Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has set up a mobile kitchen in Ukraine’s Chernihiv, a city exposed to violent clashes and air strikes since the first days of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Chernihiv has been a hot spot for clashes between the warring sides since March and the fighting has wreaked havoc on the city, leaving locals without proper access to food. The mobile kitchen set up in the city at a time when its infrastructure is damaged offers a lifeline for the affected population who line up daily outside.

Hot meals are essential for the population of Chernihiv, which is located near the border with Belarus, as it feels the bite of winter. Sixty-two-year-old Tatiana is among them. "We are grateful to Türkiye. This is an important aid for everyone in the city and people appreciate it," Tatiana, who received meals and tea for her family living in a damaged house, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday. Vitaly Chug, who not only lost his job but his also his mother, who died of a heart attack during a bombardment, echoes the sentiment and thanks Türkiye.

Along with the kitchen, AFAD reaches out to people who cannot visit the kitchen through its volunteers who distribute meals to houses in different neighborhoods daily.

Vera Khomenkovo visits the mobile kitchen with her 8-year-old granddaughter Yeva. She says although their house was damaged in the clashes, they managed to repair it for the most part. On Privitna Street where they live, many people suffer from the consequences of the conflict and are in need of humanitarian assistance. She thanked AFAD for the meals.

Since August when the mobile kitchen first arrived, AFAD has provided meals to more than 61,000 people. Every day, it caters to around 550 people. AFAD was among the first responders that provided humanitarian assistance in Ukraine and delivered meals to tens of thousands of people through its mobile kitchens.

AFAD is among a number of Turkish charity groups delivering humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, along with the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and others. Turkish charities set up mobile kitchens and sent food and basic humanitarian aid to thousands affected by the conflict since it began earlier this year.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says some 9.3 million people require food and livelihood assistance in Ukraine. OCHA said in a statement last week that its partners delivered food to cover the needs of about 1.4 million people in 24 Ukrainian oblasts and the capital Kyiv between October and November.

Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a role as a mediator by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread appreciation for its push to end the war.

Turkish mediation proved vital in facilitating the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the U.N., Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul to reopen certain Ukrainian ports to release grain that had been stuck for months because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war – a development that has been crucial in responding to a growing global food crisis. Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. While Ankara has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, it also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing through them.