The Foundation for Development of Ukraine (FDU) responded to the request to provide aid to victims of the flood in the Western Ukraine. On 28 July Rinat Akhmetov in his address to inhabitants of the disaster-struck regions said that no one would be left without sympathy and support, and the Foundation would make best efforts to ensure that the aid reached its destination quickly and on time. Rinat Akhmetov also assured that the Foundation would help every family whose members had been killed.

The Foundation team started collecting information immediately to understand who needed aid most of all and how FDU could help exactly. Having analyzed the findings, the Foundation decided to assist Verkhovinsk district of Ivano-Frankovsk Region, which suffered the most. Access ways to 38 villages were completely destroyed. Inhabitants were left without road communications, food, and emergency help. 

 
By the evening of 30 July a schedule of flights and aid transfer to the cut-off villages was developed together with the district administration. The FDU bought fir aid food kits (water, bread, sunflower oil, cereals, sugar, salt, canned food, pasta, flour) at the amount of UAH 300,000 for the victims.

 
The Foundation representatives made 40 flights on a military helicopter provided by the Ministry of Defence during four days from 31 July till 3 August. Military helicopters turned into vehicles for civilians for several days. The people learnt about the HQ in Verkhovin and started approaching FDU employees for help.

 
As of 3 August 2008, all 38 villages of Verkhovinsk area in Ivano-Frankovsk Region cut-off by the flood have received food. Altogether nearly 200 locals in need for urgent medical aid as well as children and adults separated by the flood, pregnant women, and aged have been evacuated. 

 
This brought the first emergency stage of aid provision to the end. Long-term restoration of communication lines started on Monday, 4 August. Today heavy construction machinery rented by FDU are repairing transport infrastructure and clearing housing areas in Verkhovinsk district. The Foundation is working to tackle other burning problems in the region. In particular, FDU bought 1,000 water-purifying filters delivered to the settlements for locals to use the water for drinking.

The total amount of help provided by FDU to Verkhovinsk district of Ivano-Frankovsk region made over UAH 0.5m

As promised before, the Foundation will help every family whose members were killed. The Foundation decided to donate UAH 50,000 to each of them. The money will be transferred to personal accounts after the state committee publishes official death toll.

The Foundation for Development of Ukraine expresses gratitude to the Ministry of Defence, the Verkhovinsk district administration, the Red Cross office in Ivano-Frankovsk, personally to Ruslana Lyzhichko, and governor of Ivano-Frankovsk Region Nikolay Paliychuk. We would also like to thank the military unit A 2595, Brody town of Lvov region; the helicopter crew No. 58 – S. Nedogibchenko, S. Shtanov, O. Hrib, O. Kozodiy, A.Movchan; No. 52 – A. Bernadskiy, V.Litvinenko, V. Romanyuk, A.Horbatyuk; and the crew No.57 – V.Voronoy , S. Kravchuk, S.Omelyukh, N. Rozhkova. They would often risk their lives flying in unfavourable weather conditions.