World Doctors Italy and the White Cross South Tyrol provide ongoing humanitarian assistance in war-torn Ukraine
Plans rarely survive contact with reality — particularly in a war zone. “Originally, we intended to support reconstruction efforts once the war had ended,” recall Toni Pizzecco and Alexander Schmid, presidents of World Doctors Italy and the White Cross South Tyrol.
When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both organizations responded without hesitation. For two months, they jointly established medical outpatient clinics to assist Ukrainian refugees who had fled to Slovakia. South Tyrolean Doctors travelled directly into the conflict zone to provide care, while the organizations, with support from the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, supplied medication and medical equipment to children’s hospitals in Kyiv and Odesa.
However, the conflict has persisted — and so has the need for assistance. Since 2024, World Doctors Italy and the White Cross South Tyrol have partnered with WeWorld, a humanitarian organization active in Ukraine. With the generous support from South Tyrol, they have successfully renovated a hospital wing in Velyka Oleksandrivka, located in the Beryslav region of Kherson Oblast, just 50 kilometres from the front lines.
The hospital had been overwhelmed, and its infectious diseases ward rendered unusable due to war-related damage. Thanks to the South Tyrolean initiative, heating, water supply, electrical systems, and lighting have been fully restored. Fixtures, walls, and floors were replaced, and the patient rooms completely renovated — adding 40 much-needed beds to the facility.
“This significantly improves treatment capacity and alleviates suffering among a deeply affected population,” says Ivo Bonamico, Director of the White Cross South Tyrol. “We’ve come to understand that reconstruction is not just for post-war periods — it is, in itself, an act of peace. Even during war, we must keep rebuilding to maintain hope for a better future,” adds Gabriele Janssen, Executive Director of World Doctors Italy.
