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John,
As I'm sure you've seen in your newsfeeds over the past few weeks, tensions are rising rapidly between Russia and Ukraine. The IRC is closely monitoring the situation, and today I'm sharing some background context and our plans to respond:
- The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has been steadily waging over the last eight years.
- More than 850,000 Ukrainians have already been internally displaced. Right now, nearly 3 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.
- Since 2014, the conflict has killed more than 3,000 civilians and injured 7,000 more.
Infrastructure within Ukraine has been weakened by the ongoing war and COVID-19: the health care system is fragile and the economy has drastically declined. Escalating tensions in Ukraine could quickly lead to a humanitarian crisis.
John, the repercussions for civilians forced to flee their homes would be drastic, and we must prepare now to respond immediately to this potential humanitarian crisis.
Poland — Ukraine's northwestern neighbor — has estimated that it could receive up to 1 million refugees fleeing Ukraine. We are on the ground in Poland assessing the situation and the needs that could arise if people start to flee into the country. We will be ready to respond as needed.
John, I encourage you to read our detailed assessment about the crisis in Ukraine, which we will update regularly as our response strengthens. |
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