Organisation · New solidarity · Czechs in Ukraine · N0031
People in Need (Člověk v tísni)
Людина в біді (Člověk v tísni) · Člověk v tísni · 1992–2026
Essence
The Czech humanitarian and human-rights organisation Člověk v tísni (People in Need) has existed since 1992. It has helped in Ukraine since 2014 (home repairs, water, psychosocial support), and after the full-scale invasion of February 2022 it launched the SOS Ukrajina collection, which according to Czech Wikipedia raised over CZK 2.45 billion from more than half a million individual donors. According to the organisation's brochure, its aid in Ukraine reached almost 1.8 million people in 2022–2024.
Timeline
- 1992Founded as Nadace Lidových novin; the founders include Česká televize, Jaromír Štětina and Šimon Pánek. [PIN01]
- 2014Began humanitarian work in Ukraine (according to the organisation's own 10th-anniversary article). [PIN02]
- 24.2.2022–26.2.2022After the invasion it began aid on the first day; the first trucks left two days after the war started. [PIN01]
- 2022–2024According to the brochure it helped almost 1.8 million people in Ukraine; the aid was worth CZK 4.7 billion in total. [PIN03]
- 7.10.202410 years of work in Ukraine: over 5 million people, over 29,000 homes repaired, 84 shelters restored. [PIN02]
Full research text
Significance
Člověk v tísni is a large Czech humanitarian and human-rights organisation, founded in 1992 as Nadace Lidových novin; Czech Wikipedia gives its legal form as a public-benefit company (obecně prospěšná společnost). [PIN01] It matters to this site because since 2022 it has been the main channel for private Czech donations to Ukraine. [PIN01; PIN03]
Activities in Ukraine
According to the organisation's 10th-anniversary article, humanitarian work in Ukraine began in 2014; by October 2024 there were over 300 staff in 11 offices in Ukraine and over 200 partners. Programmes: emergency response, home repairs (over 29,000), clean water, child-friendly spaces, school repairs, business-development grants, financial aid and a 24/7 psychological helpline. [PIN02]
After 24 February 2022 the organisation, according to Czech Wikipedia, began helping on the first day; the first trucks left two days later, 66 trucks and 17 trains in total. It funds local partners distributing food, water and hygiene items, restores water supply in eastern Ukraine and helped after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, and runs psychosocial teams, a telephone helpline, documentation of war crimes and help for refugees in Czechia, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia. [PIN01]
According to the brochure SOS Ukrajina 2022–2024, 539 staff worked in Ukraine; 461,441 people received food packages, 340,596 received water, 216,881 got hygiene packages, 188,979 financial assistance, 85 thousand psychosocial support, and 54 thousand households were helped with repairs of damaged homes. In two years the organisation helped almost 1.8 million people in Ukraine, and the total value of the aid is CZK 4.7 billion. [PIN03]
The SOS Ukrajina collection
Czech Wikipedia gives cumulative totals: over CZK 2.45 billion from more than half a million individual donors and over CZK 3 billion from institutional donors; the article gives no figure for 2022 alone. [PIN01] In the brochure's foreword director Šimon Pánek thanks donors and writes that thanks to Czech solidarity the organisation was at the forefront of immediate aid in most of Ukraine from the first days. [PIN03]
Discrepancies in sources
Start of work in Ukraine: Czech Wikipedia speaks of a presence since 2003, whereas the organisation's own 10th-anniversary article speaks of humanitarian work since 2014; these may refer to different kinds of activity, so the dossier gives both. Collective centres: Czech Wikipedia — 179 renovated or equipped, the 2024 article — nearly 70. Staff: over 300 (October 2024) versus 539 (brochure). Total beneficiaries: over 5 million (10 years) versus almost 1.8 million for 2022–2024 only; the figures cover different periods and methodologies. [PIN01; PIN02; PIN03]
All figures come from the organisation itself or from Wikipedia, which relies on it; no independent audit of these numbers was checked. Two donation pages and the press give still other totals of the sums collected, which the dossier does not use. [PIN01; PIN03]
Sources
- PIN01 Czech Wikipedia, article "Člověk v tísni": founding in 1992, founders, legal form, activities in Ukraine, the SOS Ukrajina collection (over CZK 2.45 billion from more than half a million donors), 179 collective centres; Wikidata Q3308718. About 100k characters were read, the rest is only links. cs.wikipedia.org
- PIN02 People in Need (peopleinneed.net), 7 Oct 2024: "We have helped more than 5 million people" — 10 years of humanitarian work in Ukraine: over 300 staff in 11 offices, over 200 partners, over 29,000 homes repaired, nearly 70 collective centres. peopleinneed.net
- PIN03 Brochure "SOS Ukrajina 2022–2024: Help, priorities and plans" (Člověk v tísni): 539 staff in Ukraine, aid worth CZK 4.7 billion, almost 1.8 million people helped in Ukraine in two years, 54 thousand households with repairs, figures on water, food, hygiene and psychosocial help; foreword by director Šimon Pánek. peopleinneed.net
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Verification
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Research draft with sources; independent check still pending.
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