Refugees: stories and photos. You make a difference. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌







Dear friend,

Thank you for being part of our global community. This email is part of our ongoing series of updates to help keep you informed about Mercy Corps’ emergency response in Ukraine and surrounding countries.

Situation in Ukraine

Nearly five months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the conflict rages on. More than 6 million people have left the country, making this the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. Eight million people have been displaced internally, and it is estimated that 13 million people are trapped in temporarily occupied territories.

How we’re helping

Mercy Corps and our partners have been on the ground in Ukraine and the surrounding areas since the start of the war in February to help families find the safety and resources they need. So far, we have:
    Partnered with more than 50 organizations in Ukraine, Poland, and Romania to address people’s most critical needs
 
    Issued over $1.7 million in grants to local organizations providing a wide range of humanitarian support and social services for Ukrainian refugees
 
    Assisted more than 18,000 people to evacuate from conflict-affected areas of Ukraine
 
    Provided essential services to 52,000 Ukrainians and third-country nationals who fled to Poland because of the conflict
We have reached a total of more than 88,000 people in the region with urgent humanitarian assistance. We are continuing to scale up our partner network and expand our reach each day. By the end of 2022, we aim to reach at least 500,000 people living in and around Ukraine with lifesaving support.

Refugee voices

Our teams and partners have been working side-by-side with refugees since the early days of the war. We’ve sought to better understand people’s unique needs as they fled the conflict, and in doing so learned more about their personal stories and aspirations. Here, in their own words, they share what they hope, miss, and want as they continue to navigate this devastating crisis.
   
   
     
"I really want to go home. The only thing I want right now is to go home. Nothing else! I miss my dad."
 
TAICIA
 
Taicia (pictured on the left in a plaid shirt) and her family fled from Kharkiv where they had been sheltering in their basement from the violence. She and her mother and brother are staying at a hotel-turned-shelter funded by Mercy Corps in Poland.
   
   
     
"I want to play, but not for enjoyment, but in order to be together with a musical instrument. You see, here I don’t have a loved one who could understand me or hug me, or share my sadness, which I now have in my soul. And only a musical instrument can do this now, can help get over the sadness."
 
ELIANOVA
 
Elianova has been playing the cello her whole life. When she fled from Ukraine to a Mercy Corps-supported shelter in Poland, she had to leave hers behind. A woman in Warsaw lent her a cello to begin playing again.

You make a difference

As we stay the course to help people heal and reestablish their lives, one of the best ways you can continue to help is by starting a monthly donation to Mercy Corps. We call our monthly givers our Partners In Possibility because your gifts help families build toward brighter futures with new possibilities. Will you join us as a Partner In Possibility today?
Give monthly ▸
Thank you for showing up in this moment. Your generosity and dedication have helped make a difference for people who need it most.

We’ll be in touch again soon with more updates from Ukraine and across the world.

Sincerely,

The Mercy Corps team