Responding to rapidly changing emergencies ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌







Dear friend,

As the Senior Director of Humanitarian Response at Mercy Corps, I help ensure our teams have the capacity and resources to respond when crises strike — and to deliver aid in a way that supports long-term recovery. This requires us to be agile and adaptable to evolving emergencies and work closely with the communities we serve.

Below is an update on how rapid responses in Northwest Syria and Ukraine are addressing the unique conditions in each country as well as the needs of families.

In Northwest Syria: Compounding challenges
Mercy Corps team members and local partners distribute supply kits to families in Northwest Syria following the earthquake on February 6.
Since the catastrophic earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria in early February, Mercy Corps has been working to keep the supply chain open between Turkey and Northwest Syria. This is critical to getting urgently needed items to the area’s nearly 4 million people affected by the earthquake in Northwest Syria.

The country also depended on wheat and other supplies from Ukraine that either stopped or slowed down when the war started. Those limited resources, along with skyrocketing food prices, have made it even more difficult for people in Northwest Syria to meet their basic needs.

Our team is working around the clock in the aftermath of this crisis, relying on our long-held local partnerships to get more supplies to communities as quickly as we can.

In Ukraine: Cash distribution gives families flexibility
When the war began, Melnyk fled to Kyiv with her husband and 85-year-old mother. Cash assistance from Mercy Corps has helped pay for their rent and utilities.
Mercy Corps has delivered nearly $12 million in cash assistance to people affected by the war in Ukraine. We’re helping families who have settled in Kyiv and Dnipro after fleeing conflict-affected regions, and those who fled to Poland at the beginning of the conflict.

Cash assistance is the most effective way to provide essentials, and gives families flexibility to purchase what they need most. Families have used the assistance to pay for rent, utilities, food, medicine, plus blankets and warm clothes to withstand the harsh winter.

In Northwest Syria and Ukraine, as well as the Horn of Africa, Yemen, and beyond — people need and deserve opportunities and resources to cope, adapt, and thrive in the face of crisis.

The compassion and generosity of people like you, along with the determination of our team members and the communities we work with, are critical to fueling lasting change in 40+ countries.

As humanitarian need skyrockets around the world, please make a gift today to help communities cope, adapt, and thrive after conflict and disaster.
Thank you for your commitment to families around the world and helping to build a bolder, brighter future for us all.

Sincerely,

Erynn Carter Erynn Carter
Mercy Corps Senior Director,
Humanitarian Response

With 16+ years’ experience, Erynn leads Mercy Corps’ global humanitarian response and preparedness efforts. She loves that her work provides opportunities to engage with people from all walks of life.