Ukraine Crises: How 368 Trapped Nigerian Students Drink, Cook With Snow, Ice

It has been revealed how 368 trapped Nigerian students drink and cook with snow and ice over Ukraine crises, The Nation report.

No fewer than 368 Nigerian students still trapped in Sumy State University (SumDU), Ukraine, are now drinking and cooking with ice and snow following water shortage in the city of Sumy.

They are part of the over 800 international students hiding in bunkers at hostel 3 in SumDU.

They told The Nation that their water supply was disrupted and the city plunged into darkness since March 3 when bombs destroyed a water plant and power substation serving the Northeastern Ukrainian city.

The country has seen heavy fighting following a Russian invasion on February 24 and Sumy is facing heavy shelling by Russian forces.

Sumy is approximately 48km from the Russian border – an area surrounded by conflict – and the bombings were reported to have resumed there at about 6am on Saturday morning.

But it was learnt that the students had to risk stepping outside – despite continuous shelling – and in sub-zero temperatures to gather snow and ice for basic needs.

“People had to use snow to cook food because there was no water,” said first-year medical student, Emmanuella Oiza.

Oiza, 17, told The Nation that she and the other students could hear the bombings from their hiding place.

She said: “The bombings are audible from everywhere in the city. We hide in bunkers.

“We heard some sounds although it’s not near the hostel we’re in and due to the bomb the day before yesterday, our light and water were cut off.

“We had to trek to another hostel which is closer to the city centre to get light because no light means no data connection.

“In this hostel there’s light but no water and the population increased drastically today (Saturday) and yesterday (Friday). More than half of the population of hostel 4 and 5 are in this hostel which is hostel 3.

“So it’s congested; no bed space, the toilets aren’t working so everywhere smells and it’s just tiring. It doesn’t help that it’s really cold and snowing at this point.”

Oiza said many of the Nigerians are medical students while others are studying Computer Science, Management and other courses.

Most of the others are from Tanzania (159), Ghana (150), Zimbabwe (18), Zambia (14), Morocco (12), Namibia (4), Angola (4), South Africa (2), and Botswana (1).

Others are from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ireland, India, Lebanon and Turkey.

The Nation learnt that all routes out of Sumy are blocked with trains and buses no longer running. Roads and bridges have also been bombed, with fighting reported in the streets.

But some are sometimes lucky to leave the city by taxis.

Oiza said: “As for taxis, hardly anyone is willing to move. If they’re moving, they take only four or three people, and they’re calling outrageous prices for transportation just out of Sumy to Poltava, a neighbouring state.

“Taxis was $500 or more per student. I have a friend that booked a cab on Thursday to move on Friday but when Friday came, the cab guy picked someone who paid extra money.”

On Friday, 630 Nigerians including three infants stranded in Ukraine arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in two batches.

This followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of $8.5 million for the immediate evacuation of at least 5,000 Nigerians fleeing the Ukrainian crisis.

But Oiza and her compatriots are unable to leave because of the violence.

She appealed for help to leave the war-torn country, urging the Nigerian, Ukrainian and Russian governments to negotiate a green corridor so civilians can flee.

“We’ve been waiting for the green corridor,” Oiza said.

A Computer Science Masters student, Ojo Olajide, said soldiers appeared to be preventing people from leaving.

Olajide said: “The situation of things is terrible. There’s no movement from Sumy to anywhere. There’s no water, light, food.

The Ukrainian soldiers are not allowing us to leave even though we find a driver that’s willing to go.

“They’re using us as war hostages, in my opinion, because I feel they should be the ones to help us pass easily.”

A fifth-year medical student, Elkanemi Joseph, also pleaded for help in a video sent to The Nation.

Joseph said: “The situation in Sumy is quite bad. Russian troops have shelled out the city. There’s no way out by road, railway and air. We’re currently in the bunker of our dormitory. I’m pleading with anyone out there to help my university secure a humanitarian corridor to safely evacuate all citizens – both foreigners and Ukrainians out of the city to a safe place. Please do all you can to help us.”

In another video, six Nigerian students pleaded for help. “We’re running out of food and water. Our government is trying to evacuate us but we don’t know how long that is going to be for. Please help us,” they said.

