Responding to the Conflict in Ukraine

Six weeks. It has been six weeks since the fighting started in Ukraine. Just six weeks for the conflict to precipitate the largest refugee crisis Europe has seen since World War II. Just six weeks for violence and chaos to completely engulf the eastern European nation of 44 million, the brutality only growing each day.

Already, over 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes to neighboring countries or other parts of Ukraine, the majority forcibly displaced from their towns and communities by imminent danger. Beyond the staggering numbers of displaced, injured and killed, there have been dozens of confirmed attacks on healthcare facilities.

The destruction of infrastructure has left nearly a million Ukrainians without power, and 6 million without reliable access to safe water. In the eastern city of Mariupol, security threats have prevented desperately needed humanitarian convoys from delivering any aid for over a month. Needless to say, the situation is dire, especially for the many millions of Ukrainian children throughout the war-torn region.

This is a human crisis of horrific proportions.

As the majority of Ukrainians evacuating are women and girls, protection programs remain essential. And amidst the COVID pandemic, the overcrowding of evacuation centers, lack of safe water and suboptimal vaccination coverage have increased the risk of disease transmission. In the face of these mounting odds, International Medical Corps is standing firm in its mission and duty to save lives.

Already, our teams have delivered 112 pallets of vital medicines, supplies and health kits to 12 health facilities in Ukraine — materials capable of supporting over 300,000 people for three months. International Medical Corps continues to provide MHPSS consultations in southeast Ukraine, having provided more than 120 consultations in the last month, and is providing remote psychological first-aid (PFA) training to first responders. Our gender-based violence teams are working to distribute dignity kits and other resources for evacuating women and girls.

Across the borders of adjacent nations Poland, Moldova, and Romania, critical services including health, MHPSS and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) have been bolstered by International Medical Corps’ teams. Priority deliveries have included WASH supplies and non-food items (NFIs), including sleeping items, towels, hygiene kits and more. In response to the crowded, unsanitary conditions in many locations, we have also delivered thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment and COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to border crossings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.

To date, International Medical Corps has directly reached more than 313,000 Ukrainian men, women, and children with healthcare and hope. This live-saving work is directly enabled by GlobalGiving, its community of donors and others. Together, we are relieving suffering and saving lives.