Delivering food and medical supplies to Ukrainians fleeing conflict

[ [link removed] ]Mercy Corps

Dear friend,

As the war in Ukraine causes more devastation, we want to keep supporters
like you updated with our most recent efforts. We are working to reach
people most affected inside Ukraine as well as those fleeing the conflict
to Romania and Poland.

Situation on the ground

Humanitarian needs continue to escalate over the past month of violence in
Ukraine. More than 3.7 million people have fled the country, according to
the United Nations, and an additional 6.5 million people have been
displaced internally.

Communities in intense conflict regions are facing limited access to food,
health services, medicine, internet access, fuel, and other basic goods.
In eastern Ukraine, more than 200,000 people are without access to water
and almost 100,000 families lack electricity.

Mercy Corps’ response

A day in Ukraine

Cassandra Nelson, Mercy Corps’ Ukraine Emergency Response Coordinator, our
team, and our partner organization crossed the Siret border into Ukraine
through the Romanian and Ukrainian checkpoints. As they entered Ukraine,
there were hundreds of people waiting in line to cross from Ukraine to
Romania, primarily women and children, carrying what they could as they
walked in the freezing cold. Beyond the crowds at the border, the area was
desolate, except for a petrol station with cars lined up for rationed
fuel.


[ [link removed] ]Romania
Families cross the border into Romania.


The team’s goal was to deliver food and medical supplies to a monastery in
Chernivtsi, almost an hour by car from the border, where 400 children live
in an orphanage and more than 1,000 Ukrainians are taking shelter.


[ Ukraine ]Ukraine [ Ukraine ]Ukraine

Mercy Corps partnered with local Ukrainian organizations to deliver
supplies to a monastery sheltering more than 1,000 people.


At the monastery, the mood was somber as Ukrainians prayed for their loved
ones and for peace. Team members spoke with patients, staff, and
Ukrainians sheltering in the monastery to assess their needs, which
included medical supplies and electricity to power medical equipment.

The team spent the rest of the day unloading supplies and scouting nearby
warehouses that serve as hubs for goods as they come across the border.
After rushing to return to Romania before the 8 p.m. curfew, Cassandra
shared her thoughts while waiting at the Siret crossing:


 
"It was a good day. We achieved what we set out to do today and that
feels good. I am exhausted but filled with gratitude. I am glad we are
  safe but know that tomorrow the team will be back at it again and that  
is how it will go until there is a better way forward."
 
CASSANDRA NELSON, MERCY CORPS’ UKRAINE EMERGENCY RESPONSE COORDINATOR
 


Supporting local partners

Mercy Corps works with local organizations that know their communities’
needs best and are already working quickly to provide assistance to
displaced families inside Ukraine. A former restaurant and events company
has transformed into a major food distribution organization supporting
refugees in Lviv. They are delivering hot food to train stations and other
centers around Lviv, as well as providing transport and food for people
traveling to nearby border crossings.

Another local partner has set up a community center aimed at providing
children in Ukraine with space and activities to assist their recovery.
The school offers art therapy, safety, and first-aid classes. They are
currently working with about 30 children between the ages of 6-10. The
local team shared with us that the same building had been used to support
displaced families during World War II.


[ [link removed] ]Romania
Refugee reception centers like this one in Romania provide families with
basic necessities.



[ [link removed] ]If
you would like to help people facing urgent crises in Ukraine and 40+
countries around the world, please send your gift to our Humanitarian
Response Fund today.


[ [link removed] ]Give now [ [link removed] ]▸


Our work in Ukraine — and across the world — is made
possible by our team, our partners, and supporters like you. Thank you for
being part of our community.

Sincerely,

The Mercy Corps team

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