Carla Melki, emergency coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, has just returned from the port city of Odessa in southwestern Ukraine. There she was part of an MSF team that has been assessing the situation in order to help plan our activities in response to the war in the country. From Moldova, a bordering country to which refugees are escaping, she explains the fears the Russian offensive is causing and the priorities for MSF’s intervention.

What is the situation in Odessa?
Part of the population fled the city towards the Moldavan border. Those who remain do not move much. Despite this, traffic is complicated due to traffic jams around the very many checkpoints of the Ukrainian security forces in the city. There is a curfew at night and sirens sound several times a day. While we were there, we heard several explosions in the distance, but we did not know what caused them or where they came from.

Most shops are closed, the sale of alcohol is prohibited, fuel is rationed and cash withdrawals limited.

The city is clearly preparing for an attack and a siege. With nearly one million inhabitants, it is the third city of Ukraine. It is also the country’s most important port. It is a strategic location so no one has any illusions about what will happen next. Everyone is preparing for the worst.