The association will suspend its collection points in fire stations on Sunday. The equivalent of 15 semi-trailers has already been collected in Caen, Limoges and St Vallier in Drôme by Aides Actions Internationales Pompiers for Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Moldova.
“It’s unimaginable! In 40 years of humanitarianism, I have never seen this!” The voice of Claude Lett, president of the association Aides Actions Internationales Pompiers vibrates with emotion!
This former firefighter, who created this structure in the early 2000s, receives nearly 300 calls a day.
And since the call for donations, launched a week ago, everywhere individuals and companies have started to collect. The momentum is also enormous in colleges and high schools in Drôme-Ardèche.
Many stored the donations at home or brought them to the 9 fire stations in Drôme, from Romans to Dieulefit via Montélimar. But the centers are now almost saturated.
It’s the same thing in Auvergne where an individual living in Chatel near Clermont-Ferrand, collected nearly 100M3.
Huge logistics
From Monday March 7, all these donations, in particular many blankets, children’s clothes or food, will be sent to the central collection point located in St Vallier (Drôme). The association has already contacted a carrier in this city.
All the donations collected in Drôme and Ardèche but also in other cities in which the association is present (Caen or Limoges) will go to the refugee camps in Moldova. Donations from Haute-Loire are intended for Poland. For the time being, there is no question of crossing the border and entering Ukraine, where road hauliers cannot risk themselves.
Why such a success?
For this humanitarian “professional”, the incredible success of this appeal for donations in favor of the Ukrainians is explained by the proximity of the conflict.
It’s a war in Europe, very close. There is no sea that separates us from Ukraine. I think people are scared too. Many of those who call us cry on the phone.
The AAIP association was created in February 2007 by firefighters with health personnel or simple civilians. It intervenes in disaster zones or war zones from Macedonia to Indonesia or more recently in Lebanon after the explosion in the port of Beirut.
All of the goods collected could require “at least 15 semi-trailers”, according to Claude Lett. However, at 7,000 euros for a truck of this type, including the round trip, the association now mainly needs financial donations. You can submit your entry via the website.
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