aleksander, 51, has been sent to fight near Mariupol.
Tatiana Bland, 30, who lives in Twickenham, has called for people to provide donations that will help those stranded in Ukraine. Pictured: Tatiana with her family
Tatiana said her father Aleksander, 51, is fighting in the South near Mariupol, while her mother Svetlana, 51, (both pictured) has recently survived a near-miss on their flat
The couple lost their home in a blast.
‘My mum was with my godmother at the time the shell hit but they managed to escape before the fire spread there as well,’ she told MyLondon.
‘They’re staying with some friends now but they’re reluctant to leave because both their husbands are still fighting.’
Tatiana explained that there was a period when she did not hear from her father for several weeks because he was defending the besieged port city, and feared the situation isn’t hopeful.
The 30-year-old is now raising funds to send aid to people in her hometown, hoping she will be able to make a difference
She believes more needs to be done people like her parents who are living through the war, not just those fleeing.
‘Everyone is helping the refugees leaving but not the people in Ukraine,’ she said.
‘There are plenty of towns where people are dying from starvation, and fast. This should never be happening in this day and age.’
The 30-year-old is now raising funds to send aid to people in her hometown, hoping she will be able to make a difference.
She has already raised £9,000 to purchase and transport food, clothing, and medical supplies.
Tatiana, who has played an active role in connecting volunteers in London with those in the west of Ukraine, described the efforts of the people in her local borough as ‘brilliant’.
‘Sending these trucks costs money, it costs over £2,000 just to send them from England, so the donations are great but we need to make sure those trucks actually cross the border and don’t just stop in Poland,’ she said.
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