Receiving the 630, the director of consular and legal services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Akinremi Bolaji, told journalists at the Abuja airport that the government was aware of the plight of Nigerians in Sumy.

“We also still have 350 in Sumy College which has been cut off… as soon as we are through with the safe corridor, we will go for those ones,” Bolaji said.

A lecturer in the Management Department, Dr. Tetyana Mayboroda, also appealed for safe passage for the students and civilians.

“Air attack on Sumy!!! Substation targeted. Currently no light, water, electricity. We appeal for a green corridor for foreign students and civilians,” Mayboroda said in a post on her Twitter feed.

Nigerians, others allege discrimination at Romanian, Hungarian, Polish borders

A civil society group, Concerned Nigerians, has led hordes of Nigerians and other Africans to signed an online petition alleging massive discrimination against blacks fleeing Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion.

The petition was titled ‘Stop discriminating, provide safe passages for Africans and People of Colour out of Ukraine.’

“Numerous African refugees, mostly students in Ukraine, are being prevented from leaving to safety as Russian strikes continue in the nation, according to individuals attempting to cross borders to neighbouring countries,” the civil society group said.

Thousands of young African students mostly from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia and other countries studying in Ukraine, according to the petition, claim they have been abandoned, with some taking to Twitter in recent days to tell their stories of desertion.

“According to the students, certain locals are ‘prioritising’ Ukrainians, while black individuals face hostility or are refused passage at the border. On twitter, Ms. Sky said that under the present crisis, black people – particularly migrants – are more exposed to prejudice. ‘It is self-evident that we Africans are seen as lesser creatures,’ said Nze, a student who was forced to travel several hours to the Poland border. ‘The majority of Africans are still on their route to Lviv,’ he tweeted on Friday, beside a snapshot of the masses.

“The scenario has fuelled concern among observers within the worldwide African and Caribbean diasporas that, even during times of conflict, black people suffer worse than white people.”

The petition claimed that another Nigerian medical student at the Medyka-Shehyni border crossing between Poland and Ukraine stated she had waited seven hours to cross and also that border guards were stopping and sending black individuals to the back of the line, claiming they had to allow ‘Ukrainians’ through first.

“Around 4,000 Nigerians are now studying in Ukraine, making up the country’s second-largest group of international students, after Moroccans, who account for 8,000 students. A number of Nigerian students and their families have gone to social media to express their worries about alleged racial discrimination by guards at crossings and security checkpoints, as well as a perceived lack of government assistance.”

Calling on Nigerians and other Africans to sign petition calling on Ukrainian border authorities to put an end to the discriminatory evacuation tactics and grant everyone access to safety across the border by any means available, the group said: “Our demands: We call on Ukrainian border authorities to stop the discrimination against Africans and other people of colour and ensure safe passage for Africans and other marginalised people into neighbouring countries.

“The African Union should issue a statement demanding the safety of Africans and arrange for airlifts of Africans in Ukraine or those that have fled to Poland and other countries. This is the time for them to rise up for Africa.

“Finally, the Nigerian Government must as a matter of urgency, evacuate stranded Nigerian students in Ukraine and those that have fled to neighbouring countries.”

Nigeria evacuates 807 stranded migrants

A total of 807 stranded Nigerians have been evacuated by the Federal Government from war-raged Ukraine as at Saturday.

The evacuees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja in three flights.

The first batch of 450 Nigerians stranded in Ukraine arrived aboard Max Air flight 747 at 7:10 a.m., on Friday through Romania.

The second batch came aboard Air Peace Boeing 777-300 flight (APK7534) and arrived in Abuja with 183 passengers including kids through Warsaw.

The third batch of 174 evacuees arrived at 11.50 p.m. on Friday through Hungary.

Report says that many Nigerians and other nationals have fled Ukraine into neighbouring countries since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on its neighbour on Feb. 24.

The Federal Government approved the release of 8.5 million dollars on Wednesday for the immediate evacuation of at least 5,000 Nigerians fleeing the Russian-Ukrainian conflict zone to Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

On Feb. 28, the Federal Government said Nigeria’s diplomatic mission had received 256 citizens from Ukraine at Bucharest, Hungary, Poland and Romania following the invasion.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has been at the forefront of the evacuation.