We want Putin not to kill our children and parents - Lydia Shestak-Aliyeva

The owner of the Baku restaurant of Ukrainian cuisine "Solokha", president of the Union of Ukrainian Women in Azerbaijan Lydia Shestak-Aliyeva has been living in our country for 17 years. She is from Donbass. Married to an Azerbaijani and says her child is half Ukrainian and half Azerbaijani. During the 44-day war, she spread the truth about the war in Karabakh to the media.

With the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, Lydia launched an active, practically round-the-clock effort to collect aid. She accommodates Ukrainians from Baku who couldn't fly out of Azerbaijan in time. She cooperates with Azerbaijani organizations in Ukraine. She is approached by parents of Azerbaijani students with requests to help get their children out of the action zone.  She was able to facilitate the urgent removal of children by reporting them to volunteers in Ukraine.

After many calls, at 11 p.m., Turan managed to reach her: "From the first day of the events, my friends and I set up a headquarters, in my restaurant.  We contacted the Embassy of Ukraine. I am constantly on the phone with many addressees in Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Canada. 24 hours a day. Because of the time difference we cannot rest, now there are messages from Canada. There is a lot of work, every five minutes we have to solve a new task, to coordinate. The Embassy sends humanitarian cargoes every day from the collection point to Ukraine. Sorry, no time to talk... ".

Lydia's speech is interrupted by crying. She says a huge responsibility fell on her when Azerbaijanis from Ukraine started calling to rescue them.

"As soon as the war started, from the first day my friends and I and those who couldn't fly away set up an operational headquarters. We tried to get anyone out of Ukraine who asked. There are 80,000 Azerbaijanis living in the Dnepropetrovsk region of Ukraine alone.  

Volunteers are working around the clock, at full stretch, packing and sorting loads. People bring to the collection point near the Embassy ("Dəstək Ukraina") everything they need.  The work is overseen by the Embassy and Consulate of Ukraine. Lately it has been collecting more aid for the army - medicines, elements of ammunition.

"I do not know what else the Republic of Azerbaijan can do. Humanitarian aid was instantly sent from the country - medicines. A low bow to all the Azerbaijanis. Such empathy, support... People on the street stop me, see my badge of support for Ukraine and try to help, asking what else they can do for Ukraine. They say: "Glory to Ukraine! We have an amazing President, Ilham Aliyev.

We want this madness to end as soon as possible. We do not want to lose our children, our parents. We want that our green cities and beautiful squares are not destroyed. Most importantly - not to kill people. It is necessary to stop the monstrous aggression of Russia together, in the whole world. 

I know that there are many people in Azerbaijan who want to help us. If it were possible to accept the wounded from Ukraine here, take children to rest in our country, create summer camps for them...," Lydia Shestak-Aliyeva told Turan.

Lydia sent Turan one of the audio messages from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. In the recording, made on the sixth day of the war, a woman named Afag pleads for help to save children and women hiding in the city's basement. "There is nothing in the stores - no medicine, no heating, the lights are turned off. There are no groceries. In one of the central districts they hit the school, kindergarten, yesterday they hit the school. in residential buildings. The women of Mariupol are asking please take them out...".

The photo shows Azerbaijani Ukrainians weaving bracelets from ribbons of the colors of the national flag. The bracelets are sold and the proceeds are donated to a charity fund for Ukraine. We managed to sell these bracelets to Saudi Arabia," Shestak-Aliyeva said. "We weave these bracelets and settle down," she added. 

This is her FB. There's a photo of her and a video message
https://www.facebook.com/lidiyas1

In the video message, February 28, Lydia urges: Friends! All not indifferent to our situation, I express gratitude for your support and help. In my restaurant there are organized the operational headquarters of assistance #HelpUkraine in Baku, together with the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora organization of Dnepropetrovsk region Najaf Ahmedov, in cooperation with the Consulate of Ukraine in Azerbaijan.  We have united to help people in need as much as possible. We need both humanitarian and financial support, we need volunteers and accommodation for citizens of Ukraine who will arrive in Baku or stay here for whatever reason.

The Ukrainian Embassy to Azerbaijan has opened a special manat account for the collection of aid.

Name of bank: Azerbaijani International Bank
Client service department
Code: 805250
VÖEN: 9900001881
Correspondent account: AZ03NABZ013501000000002944
SWIFTIBAZZ2X
Name of client: EMBASSY OF UKRAINE (CONSULAR SERVICES)
Account number: AZ46IBAZ39010039449421362120
VÖEN: 9900051511