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Zaporizhia shelters have received food packages from Metinvest and a national dish cooked by the famous chef.

Now Zaporizhia is home to thousands of the displaced, with some of them living in shelters. These are about a thousand people who had to flee their homes because of active hostilities.

Metinvest is among key providers of assistance to the IDPs. As part of the Saving Lives project run by Metinvest Group in concert with the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, people receive food, hygiene kits, clothes, etc.

Recently, about a thousand internally displaced people living in shelters in Zaporizhia have received food packages. This time, however, the packages included a ready-to-eat meal from the famous Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko, as well as a variety of canned food and pasta, in addition to the usual set of supplies.

“This week, we are delivering packages to five local shelters. This is about two tonnes of food. They include, among other things, Yevhen Klopotenko’s signature dish. It’s a pork dish prepared with an ancient recipe that is over 400 years old,” said Hanna Hlavcheva, project manager of the Joint Action Platform NGO.

The displaced say that this assistance stands them in good stead. For instance, a resident of the frontline Huliaipole Valentyna Konova has received food packages a few times.

“I’ve been living here for almost a year, and it’s not the first time we’ve received humanitarian aid. My pension is small, so any assistance is very important. We are sincerely grateful to everyone who helps and supports us through this difficult time,” said Valentyna.

Rimma Honcharova has received a food package, too. She came to Zaporizhia from the temporarily occupied Melitopol, and her biggest dream is to come back home and celebrate the victory.

“Zaporizhia welcomed us very warmly, but all my acquaintances are looking forward to the victory and a return home,” added Rimma Honcharova.

As a reminder, the Saving Lives humanitarian initiative was launched in the early days of the large-scale invasion to support Ukraine and Ukrainians. Over a year of the all-out war, Ukrainians from 70 local communities have received more than 4,000 tonnes of food and hygiene items. More than 200 companies from all over the globe became the project donors, with 400 volunteers and 10 foundations and NGOs joining the initiative. Over the year, the project has helped nearly half a million people.