Elenovka, the village in the line of fire: two years without peace and water

As a result of the shelling, the electrical system that provides water to Elenovka was interrupted and so far has not been repaired. A few months ago People in Need have repaired the damaged sector, but then the transformers were hit. Today the damaged part lays directly on the front line and neither side of the conflict is able to ensure safe access for technicians and thus provide a sustainable solution to the problem.

“Wateris life. We did not think about it before, but now we have learnt how to conserve it. We use the same water several times for cooking and then for watering the garden”, confesses Anna Petrovna, 75, who does not have enough money to buy water, because of her small pension.

Solution for 800 residents

The fact that this frontline village has been living without water for such a long time is visible everywhere. For example the shops along with the standard goods also stock large tanks of water. One litre costs around 2 rubles and for many villagers facing consequences of the war this is simply too much.  

For 800 out of 2,500 residents of Elenovka People in Need together with the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection department (ECHO) delivered at least a temporary solution. “We are providing water trucking for kindergartens, schools, hospital and local families in Elenovka, which is the only access to drinking water for them,” says Ana Podgornik, PIN's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program manager and adds that local authorities are delivering just non-potable water to the village.

People in Need pays for the fuel for the tractor (which drags water tanks), which is provided by the local administration, and safe drinking water comes from the filtration station in Dokuchajevsk a few kilometres away. “Every day we are delivering 4000 litres of water to Elenovka,” says Ana Podgornik and adds that for example the kindergarten receives 1000 litres of water every Monday and Thursday from People in Need.

The third summer without water

We are following the tractor, which drags water tanks into the kindergarten that has a beautiful name: "Nezabudka" (Forget-Me-Not). It is nap time now and all the children are sleeping. “Normally we have 45 children here, but now there are only 34 of them, as last night was restless due to the shelling. Nevertheless, the parents need to go to work and so they still bring us their children”, says Valentina Nikolaevna, the principal of “Nezabudka”. “We are using the water that you deliver to cook for the children and to wash the dishes. When we were out of water, we had to collect it from the nearest well and bring it here by ourselves”,Valentina Nikolaevna says. Except this they have non-potable water from authorities.

The tractor driver is honking loudly while driving to the end of Chapaeva Street to inform people that the aid has arrived. When he returns to beginning of the street, there is already a crowd of locals with various containers for water waiting for him.

"We are trying our best to save as much water as we can. For example, I wash the dishes without soap, so that I can water my seedlings,” says Elena, while pouring water from the tank in the large pot that she brought with her. "All my neighbours and I collect non-potable water from a well in our street. But it is very dirty," says Elena's son-in-law, who came to help the women carry the pots with water. "I work in seasonal jobs. My normal salary is 2,500 rubles (about 40 USD) per month. But this is the only kind of work you can get here," he says and adds that this money and Elena’s tiny pension is not enough for 4 people in their family to buy water and other necessary products.

Drinking water is a luxury here

Further down the street we meet Lyudmila Illarionovna, 65, who brings many plastic bottles out of the house. "Over the two years we have learnt how to survive. We use rain water for laundry and dishwashing, as drinking water is a luxury here," Lyudmila Illarionovna says. Once a week she collects 30 liters of drinking water. It means 10 liters of water for each family member per week.

"We want to switch back to a normal life. We want the shelling to stop. My family is tired of listening to it every night," Lyudmila Illarionovna says. "We want our children and your children not to know what it’s like to live here. We need peace,"Anna Petrovna, Lyudmila Illarionovna’s neighbor says.

We do not know when the war will end and when the residents of Elenovka will have free access to water again. But we know that until that happens, People in Need will do everything they can to make sure that these people have drinking water in their homes.