War and disease in Ukraine creating a ‘global trauma’

War in Ukraine is defining the 21st century, Australia’s largest overseas aid group has warned, describing scenes of devastation, desperation, and dire need.

War, disease and now the threat of nuclear holocaust in Europe has created unprecedented global trauma that will define the 21st Century, Australia’s largest overseas aid group has warned.

Speaking from the embattled central west of Ukraine which this weekend notches two months of war and occupation, World Vision Australia CEO Daniel Wordsworth is surrounded by devastation, desperation and dire need.

But he said the bigger picture is equally as worrisome with mental suffering on a world scale, created by the financial crisis, rising nationalism, Covid-19 pandemic and now a real threat of World War 3.

World Vision Australia CEO Daniel Wordsworth, from Melbourne, in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Picture: Jack Rintoul

Mr Wordsworth, one of eight Australians currently in Ukraine for World Vision, said everyone whether directly touched or not have faced prolonged exposure to crisis and the level of trauma for the average person was unprecedented and a broader developing crisis.

“There is a deep underlying fear here of nuclear weapons, Europe being destabilised and questions of are we unleashing the hordes, add that on top of what we have lived through … it’s unprecedented,” he said.

United Nations officially declares children from Ukraine are becoming refugees at a rate of one every second. More than 5.4 Ukrainians have left the country. Pictures: Charles Miranda

Mr Wordsworth was there at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and returned again this week, working with local mayors and the United Nations on a checklist of critical basic needs for families and children his charity could provide.

These include water, sanitation, food, shelter and cash grants for families who after two months of conflict have exhausted their savings.

He said uncertainty, instability and anxiety was not just being seen in Ukraine but elsewhere including Australia with social media notably TikTok sharing the tragedy like never before.

“The defining characteristic or emotion of the 21st Century is shock and surprise, something happening every two years and we all look at one another with shock,” he said yesterday.

Thousands gathered to light candles for Ukrainian soldiers killed in action. Picture: Charles Miranda

“We weren’t expecting the financial crisis, we weren’t expecting the rise of white nationalism, we weren’t expecting a global pandemic, we certainly weren’t expecting Europe to be in the middle of a war. So in an environment where the world was already – and I don’t use the word lightly because I know something of trauma – the world has gone through three things that lead to that – low level anxiety, uncertainty and instability as a planet for two years. That is prolonged exposure. So you’ve already got a world and Australians who are already fragile and then something like this happens, so there is an emotional connection (to Ukraine).”

Mr Wordsworth said the scale of things hit home when in Chernivtsi in south western Ukraine he saw a bomb bunker converted into a preschool, a scene he described as both ingenious and tragic.

World Vision Australia CEO Daniel Wordsworth with his staff visiting the border of Ukraine and North Eastern Romania to speak with local NGA staff. Picture: Supplied

“This is my work, I have been doing it for 27 years or so and I’ve been to every major conflict, disaster, refugee outpouring for the past 20 years,” he said. “Some of this is similar, some of this is different what is remarkable about here is … the amount of people moving and the speed of that movement and during winter is unprecedented, some say in just Europe but I was there is some of these other places, Congo, Somalia you name it and we’ve never seen this large scale movement of this type. Half a country’s children displaced which is what is happening in Ukraine.”