It’s World Human Rights Day — a day dedicated to the advancement of equality and dignity for all in the pursuit of freedom, peace, and justice.
We are thinking about these human rights today as our teams in Ukraine are facing the biggest sustained attacks on the energy grid since the start of the war. This humanitarian catastrophe is deepening at the onset of harsh winter conditions, when energy access is critical for heat, water, and other life-sustaining needs.
In honor of this day, and as part of our regular series on our response to the war in Ukraine, we are looking back from the early days of the conflict to today. Here’s how our response has evolved along with the needs on the ground:
Within days of the war’s outbreak, Mercy Corps teams were at the Polish and Romanian borders to assess the most urgent needs for the more than 6 million refugees who initially fled from the violence amid freezing temperatures. Our team prioritized getting families essentials such as food and medical supplies, and ensuring refugees had trusted information about basic services, safe routes, and legal rights as they sought safety.
As the war waged on, Mercy Corps partnered with local organizations inside Ukraine, who knew their local needs best and were already positioned to get critical supplies to people trapped in regions most affected by the conflict. In the months that followed, we set up an emergency cash assistance consortium to distribute cash to families to purchase what they needed most.
By May 2022, more than two-thirds of Ukrainian children were displaced either within Ukraine or outside of the country. Mercy Corps partnered with local organizations to ensure families had shelter and children had safe spaces to play and learn. One of our local partners in Ukraine set up a day care center for children displaced by the war. In addition to providing basic classes, teachers would take the children to the nearby parks to play.
The most recent wave of attacks has left millions of Ukrainians without electricity. This often means no heat, power, or water. The surge of violence, along with the season’s first snowfall, is exacerbating already dire circumstances. This hasn’t stopped our team members and local partners from their deep commitment to supporting people displaced by war.
We recently delivered a new cycle of cash assistance to over 7,700 households, with more than $10 million in supplementary cash going to people facing challenges as winter sets in. This enables families to pay the rent, purchase blankets and warm clothes, or whatever they need most.
We are so grateful for the work of our teams and partners, along with the support of our global community. As the humanitarian need around the world grows, one of the best ways you can help deliver urgently needed aid to people facing crises in Ukraine and 40+ countries where we work is by becoming a monthly donor.
We have now reached approximately 100,000 people with crucial supplies, shelter, and services in Ukraine and surrounding regions. We appreciate you standing beside us and the people of Ukraine as we mobilize for the winter months ahead.
With gratitude,
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Cara Buck
Deputy Ukraine Response Director,
Mercy Corps
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