Woman goes on hunger strike to support Ukrainian refugees

By Fiona Jackson via SWNS

A woman who helped house ten Ukrainian refugees has gone on hunger strike in protest of the British government's delay in granting them visas.

Rend Platings, who painted her house the colors of the Ukrainian flag, made an application for a friend in Kyiv within minutes of the UK's Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme opening.

However, since March 14, she has heard nothing back, except an acknowledgment of her application, and she is worried for the safety of her friend Kristina Corniuk, 34.

As of this morning (April 1), she plans to only drink water, and just have a dab of salt on her tongue periodically for electrolytes, until action is taken.

The mom-of-one said: "I have been trying to fatten myself up a bit just by eating as many high-calorie things as possible, but it has been really hard because my appetite has gone because of the war situation and the emotions around it.

"I just haven't succeeded as much as I would have liked to, coming into this strike.

"Hopefully it won't last too long because the government is going to say 'right, we've decided we're not going to have visas for Ukrainians' or deal with their applications in a timely way, and actually do it.

"Then I'll just be able to have a nice meal and break my strike, so that's my hope.

"For people like Kristina, they are the ones who are suffering lack of access to food and water in many places, like in Mariupol, or at the same time often waiting on results of visa application."

Rend had her last meal last night (March 31), a Thai curry with a few glasses of wine before heading to bed.

She said: "I won't be drinking protein shakes or anything nutritious, otherwise it would be just too easy, I am making a statement."

Rend and Kristina met at a restaurant in Kyiv three years ago, and she hopes she will be able to stay at her home in Cambridge, England.

Rend said: "As an Iraqi, I understand the impact of war.

"I am really afraid for Kristina, and for all the people who have been forced to flee their homes under such terrible circumstances.

"The delay in issuing visas is adding to an already appalling humanitarian crisis and must not be allowed to continue."

Rend and her partner Michael are among tens of thousands of Brits who have offered spare rooms to Ukrainian refugees under the government's new initiative.

Rend, a former Iraqi diplomat who now runs a non-profit called Sugarwise, said that Kristina had stayed in Kyiv to look after her parents and grandfather, who is around 90-years-old.

It is not clear whether Kristina's family will also try to reach the UK or seek safety in western Ukraine or another European country.

She said: "It took a long time for me to convince Kristina to leave Kyiv when the war began and to even consider leaving her beloved country.

"Eventually after a lot of tears, I asked her to tell her family to all 'just pack as if you are going. Just prepare to go.'

"We were all nervous about her driving out of Kyiv, but relaxed a bit after she got through the first day and stayed with a relative who she’d never met before, in the most difficult circumstances.

"My husband and I were sick with worry."

Rend, Michael and their eight-year-old daughter Samantha bought a bed for their friend and set up her room with a desk and chair so she would be able to continue to work as a Spanish teacher if she wanted.

"Now we're just waiting."

Rend says she will continue her strike until: "The government puts its actions where its rhetoric is, and makes good on its promise to support the generosity that has so far been extended by the British public."

She added: "There is a real prospect that Kristina might be injured or killed. I would not be able to forgive myself if this happened because of needless red tape.

"When I told people about the hunger strike they asked if I'd be okay but we really need to be asking ourselves that question of all of the people like Kristina who are waiting in the cruellest of circumstances.

"I would ask of the government to do whatever it takes. Please fix it now."

Rend helped connect Cambridgeshire businessman Mick Swinhoe, 52, to a Ukrainian family of ten through her volunteer-run charity Mums4Ukraine.